The primary act in sacrament as well as in meditation is that of reception, listening to what is said and intended and opening ourselves to its divine dimensions. Meditative listening requires silence...Never to meditate on God's self-giving without recalling this self-giving to all ("the least of you") is the precondition for avoiding a cleft between my meditation and my daily work in this world.
The last time I saw Fr. Bede, I asked for his blessing and one final word of advice.
He held my face in his hands and then said, "Pray, pray always!"
And he went back to his prayers.