Rohr, Francis, Merton and Lewis

When Father Richard Rohr speaks of founding the Center for Action and Contemplation, he is always clear to state that the most important word in the name is “and”. The concept of action as well as the concept of contemplation are parts of a whole. When they nurture each other, they foster the emergence of a non-dual third path that I refer to as contemplative activism.

Rohr’s desire was sparked by having witnessed, time and again, activists who experienced burnout. It continues to be a common problem among those hungry to serve the Common Good. Rohr recognized the value or balance that engaging in contemplative practice would provide to sustain these people in their work.

My contemplative practice can inform my conscience, empower me to question injustice, compel me to act, and, on difficult days, restore my soul. Conversely, my actions to bring about social change lead to gratitude for God’s abiding presence in the struggle for justice. This gratitude then returns me to contemplation.

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In September 2015, Pope Francis made an apostolic journey to Cuba and the United States. In hindsight, his words to Congress and the nation resonate for me more today than at the time spoken. From the Capitol, he stated: Each son or daughter of a given country has a mission, a personal and social responsibility. Your own responsibility as members of Congress is to enable this country, by your legislative activity, to grow as a nation. You are the face of its people, their representatives. You are called to defend and preserve the dignity of your fellow citizens in the tireless and demanding pursuit of the common good, for this is the chief aim of all politics. A political society endures when it seeks, as a vocation, to satisfy common needs by stimulating the growth of all its members, especially those in situations of greater vulnerability or risk. . . .

He continues: My visit takes place at a time when men and women of goodwill are marking the anniversaries of several great Americans. The complexities of history and the reality of human weakness notwithstanding, these men and women, for all their many differences and limitations, were able by hard work and self-sacrifice – some at the cost of their lives – to build a better future. They shaped fundamental values which will endure forever in the spirit of the American people. A people with this spirit can live through many crises, tensions, and conflicts, while always finding the resources to move forward, and to do so with dignity. These men and women offer us a way of seeing and interpreting reality. In honoring their memory, we are inspired, even amid conflicts, and in the here and now of each day, to draw upon our deepest cultural reserves.

I would like to mention four of these Americans: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Merton. After acknowledging the contributions of Lincoln, King, and Day, Francis moves to Merton. A century ago . . . another notable American was born: the Cistercian monk Thomas Merton. He remains a source of spiritual inspiration and a guide for many people.

In his autobiography, he wrote: “I came into the world. Free by nature, in the image of God, I was nevertheless the prisoner of my own violence and my own selfishness, in the image of the world into which I was born. That world was the picture of Hell, full of men like myself, loving God, and yet hating him; born to love him, living instead in fear of hopeless self-contradictory hungers”.

Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons for souls and for the Church. He was also a man of dialogue, a promoter of peace between peoples and religions.

The line that resonates most deeply within me is “Merton was above all a man of prayer, a thinker who challenged the certitudes of his time and opened new horizons.”Hold the concept for a moment. Merton challenged the certitudes of his time. What are the certitudes of our time? Do we challenge them?

Following this address to Congress, Representative John Lewis released a statement: “The Holy Father, Pope Francis of the Holy See, delivered a powerful message to Congress and the American people today. In his humble, gentle way he used his authority to encourage us all to simply do what is right to protect the dignity of all humankind.”

He said, “All political activity must serve and promote the good of the human person and be based on respect for his or her dignity...Politics is…an expression of our compelling need to live as one, in order to build as one the greatest common good…”

“Pope Francis delivered one of the most moving speeches I have ever heard in all my years in Congress…Though I was reluctant to openly shed tears, I cried within to hear his words, I was deeply moved to realize I had a connection in some way with some of those he mentioned…Thomas Merton was a monk whose words I studied during non-violence training in the Civil Rights Movement. It was amazing that the Pope mentioned the Selma to Montgomery march because, during the first attempt to march to Montgomery, now known as Bloody Sunday, I carried one of Thomas Merton’s books in my backpack.”

(This is an excerpt of a talk I delivered for Tuesdays with Merton, a program of the International Thomas Merton Society, on February 14, 2024. It may be viewed in its entirety here.)