Friday, July 29, 2011

Great Quote from Thomas Merton


Gina at Metanoia has posted a great quote from Thomas Merton about imitating Our Lord:

Wisdom of Merton
Posted by Gina
A Meditation:
Why should I want to be rich, when You were poor? Why should I desire to be famous and powerful? Why should I cherish in my heart a hope that devours me—the hope for perfect happiness in this life—when such hope, doomed to frustration, is nothing but despair? My hope is in what the eye has never seen. Therefore, let me not trust in visible rewards. My hope is in what the heart cannot feel. Therefore let me not trust in the feelings of my heart. My hope is in what the hand has never touched. Do not let me trust what I can grasp between my fingers. Death will loosen my grasp and my vain hope will be gone.
A Lesson:
We must devote ourselves with generosity and integrity to the real values: there is no time for falsity and compromise. But on the other hand we do not have to be greatly successful or even well known. It is enough for our integrity to be known to God. What we do that is pure in His sight will avail for the liberty, the enlightenment, and the salvation of His children everywhere.
Merton, Thomas; Kathleen Deignan; John Giuliani (2007-03-01). A Book of Hours (pp. 169-171). Sorin Books. Kindle Edition.

2 comments:

  1. Yo,

    Did Tommy commit suicide?

    ReplyDelete
  2. No. Merton was accidentally killed while at a conference in Thailand when he stepped out of the shower onto an electrical cord.

    P.S.: Larry, I refused to publish your second comment which contained a vulgar joke. I have posted before about pedophile priests and am happy to engage in SERIOUS discussion of the issue. However, this post is intended to be inspirational and devotional and has nothing to do with the subject of your comment disparaging the Catholic priesthood. As a former criminal lawyer (prosecutor and defense lawyer)I can assure you that Catholic priests are not the only profession which has pedophiles and perverts among their ranks! During my career as an Assistant District Attorney I was involved in the prosecution of more than one teacher for improper conduct with students. I have also prosecuted staff members of a mental hospital for inappropriate sexual conduct with mentally ill patients. Catholic priests don't have a monopoly on this!

    Larry, you and anyone else are welcome to comment on this blog so long as the comments remain civil. I reserve the right to delete any comment, like your second one, that I deem inappropriate.

    ReplyDelete