merton

Laziness flies from all risk. Discretion flies from useless risk: but urges us on to take the risks that faith and the grace of God demand of us. For when Jesus said the kingdom of heaven was to be won by violence, He meant that it could only be bought at the price of certain risks. And sooner or later, if we follow Christ we have to risk everything in order to gain everything. We have to gamble on the invisible and risk all that we can see and taste and feel. But we know the risk is worth it, because there is nothing more insecure than the transient world. 1 Corinthians 7:31--And those who deal with this world [overusing the enjoyments of this life] as though they were not absorbed by it and as if they had no dealings with it. For the outward form of this world (the present world order) is passing away.

Without courage we can never attain to true simplicity. Cowardice keeps us “double minded”—hesitating between the world and God. In this hesitation, there is no true faith—faith remains an opinion. We are never certain, because we never quite give in to the authority of an invisible God. This hesitation is the death of hope. We never let go of those visible supports which, we well know, must one day surely fail us. And this hesitation makes true prayer impossible—it never quite dares to ask for anything, or if it asks, it is so uncertain of being heard that in the very act of asking, it surreptitiously seeks by human prudence to construct a make-shift answer (James 1:5-8)

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 out own kind of answer to our prayer?



--words of Thomas Merton--



one of my dear friends introduced me to a monk named Merton a little while ago and it is safe to say that he has inspired me quite a bit--i have fallen in love with his words--they have caused many thoughts and ramblings in my heart recently...



if you have never heard of him or read his writings, you should.

do yourself a favor and go to barnes and noble :)

not just for merton but because that place is pure solace...maybe it is just for me. if i'm stressed or just out of breath from life-- walking into barnes and noble always brings me comfort.

peace.