Hello all. I thought many of you may be interested in listening to the podcasts of the various monk talks taking placing at Joseph-Beth Bookstore here in Lexington. I didn't make it the first week but had the privilege of listening to Br. Paul share some of his poetry from his book, Monkswear. Really good stuff. I also snapped a few photos. Enjoy!
Pax.
There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace, and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him. (Thomas Merton)
Heather and I stopped at the Abbey of Gethsemani yesterday as I had mentioned in my earlier post. It rained most of the time we were there but I did catch a break after None to walk out to the cemetery where the monks are buried. I visit Merton's grave most every time I'm at the monastery. It's a bit hard to put into words but I feel a deep connection with this man. I relate to many of his writings. I understand his longing for solitude and silence. I appreciate that although he was a monk, he was very human and never tried to hide that part of himself. He had his own struggles. Perhaps that's what I like best about him?
I found a book at the library entitled Father Louie: Photographs of Thomas Merton by Ralph Meatyard. I'd never seen this book before but it is very interesting. Ralph Meatyard was an optometrist, living in Lexington, KY who met Merton in January of 1967, just a little less than two years before Fr. Louis' unexpected death. During that time, he took over 100 photos of Merton, mostly around the vicinity of the monastery. Clearly, they had a lively friendship although it was cut short by Fr. Louis' own death in December of 1968. Meatyard was quite the accomplished photographer and took some of the most interesting photos of Merton I've ever had the pleasure to see. If you can find it, I highly recommend this collection of photography
Thursday, November 1 is All Saints Day. Wikipedia describes it this way:
The festival of All Saints, also sometimes known as All Saints' Day, All Hallows or Hallowmas ("hallows" meaning "saints," and "mas" meaning "Mass"), is a feast celebrated November 1 or the first Sunday after Pentecost in honour of all the saints, known and unknown.
Let's get started.
1. Saint Thomas Merton(January 31, 1915-December 10, 1968). Yes, this monk of Gethsemani was dead four years before I was born. Yet, he continues to impact my life through his writings. The first book I read was a book given to me by Alan entitled Thoughts In Solitude. That book gave me a taste for Merton and gave me reason to read more of his writing. I soon read his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain and followed that up with my favorite of Merton's writings entitled The Sign of Jonas. What is it about Merton that speaks to me? That's a question I've asked over and over. Certainly, I feel called to a monastic way of living life and although I'll not live a celibate, cloistered life like Fr. Louis did, we share many of the same deep longings for silence, solitude and prayer. I think he was on the search for his true self and that's one journey I resonate with.
2. Saint Benedict of Nursia (480-547). St. Benedict is often referred to as the founder of Western monasticism and wrote a "rule" for monks called The Rule of St. Benedict. His writing was heavily influenced by the writings of John Cassian and another piece of writing called The Rule of the Master. Benedict was able to write a rule that was very balanced and ultimately full of love for all monks who chose to live under this rule for the last several centuries. It's hard to imagine what monastic life would be like today if Benedict hadn't written his rule.
3. Saint Charlie Gillis. (August 26, 1920-March 24, 2003). You won't find him in a list of canonized saints. He was my grandfather and definitely a saint. He won't be remembered as an author or theologian but he will be remembered as a man of faith, love, and compassion. He'll be remembered as a husband, brother, father and grandfather. He had much to teach others whether it was how to change the oil in a car or how to work hard and love your family above all else. I miss my grandaddy every single day. He will always be remembered and loved.
I'm sure there are others I could mention. Three seems like a good number to stop with. Now it's your turn. What saints have impacted your life?
And finally, this prayer:
Saint Thomas Merton, Saint Benedict and Saint Charlie Gillis, pray for me.
Here's a Merton quote to chew on for a while. It opens a book entitled The Gift of Being Yourself written by David Benner. I'm kind of excited to read this. How can a book be bad that starts off with Merton? Take a look.
There is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace, and my happiness depend:
to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him.
Recently, I bought a book entitled The Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas Merton. Fr. Louis put together a collection of sayings from the Desert Fathers and published his work in the 1960's. It's been said that this book was one of Merton's favorites among his own books. I thought I may share a few of these sayings that I find particularly meaningful in future posts.
Here's one to get us started:
Abbot Pambo questioned Abbot Anthony saying: What ought I to do? And the elder replied: Have no confidence in your own virtuousness. Do not worry about a thing once it has been done. Control your tongue and your belly.
Now, I'm going to sit with these words for a while . . .
It's been raining some in Lexington over the last 24 hours. Besides us being very dry here in Kentucky, I'm happy to see it rain because I simply enjoy a rainy day. It's probably my own illusion but a rainy day seems to slow things down just a bit. Life doesn't seem like such a whirlwind. I long to go and sit on my porch with a cup of coffee in hand and watch it rain. Better than that, I'd love to lose myself in the sound of the rain. Most of the time life is too busy to take advantage of a rainy, stormy day. Life calls. My job calls. Although I may have to be physically present at work, I take time to stare out the window and imagine myself surrounded by the sound of the rain.
Thomas Merton writes about rain quite often in his journals. In one of my favorite Merton books, The Intimate Merton, we find this journal entry.
April 15, 1961Thunderstorm. The first I have sat through in the hermitage. Here you can really watch a storm. White snakes of lightening suddenly stand in the sky and vanish. The valley is clouded with rain as white as milk. All the hills vanish. The thunder cracks and beats. Rain comes flooding down from the roof eaves, and the grass looks twice as green as before.
Not to be known, not to be seen.
Of all the authors I've ever read, no one speaks to me in the same way Thomas Merton does. I can't explain it. Somehow, Merton and I have a deep connection through shared struggles and shared longings.
There's a prayer that I first found at the Abbey of Gethsemani. It was sitting in a non-descript brochure holder on the front desk. I picked it up and began to read. I was immediately taken in by this prayer.
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 I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will 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.
Amen.
Let me seek, then, the gift of silence, and poverty, and solitude, where everything I touch is turned into prayer: where the sky is my prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for God is all in all.(Thoughts in Solitude, p. 92)
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