Susanna Spencer on Active Contemplation

"It has been days since I last cleaned the house, perhaps weeks. Dust sits thick on the bookcases. Clutter is strewn about the floor. Life has gotten busy, too busy for my old routine of cleaning on a weekly basis. Homeschooling fills my mornings while my writing and reading work fill my afternoons. I dive into the house cleaning on the warm Saturday morning while the kids play outside and my husband picks up some groceries.

"A familiar loneliness creeps into my consciousness and I cast my mind about for something to fill it. A podcast? An audiobook? Should I call someone while I work? Anything to distract me from the monotony of my house work. But a still, small voice calls gently out to me, reminding me that I am not alone in my work. He calls me to place myself in his presence in my work, to find fulfillment in being with him while I do these little things of my life - He calls me to a kind of prayer called active contemplation in every moment of my day."

In a recent commentary, writer Susanna Spencer reflected on the benefits of active contemplation (including disposing us to be more focused and attentive when we have an opportunity for "true mental prayer").

To access Ms. Spencer's complete post, please visit:

National Catholic Register: Blogs: Susan Spencer: Want to Be Closer to God? Try Active Contemplation (3 JUN 19)