PODCAST | Turning from Cynicism to Contemplation
In this meditation, Fr. Marty Miller draws out lessons about becoming contemplatives in the middle of the world by looking at our similarities to the lives of the Apostles. Their active lifestyles highlight three key elements for us to maintain a contemplative spirit amid our everyday duties:
1) our love for creation can grow to extend to the stark realities of modern life;
2) our willingness to struggle can get us through the tough spots of the road if we take them as reminders of the importance of the contemplative spirit;
3) our constant connection with Our Lord, that He himself maintains, can keep us oriented towards Him no matter what.
The saintly Apostles were not monks; rather their ministry demanded that they support themselves with work. And, the lives of so many saints show us that contemplation is compatible with facing great challenges. For us, too, the realities of our lives in the middle of the world should be content for our dialogue with God. In this way, we can trust that He has placed us in this world, with our life’s challenges, for a reason, and the reason is always our sanctification.
PAUSE & REFLECT:
- Have I become cynical about some aspect of contemporary life? If so, how could I lean more on God, to allow him to heal me?
- How could the lives of the saints, of a particular saint perhaps, help me to put my troubles in perspective and to realize that God is always by my side?
- What is going on in my life right now that could and should be content for my next conversation with God?
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Cover Art: Saints en procession; Luc-Olivier Merson (French, 1846-1920)
Rev. Marty Miller
Fr. Marty John Miller is a Catholic priest of Opus Dei. A native of Oregon, Illinois, he studied theology in Rome and Pamplona, Spain. Fr. Marty was ordained to the priesthood in 2002 at Torreciudad, near the hometown of St. Josemaria Escriva. He currently resides in Houston and serves throughout south-central Texas, ministering the sacraments, preaching, and offering spiritual guidance.