Mary & Martha Shake Hands

The contest between action and contemplation in the spiritual life is an old one. Just think “Martha & Mary” and you get the picture. Saint Dominic (1170-1221) had the advantage of an early experience with contemplative life to shape his sense that the two impulses should be combined. When he founded his Order of Preachers, the idea was to fuel the ministry of itinerant preaching with a strong dedication to prayer and study. Dominicans today continue to model this unity of purpose. How do you balance the “ins-and-outs” of faith: praying and doing?