“Souls are like athletes, that need opponents worthy of them, if they are to be tried and extended and pushed to the full use of their powers, and rewarded to their capacity.” — Thomas Merton, Seven Storey Mountain
Soak yourself in the Kingdom of God
With conspiracy theories figuratively to the left of me… and the right of me… with apologies to Tennyson… this passage of Scripture reminds me of the focus:
Read moreThe deep hunger in our souls
Almost every year I pull out Seven Storey Mountain (the autobiography of Thomas Merton) and read it. It’s one of the few books I have read multiple times. I have a fresh (used) copy so I can try to read with fresh eyes instead of floating to my markings and skimming too much.
This first paragraph is such a grasp of the human soul:
Read moreDivine opportunities in the time of coronavirus
“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith, and hope.” — Thomas Merton
The fallacy of “success”
“The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of other men! A weird life it is, indeed, to be living always in somebody else’s imagination, as if that were the only place in which one could at last become real!” — Thomas Merton, Seven Storey Mountain
Take up the high calling
“Whoever you are, the land to which God has brought you is not like the land of Egypt from which you came out. You can no longer live there. Your old life and your former ways are crucified now, and you must not seek to live any more for your own gratification, but give up your own judgement into the hands of a wise director, and sacrifice your pleasures and comforts for the love of God and give the money you no longer spend on those things to the poor.
“Above all, eat your daily Bread without which you cannot live, and come to know Christ Whose Life feeds you in the Host, and He will give you a taste of joys and delights that transcend anything you have ever experienced before, and which will make the transition easy” — Thomas Merton, The Seven Storey Mountain
The deep need is discipleship
I am making another trek through Thomas Merton’s autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain. As he came to faith in the Catholic Church, he made an observation about the need for discipleship in his own life. Read more
Study war no more
Challenging thoughts from Thomas Merton on “hating war.” Read more
Prayer for the Day
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Read more
Thought of the Day
A faith that is afraid of other people is not faith at all.
— Thomas Merton (@MertonDaily) June 3, 2016
