Contemplation and Action

Contemplation and Action

Richard Rohr O.F.M.

Fr. Richard met with participants of a recent Center for Action and Contemplation 9-day internship program to respond to their questions.

Some of the topics brought up in the question period include such themes as listed:

• Why is it so difficult to be fully present?

• How can one be present to another person while, at the same time, maintaining the “inner witness” or “observer”?

• What is salvation?

• Why is the word “and” so important in the name of your organization, the Center for Action and Contemplation?

• How do we attract young people to contemplative prayer?

• How do we overcome the internal blockages to awareness that keep us from seeing?

• Does “beginners mind” have anything to do with this?

• How do we deal with expectations?

• What about Absolute Truth?

• What is “liminal space”?

• What is evil?


Without the contemplative mind all we say about social change and social justice will not happen. If we can’t deal with the inevitable hurts, we will opt out. Contemplation helps us “opt in”. It is “thinking without thinking”.