True Contemplation:

All contemplative life on earth implies penance as well as prayer, because in contemplation there are always two aspects: the positive one, by which we are united to God in love, and the negative one, by which we are detached and separated from everything that is not God. Without both these elements there is no real contemplation.

“Still do not know me?”:

Jesus questioned Philip, “And you still do not know me?” This question is also our daily challenge. If we claim we know Jesus well, we should be making daily choices and serious decisions that help us mature in our faith in Him. Has the quality of our daily decisions grown over the years?

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You will not see anyone who is really striving after his advancement who is not given to spiritual reading. And as to him who neglects it, the fact will soon be observed by his progress.

- Saint Athanasius (295-373)