Thomas Merton: Prayer

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THOMAS MERTON REFLECTION
**for the week of **
December 26, 2005
“There must be a time of day when the man who makes plans forgets his plans, and acts as if he had no plans at all.
There must be a time of day when the man who has to speak falls very silent. And his mind forms no more propositions, and he asks himself: Did they have a meaning?
There must be a time when the man of prayer goes to pray as if it were the first time in his life he had ever prayed; when the man of resolutions puts his resolutions aside as if they had all been broken, and he learns a different wisdom: distinguishing the sun from the moon, the stars from the darkness, the sea from the dry land, and the night sky from the shoulder of a hill.”

From No Man is an Island by Thomas Merton
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Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, New York, 1955. Page 260.

A note about inclusive language. Merton wrote before inclusive language was common practice. In light of Merton’s inclusive position on so many issues and his many references to our essential unity, we hope these reflections will be read from an inclusive point of view.
 
Hi Barb,

Good to see you around again in the New Year! And by the way…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
http://bestsmileys.com/birthday2/15.gifhttp://bestsmileys.com/birthday2/15.gif

Like so much of what I’ve seen in Merton’s writings, this is a wonderful reminder that we need to constantly work to find our “true selves” in God, which will always invlove looking at the world from a whole different perspective and “new eyes”. This can only really happen if we make a regular and concious effort to set aside time to just rest in His arms.

Thanks for the little “nudge”. As we come out of the holiday season and our little Franciscan group gets back together more, hopefully my concentration and focus will return on these good habits that I’ve let slide too much lately.

Peace to you Barb,
 
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ncjohn:
Hi Barb,

Good to see you around again in the New Year! And by the way…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
http://bestsmileys.com/birthday2/15.gifhttp://bestsmileys.com/birthday2/15.gif

Like so much of what I’ve seen in Merton’s writings, this is a wonderful reminder that we need to constantly work to find our “true selves” in God, which will always invlove looking at the world from a whole different perspective and “new eyes”. This can only really happen if we make a regular and concious effort to set aside time to just rest in His arms.

Thanks for the little “nudge”. As we come out of the holiday season and our little Franciscan group gets back together more, hopefully my concentration and focus will return on these good habits that I’ve let slide too much lately.

Peace to you Barb,
Click to expand...
Thank you John for the birthday greetings! I had a wow of a time at my brother’s home celebrating my big 60 with my relatives and a few I have not seen for many years. But I muffed the speech completely…not my scenario at all:D . On the same night (9th. Jan) we were also celebrating my son’s 40th on the 10th Jan…his speech said it all! We had made a pact. I would not be scared by my 60th, if he was not scared of his 40th!!!😃

On the subject of our ‘true selves’…it reminds me of a poem about the Scarlet Pimpernel…“they seek him here, they seek him there, those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven or is he in hell…that darned elusive Pimpernel!”😉

I have listened to the five cassettes of Merton giving talks to the novices in Gethsamene that Mike sent me…all too often his quotes and writings (what I’ve read anyway - he was a most prolific writer for sure!) are so very serious…the tapes do reveal he had a magic and very light, dancing, sense of humour!

Regards John…Barb:) …cacha on the rounds!
 
On the subject of Thomas Merton, I took the first class of a series of 3 that are required before I enter into the Aspirancy period of the Diaconate. It’s a course on spirituality, and at the end we prayed the following Merton prayer. I thought it was beautiful and very relevant to many people’s lives:
  • 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.

Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road although I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.*
 
That is a great prayer which I keep printed out in my office and quote often, especially the part that says

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.

That thought is probably my greatest hope in my spiritual journey: the idea that even though I will fail miserably much of the time, God will be pleased that it’s not because I don’t want to please him.

Thanks for posting that! It’s always a great reminder. 🙂
 
I’ve been reading Merton for years and read him constantly. He has really helped me a great deal and I recommend him to all. 🙂
 
Quoting Awalt…
*
*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. *
*Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. *
*But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. *
*And I know that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road although I may know nothing about it. *
**Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Hi Awalt…It is beautiful and insightful isn’t it? And I have seen it quoted by quite a few people as a favourite of theirs. Thank you for your comments…Barb

Quoting John…
*

But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you and I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.
Hi again John…another beautiful quote from Tom and very insightful too - and one that I am prone to forget in my own desires, that the very fact that we do desire and with some ardour is what pleases God and the fulfillment of that desire perhaps is nothing at all of us, but from God alone and not for my good but for the good of all. Our responsibility and accountability to share of God’s Gifts and with all. While those words may tumble out with some ease…not so the practise. And God knows this too and His Mercy covers the lacking.
Quoting Koda…

I’ve been reading Merton for years and read him constantly. He has really helped me a great deal and I recommend him to all.
Hi Koda…I could not agree more with you although I must admit I do not subscribe to every word that Thomas Merton wrote, but with an aweful lot of it.

Regards all and from Sth. Aust…Barb*:)* *
 
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