"The active life may be considered from two points of view. First, as regards the attention to and practice of external works...it is evident that the active life hinders the contemplative, insofar as it is impossible for one to be busy with external action, and at the same time give oneself to Divine contemplation. Secondly, active life may be considered as quieting and directing the internal passions of the soul; and from this point of view the active life is a help to the contemplative, since the latter is hindered by the inordinateness of the internal passions...
"Hence [Pope Gregory I] says...'Those who wish to hold the fortress of contemplation must first of all train in the camp of action. Thus after careful study they will learn whether they no longer wrong their neighbor, whether they bear with equanimity the wrongs their neighbors do to them, whether their soul is neither overcome with joy in the presence of temporal goods, nor cast down with too great a sorrow when those goods are withdrawn." Summa Theologiae, question 182.a.2) HT: Christian History Magazine, Issue 110, p. 1.
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Hello Bro. John Guthrie. I am a Pastor from Mumbai,INDIA. I am glad to stop by your profile on the blogger and the blog post. I am glad to go through your post. I am blessed and feel privileged and honored to get connected with you as well as know you and about your desire to return to the full time ministry. Please be assured of my prayers as you wait up on the Lord for full time ministry. I love getting connected with the people of God around the globe to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 38 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reachout to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have young people from your church come to work with us during their vacation time. I am sure they will have a life changing experience. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede. Looking forward to hear from you. Blessings from above on you, your family and the ministry. I am glad to know your Wesleyan stand. Since I am from Church of the Nazarene I do have a similar stand. I have some young people in my church who would like to go for Seminary training. I will be glad to know more about the Wesleyan Seminary where you had your Theological studies.
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