Contemplation vs. Meditation

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Contemplation is nothing other than a loving, simple and permanent attention of the spirit to divine things, as you will easily appreciate by comparing meditation with it. We meditate to gather the love of God, but having gathered it we contemplate God and are attentive to his goodness on account of the sweetness which love makes us find in it. In sum, meditation is the mother of love, but contemplation her daughter: and this is why I called contemplation a loving attention.


ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

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