The spirit of contemplative love in action is summed up in the 100th Psalm as David the Prophet sings to the people:

Psalm 100

1: Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2: Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3: Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4: Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

St Teresa gives us practical advice about the benefits that may be gained by regularly leaving our contemplative solitude in order to share the fruits with others, never completely because our First Commandment relationship with God will always take first priority, but as a regular "part" of the spiritual life, the overall thrust of which is contemplative:

"In solitude, some may say there are fewer occasions for offending God and purity is more easily kept. But when obedience or charity bids us run the risk of occasions, love comes out far more clearly than it does in the recesses of solitude . . . Believe me, we make much greater gain and that beyond comparison, even if we commit more faults and suffer some slight losses" (St. Teresa, Foundations, Chap. V; Pourrat, 178).

"While the Contemplative Life in God must take first place, and must become the center of our life, one must also share the fruits of this prayer with the world through action. It is in the nature of true Charity that it manifests its inner-dynamic in a profusion of good works. For although Mary has chosen the better part, it's not the only part. Without Martha, there could be no time available for contemplation by Mary. We have but to look at the busy lives of such contemplative saints as St. Francis, St Teresa of Avila, St Catherine of Siena, or Mother Teresa to see how contemplation, when it has reached the proper stage, cannot be contained, and must express itself in joyful service, and loving neighbor through prolific action. (Dietrich von Hildebrand, "Transformation in Christ")<

"It lies in the divine plan that in this life, statu viae (a state of unfolding and actualization), man should intervene creatively in the processes of nature and should build up a culture. We are thus called on to acquire an increasing knowledge of the world; to create material and spiritual goods; to elaborate and order a life in common.(Ibid)

"We, like God, in whose image we are made, are persons who act to unite ourselves with an ever-widening circle of love. "For man is a potency, the last act of which is to unite itself to Being without limits through loved knowledge. This "unite itself" is like a conjugal act of the mind, And man spontaneously moves to unite himself to all beings and to the source of beings, loving them all and receiving love from them all."(Fr Antonio Rosmini)

"He gives of himself to all beings, and they give of themselves to him. He thus widens his own limits, bringing his restricted, deficient nature to completion. A tiny part of being, he enjoys not himself alone but all entities, and in the expanse of essential being finds and receives his own happiness, a moral happiness which he can no longer refuse, a good he cannot lose. Such is the end of human beings, the noblest end of "person," and hence, the end of human nature. This communication and mutual society of beings with the being of beings and between themselves is the end of the universe." For the Universe is nothing else than the field for the loving communion of being." (Ibid)

Through Contemplative Prayer, one has the hope to fulfill the First Commandment through an intense, ongoing, loving relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ. The Love of God, in Jesus Christ, required by the First Commandment is fueled, primarily, by this prayer, and secondarily, by the action flowing from it. Action and good works must flow from prayer, and not the other way around. Through Contemplative Prayer, Almighty God directs us, and, He, Himself, undertakes the greater portion of our effort in our works for Him. And the insignificant efforts of human beings to love one another, when prayerfully joined to the power of Almighty God, becomes a mountain-moving force of love that transforms the world.

"Is it strange that in (a) book on the active life the emphasis is not on energy and will power and action so much as on grace, and interiority? No, for these are the true principles of supernatural activity. An activity that is based on the frenzies and impulsion of human ambitions is a delusion and an obstacle to grace. It gets in the way of God's will, and it cre­ates more problems that it solves. We must learn to distinguish between the pseudo-spiritually of activism and the true vitality and energy of Christian action guided by the Spirit."( Merton, Thomas, Life and Holiness (Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1990), ix-x.)

"This," as Maria de la Dolorosa notes, "is what all loving souls say...Ah! The love of God is a very powerful fire which, when finding itself within a soul, refuses to be kept shut up within her and searches out and opens up a thousand ways to spread its blaze; in this way she will speak all she can of her Beloved to enkindle all hearts in His love...She wants everyone to know and to love Him, and unble to keep silent, she repeats, 'Let us speak the whole truth revealed by Him and confirmed by so many wonders. Love is indeed brave and fears no dangers.'

"While previously, before the transforming union, she found it difficult to leave the quiet of contemplation, now she does so with the greatest ease, as though moved by a higher force which urges her to help the needs of her neighbors. She now has no other ambitions or desires but those of her sweet Master. She now wants to go everywhere, so that all will be made to feel the beneficial influence of His presence and the fountain of blessings that she now carries within her always. Although she seems to travel the world alone...she in fact has excellent company, being accompanied in inner recollection by her Beloved Whom she never ceases to contemplate and Who bestows virtue and efficacy upon all her works. Thus, she enjoys more or less the continual presence and sweet company of Jesus and communicates it to others without ever separating hrself from Him for a single moment...Previously God worked in her but now He is pleased to work with her, bringing her to join Him in His work

"But she nonetheless invites her Beloved to go out with her for she cannot live without Him, and she knows that without His assistance she can do nothing. Enkindled by love, she invites and calls Him so as to better fulfill His holy will and to always enjoy His presence; for although she ardently wishes to visit the Spouse's vineyards, she does not want to go alone but rather in His sweet company because she fears she would become weak. Being sure of taking Him with her in some way, it is not at all difficult for her to leave the delights and repose of contemplation in order to take up active work. During this work she is, in fact, never completely deprived of the intimate embraces of her Beloved, Whose presence she is always conscious of when she recollects herself, even very sightly, in the midst of her activity; and actuallly she is able to see Him working not only through her, but in her and with her.

"There, she says, "she will give Him her heart, and thus will show Him her love, for love is demonstrated not simply in words, but in works, sacrifices and sufferings. These are precisely the only things which the creature can give to God and which He needs to receive from her in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross in a body capable of suffering and to apply it efficaciously to so many who are in need. There she gives Him her heart, nursing Him in many souls, winnning and uplifting them for Him. And she rejoces in doing this.

"For the soul in Transforming Union with Jesus Christ wants nothing more than to imitate His Self-Giving Love, and to give herself away as He gives Himself away. She says to Him, 'Let us rise up and go out to the cultivation of hearts which form the vine planted by You. Let us see if this vine of grace has blossomed with good desires, if these flowers which sprang from the Word of God are producing the fruits of love for God and one's neighbor. There I will give You my love; for I will praise Your Holy Name and will try to make known to other souls hwo sweet and beneficial Your love is. For the Love of God refuses to be shut up within, and seeks a thousand ways to spread its blaze and enkindle all hearts with the sweetness and joy of the Lord."

Here's what Mother Teresa says:

"We are there to bring Christ to the people and to bring the people to Christ. We do his work. He provides the means. If he does not give us the means, that shows that he does not want the work. So why worry?

"Joy is prayer. Joy is strength. Joy is love. Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. God loves a cheerful giver. He gives most who gives with joy. The best way to show our gratitude to God and the people is to accept everything with joy. A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love. Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of Christ risen. This I tell my sisters. This I tell to you.

"Death is something beautiful: it means going home. Naturally, we feel lonely for that person. But, it is very beautiful thing: a person has gone home to God. That's where we all have to go.

"Faithfulness to the little things will help us to grow in love. We have all been given a lighted lamp and it is for us to keep it burning. We can keep it burning only if we keep on pouring oil inside. That oil comes from our acts of love. So, let us keep that lamp burning, so that when Christ comes he will know us.

"The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted, uncared for, deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference towards one's neighbor who lives at the roadside the victim of exploitation, corruption, poverty, and disease. Everywhere today hunger is not only for a piece of bread, but hunger for God, hunger for love.

"It is very difficult to give Jesus to the people unless we have Jesus in our hearts. We all should become the carriers of God's love. But to do this, we must deepen our life of love and prayer and sacrifice. We must bring peace, love and compassion to the world today. We don't need guns and bombs to do this.

"We need deep love, deep union with Christ to be able to give him to others. Compassion and love have to grow from within, from our union with Christ. And from that union, love for the family, love for the neighbor, love for the poor is a natural fruit. So let us deepen our love for Jesus, deepen our knowledge of God, and this knowledge will lead us to love him, and love will lead us to serve him as instruments of peace, of love, of compassion.

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature, trees, flowers, grass grows in silence. See the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence. The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness. Silence came before creation, and the heavens were spread without a word.

"Trust God. Feel the security of divine providence. Trust him. He knows. He will provide.

"We must believe and bring our faith into reality and life by love. Begin at home. It's harder to love at home than to love those outside. Love. Love Jesus in people. Serve him in them. Love until it hurts. Real love is always painful and hurts: then it is real and pure.

"Prayer is simply talking to God. He speaks to us: we listen. We speak to him: he listens. A two-way process: speaking and listening. The more you pray, the easier it becomes. The easier it becomes, the more you'll pray. Pray at home every day even if it is only for five minutes.

"Teach your family to be aware of the poor. Encourage them to go and do something for so many who are in need, for so many who are starving. Live simply. Give example through simplicity. The spirit of poverty is dependency on God. Trust him. Be with and love the poorest of the poor.

"You can and you must expect suffering. It is a sign that Jesus is near when you are suffering. Jesus is very near, watching you. I think God is allowing us to see that without him poverty and misery is only what we can produce.

"Wherever God has put you, that is your vocation. We have no income, no government grant, no church maintenance: only divine providence. We have dealt with thousands and thousands of poor, but we never had to send anybody away because we had nothing to give. There is allways something. Jesus keeps his word: we are more important to his Father than the flowers and the grass and the birds.

"Total surrender to Gods' will. Find out what He wants, not what we would like to be or to do. Pray. Prayer is the way to listen to God, to speak with Him, to understand His love for us. Adoration and eucharist. To love God and to learn to love Him more it is necessary to be in His presence every day. This is done in the Eucharist: to receive His presence in us, in commemoration of His will. And through Adoration: to stay and be in His presence contemplating His words and His life, so as to see His will over our lives.

"Take God on His words. The trust Mother has in Gods' promises, cannot be understood by people who do not believe. And even for those who believe it is difficult to understand. She trusted Him like a child trusts his father. Serve and love one person at a time. God does not want us to love masses, that is an impossibility. He wants us to love Him in every single person we meet, when we meet that person. This is also very evident when you meet Mother. It is as if nobody else but you and she exist, though you are in the middle of a crowd. It is here that you feel Gods' presence in Her. have a deep respect for every human creature, because it is an image and the temple of God. Hence Mothers' fight against abortion, for care and love for every human being.

"Love begins at home: start to love and serve your family, your neighbors; share with the poor and needy around you: a smile, a word, your time, your friendship, your belongings; give God, the big 'Other', a capital place in your life: pray, meditate, adore; see Gods' presence in the people you meet daily and treat them as children of God; do not waste a second of your time on useless and ugly things; live according to Gods' standards on life (10 commandments); Gods' love is always present in your live. He loved you first and will love you always.(Mother Teresa's Spirituality)

St Teresa of Avila has some significant comments in "The Interior Castle" on the relation between Contemplation and Action. Like Mother Teresa, she points out that God does not look at the magnitude of what we do, or how significant our work appears in the grand scheme of things, in or out of the Chruch, but rather, He looks at the Love with which we carry out actions, however seemingly insignificant. And we are only asked to do what we can, whatever our field of endeavor, and to leave the rest to God.

"You must not build on foundations of prayer and contemplation alone, for unless you strive after the virtues and practice them, you will never grow to be more than dwarfs. . . . Anyone who fails to go forward begins to fall back, and love, I believe, can never be content for long where it is.

"You may think that I am speaking about beginners, and that later on one may rest; but. . .the only repose that these souls enjoy is of an interior kind; of outward repose they get less and less. . . . We should desire and engage in prayer, not for our enjoyment, but for the sake of acquiring the strength which fits us for service. . . . Believe me, Martha and Mary must work together. . ."

"I will end by saying that we must not build towers without foundations, and that the Lord does not look so much at the magnitude of anything we do as at the love with which we do it. If we accomplish what we can, His Majesty will see to it that we become able to do more each day." (Interior Castle, Seventh Mansions, chap. 4).

see (The Little Way).

H. Gunaratana Mahathera gives the following advice regarding the practice of “loving-kindness” in contrast to “resentment” by those seeking to improve their spiritual life through meditation. This advice is very beneficial to those seeking to “put on the mind of Christ” through their prayer practice at every level.

“The most damaging psychic irritant arising in the mind particularly at the time when the mind is quiet, is resentment. You may experience indignation remembering some incident that caused you psychological and physical pain. This experience can cause you uneasiness, tension, agitation and worry. You might not be able to go on sitting and experiencing this state of mind. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you should start your meditation with generating Universal Loving-Kindness. “

“You sometimes may wonder how can we wish: "May my enemies be well, happy and peaceful. May no harm come to them; may no difficulty come to them; may no problems come to them; may they always meet with success. May they also have patience, courage, understanding and determination to meet and overcome inevitable difficulties, problems and failures in life"? “You must remember that you practice loving-kindness for the purification of your own mind, just as you practice meditation for your own attainment of peace and liberation from pain and suffering. As you practice loving-kindness within yourself, you can behave in a most friendly manner without biases, prejudices, discrimination or hate. Your noble behavior helps you to help others in a most practical manner to reduce their pain and suffering. It is compassionate people who can help others. Compassion is a manifestation of loving-kindness in action, for one who does not have loving-kindness cannot help others. Noble behavior means behaving in a most friendly and most cordial manner. Behavior includes your thought speech and action. If this triple mode of expression of your behavior is contradictory, your behavior cannot be noble behavior. On the other hand, pragmatically speaking, it is much better to cultivate the noble thought, "May all beings be happy minded" than the thought, "I hate him". Our noble thought will one day express itself in noble behavior and our spiteful thought in evil behavior. “

“Remember that your thoughts are transformed into speech and action in order to bring the expected result. Thought translated into action is capable of producing tangible result. You should always speak and do things with mindfulness of loving-kindness. While speaking of loving-kindness, if you act or speak in a diametrically opposite way you will be reproached by the wise. As mindfulness of loving-kindness develops, your thoughts, words and deeds should be gently, pleasant, meaningful, truthful and beneficial to you as well as to others. If your thoughts, words or deeds cause harm to you, to others or to both, then you must ask yourself whether you are really mindful of loving-kindness.”

“For all practical purposes, if all of your enemies are well, happy and peaceful, they would not be your enemies. If they are free from problems, pain, suffering, affliction, neurosis, psychosis, paranoia, fear, tension, anxiety, etc., they would not be your enemies. Your practical solution to your enemies is to help them to overcome their problems, so you can live in peace and happiness. In fact, if you can, you should fill the minds of all your enemies with loving-kindness and make all of them realize the true meaning of peace, so you can live in peace and happiness. The more they are in neurosis, psychosis, fear, tension, anxiety, etc., the more trouble, pain and suffering they can bring to the world. If you could convert a vicious and wicked person into a holy and saintly individual, you would perform a miracle. Let us cultivate adequate wisdom and loving- kindness within ourselves to convert evil minds to saintly minds.”

“When you hate somebody you think, "Let him be ugly. Let him lie in pain. Let him have no prosperity. Let him not be right. Let him not be famous. Let him have no friends Let him, after death, reappear in an unhappy state of depravation in a bad destination in perdition." However, what actually happens is that your own body generates such harmful chemistry that you experience pain, increased heart beat, tension, change of facial expression, loss of appetite for food, deprivation of sleep and appear very unpleasant to others. You go through the same things you wish for your enemy. Also you cannot see the truth as it is. Your mind is like boiling water. Or you are like a patient suffering from jaundice to whom any delicious food tastes bland. Similarly, you cannot appreciate somebody's appearance, achievement, success, etc. As long as this condition exists, you cannot meditate well. “

“Therefore we recommend very strongly that you practice loving- kindness before you start your serious practice of meditation. Repeat the proceeding passages very mindfully and meaningfully. As you recite these passages, feel true loving-kindness within yourself first and then share it with others, for you cannot share with others what you do not have within yourself. “

“Remember, though, these are not magic formulas. They don't work by themselves. If you use them as such, you will simply waste time and energy. But if you truly participate in these statements and invest them with your own energy, they will serve you well. Give them a try. See for yourself. “(H. Gunaratana Mahathera, Meditation exercises)