Today we remember the extraordinary life of Br. Thomas Merton. This man was vital in restoring the ancient practice of Christian contemplation to the Church. Mystery is such a vital element of faith, in my opinion, and we often need the humility to see that we don't know it all. Br. Merton's writings have changed my life, and I encourage anyone to seek them out. I am grateful he lived the life he did, was open to the Spirit to restore what was lost.
O God, who by Your Holy Spirit give to some the word of wisdom, to others the word of knowledge, and to others the word of faith: We praise Your Name for the gifts of grace manifested in Your servant Thomas Merton, and we pray that Your Church may never be destitute of such gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I adore Merton. I think he deeply regreted writing "Seven Story." Just watched a documentary about him on PBS. One of my favorites is his personal translation of some of the Tao Te Ching: "The Way of Chuang Tzu."
Posted by: Peter Walker | December 30, 2008 at 08:44 PM
Terry:
Merton's my man. I've read a ton of his stuff. But I'm not sure I understand everything I've read. I get lost in some of the "contemplation is..." passages. Maybe I'm just too busy and scattered a person to really "get" contemplation. I've also read The Seven Story Mountain, which I loved.
Whether I understand everything I read, or not, I always feel I'm hearing raw honesty from Merton.
Posted by: Brad | December 10, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Terry,
I love Merton's writings too! I went to a retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani back in '01 and visited the hermitage. It was a transformative time for me. Thanks for the reminder.
Andrea
Posted by: Andrea Parsons | December 10, 2008 at 10:38 AM