Sunday, July 29, 2012

no more fuss about being a contemplative


drawing by Thomas Merton
"My God, I give up my attachment to peace, the delight and sweetness of contemplation, of Your love and Your presence.  I give myself to You to love Your will and Your honor alone.

"I know that, if You want me to renounce the manner of my desiring You, it is only in order that I may possess You surely and come to union with You.

"I will try from now on, with Your grace, to make no more fuss about “being a contemplative,” about acquiring that perfection in myself.  Instead I will seek only You, not contemplation and not perfection, but You alone.

"Then maybe I will be able to do the simple things that You would have me do, and do them well, with a perfect and pure intention in all peace and silence and obscurity, concealed even from my own self, and safe from my poisonous self-esteem."

-Thomas Merton, Entering the Silence, pp. 77-78

6 comments:

  1. A nice one to read before evening Mass. As always thanks Beth!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. From a follower you may be interested in

    http://lions360.blogspot.com/2012/04/harpos-progress-notes-toward.html

    take good care,

    jose rafael revenga (jrrevenga@gmail.com)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very interesting site, Jose. Thanks. I'm actually in a place where I don't have internet, and only go to the library a few times a week for connection. BUt I've saved this to look at when I get home.

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  3. So beautifully expressed.

    This puts me in mind of the Buddhist warning that we should take care not to confuse the boat with the far shore ..

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Amounting to Nothing, Brother Paul

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