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Quote by Thomas Merton

“Our happiness consists in sharing the happiness of God, the perfection of His unlimited freedom, the perfection of His love.”

Quote by Thomas Merton

Book:The Seven Storey Mountain

Work

The Seven Storey Mountain

The Seven Storey Mountain is a memoir that chronicles the author's transformation from a secular existence to a life of religious devotion. The narrative takes readers through the author's struggles with his own identity and purpose, ultimately leading to his conversion and commitment to a religious order. more

Author

Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915 - December 10, 1968) was an American writer, poet, social critic, and mystic. His works covered a wide range of topics including philosophy, religion, and social justice, and were highly appreciated by readers. more

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“All men who live only according to their five senses, and seek nothing beyond the gratification of their natural appetites for pleasure and reputation and power, cut themselves off from that charity which is the principle of all spiritual vitality and happiness because it alone saves us from the barren wilderness of our own abominable selfishness.”

Men Spiritual Natural Pleasure Principles Five Cutting Charity Senses Reputation Selfishness Wilderness Appetite Vitality Gratification Barren Five Senses

Book:The Seven Storey Mountain

Source: The Seven Storey Mountain

“You pray best when the mirror of your soul is empty of every image except the Image of the Invisible Father.”

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Book:Thoughts In Solitude

Source: Thoughts In Solitude

“We do not pray for the sake of praying, but for the sake of being heard. We do not pray in order to listen to ourselves praying but in order that God may hear us and answer us. Also, we do not pray in order to receive just any answer: it must be God's answer.”

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Book:Thoughts In Solitude

Source: Thoughts In Solitude

“The most dangerous man in the world is the contemplative who is guided by nobody. He trusts his own visions. He obeys the attractions of an interior voice but will not listen to other men. He identifies the will of God with anything that makes him feel, within his own heart, a big, warm, sweet interior glow. The sweeter and the warmer the feeling is, the more he is convinced of his own infallibility.”

Men World Feels Heart Feelings Bigs Voice Vision Dangerous Sweet Warm Attraction Convinced Gods Will Interiors Contemplative Infallibility Dangerous Man

Book:Seeds of contemplation

Source: Seeds of contemplation

“The sky is my prayer, the birds are my prayer, the wind in the trees is my prayer, for God is all in all.”

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Book:Thoughts In Solitude

Source: Thoughts In Solitude

“What is the use of praying if at the very moment of prayer, we have so little confidence in God that we are busy planning our own kind of answer to our prayer?”

Ifs Kind Littles Moments Use Prayer Answers Praying Busy Planning Our Prayers Confidence In God

Book:Thoughts In Solitude

Source: Thoughts In Solitude

“Business is not the supreme virtue, and sanctity is not measured by the amount of work we accomplish. Perfection is found in the purity of our love for God, and this pure love is a delicate plant that grows best where there is plenty of time for it to mature”

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Book:Spiritual Direction and Meditation

Source: Spiritual Direction and Meditation

“The true contemplative is one who has discovered the art of finding leisure even in the midst of his work, by working with such a spirit of detachment and recollection that even his work is a prayer”

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Book:Thomas Merton - Spiritual Direction and Meditation

Source: Thomas Merton - Spiritual Direction and Meditation

“Being holy . . . does not mean being perfect but being whole; it does not mean being exceptionally religious or being religious at all; it means being liberated from religiosity and religious pietism of any sort; it does not mean being morally better, it meas being exemplary; it does not mean being godly, but rather being truly human.”

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“The practice of the Christian life consists of the discernment of (the seeing and hearing), and the reliance upon (the reckless and uncalculating dependence), and the celebration (the ready and spontaneous enjoyment) of the presence of the Word of God in the common life of the world.”

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Book:A Private and Public Faith

Source: A Private and Public Faith