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“…what is mysticism? There is, of course, no one absolute answer but here are two attempts by two of this century’s best known mystics, the first a British Anglican and the second an American Quaker:

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Fr. Matthew Kelty, OSCO, monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, reads “The Merton Prayer”

“Contemplation is the highest expression of man’s intellectual and spiritual life. It is that life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder. It is spontaneous awe at the sacredness of life, of being. It is gratitude for life, for awareness, and for being. It is a vivid realization of the fact that life and being in us proceed from an invisible, transcendent and infinitely abundant Source. Contemplation is, above all, an awareness of the reality of that Source.”

Thomas Merton, Catholic monk and poet
New Seeds of Contemplation

Every moment and every event of every man’s life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men. Most of these unnumbered seeds perish and are lost, because men are not prepared to receive them: for such seeds as these cannot spring up anywhere except in the good soil of freedom, spontaneity, and love.

The ever-changing reality in the midst of which we live should awaken us to the possibility of an uninterrupted dialogue with God.

Thomas Merton, Catholic monk and poet
New Seeds of Contemplation

“….there is a great deal of hatred and anger and discrimination. How is it possible, in such a state, for people to practice deep looking with the aim of achieving a deep knowledge… So it is necessary to practice mindfulness — it could be Buddhist or Christian- but it is necessary to bring mindfulness to our everyday life. If you are a journalist, a teacher, or a filmmaker you should practice mindfulness- for the sake of your own calm and your own happiness, but also for that of other people as well. Because we need your calm, your compassion, your understanding. So we should be mindful as individuals but also as a community, as a family, as a nation.” [True Love, in the chapter titled 'Everybody Should Practice Mindfulness']

“Drink your tea slowly and reverently,
as if it is the axis
on which the world earth revolves
- slowly, evenly, without
rushing toward the future;
Live the actual moment.
Only this moment is life.”

“We are often exposed, if not first hand, then through films, reading material, and conversations, to violence, fear, hatred, meaningless infatuations. Society is full of violence and hatred, which accumulates in the collective consciousness. If in our daily lives we do not know now to abstain from damaging materials and attitudes, the seeds of violence, hatred and suffering in us will continue to be watered. We need to be aware of what we hear,see, and read every day… Do our associations and consumptions poison us?”

The Vassalboro Monthly Meeting continues as a strong and vibrant community of faith; while an unprogrammed Meeting, VMM Friends receive joy from singing before Silence. Diverse in our individual spiritual quests, we have a number of young and old social activists and inward seekers. The Meeting draws its membership from a broad geographic area, not limited to the Vassalboro community. VMM is a learning community where differences represent an opportunity for spiritual development. Though income growth has slowed somewhat after several years of significant increase, VMM has survived the economic down turn with a balanced budget.

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