“As
soon as you are really alone you are with God.”
I write today
as I begin my annual desert sojourn into solitude. The process I engage is similar to the Jesuit
“Examen,” but extended beyond a daily introspection to several weeks. I will enjoy reading, writing, and
silence. I will, however, be “together
in solitude” (which may sound paradoxical) because I bring along many fellow
travelers. This year I am accompanied by
Thomas Merton, as I have chosen quotes from his “Thoughts in Solitude” for personal
discernment and (I hope) growth. I know I will journey each day, each moment, with God. And finally, I hope
also to be accompanied by you. In heart and spirit we connect through space
and time as you read and comment - yes, please comment - in the quest for self-awareness.
Before we
begin, let me tell you how I chose my author.
I met Thomas
Merton 3 weeks before the 103rd anniversary of his birth and 3 weeks
after the 59th anniversary of his death, through his book “Thoughts
in Solitude” on the 60th anniversary of its publication.
Some salient
facts: Merton was born to 2 artists,
lost his mother at age 6, and his father at age 16. He became Catholic at 20, took his vows as a
Trappist Monk at 32, became a social activist at 45, travelled to the Far East
for to study East-West religious connections in his 50s, and published over 70
books from ages 29 to his death at age 53. He is hailed as arguably the most
influential American Catholic author of the 20th century.
So
welcome! Solitude is a practice we can
all enjoy, as we define it and conform it to suit our daily lives. For me, it is geared toward better knowing
God, and through that knowing, learn to live a fuller life. This season, that
knowing has been sharpened and tested, and is clarified by the first quote I
have chosen for reflection. It stands on
its own in its relevance for me. In
fact, I find myself wondering, “has this quote chosen me?”
“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 that 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 will I 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.”
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
ReplyDeleteThis blog is right on the mark with a desire for spiritual growth. The idea of a sojourn into solitude intrigues me. Tell me more about the how and the why of your "annual sojourn".
ReplyDeleteI too love Merton's works. Richard Rohr frequently quotes him and does indeed believe that he is the pre-eminent teacher/practitioner of contemplation in our time.
Sounds like a slice of heaven!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy
Thanks, great quote for me too.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your words.
In accepting my health limits my life activities have changed; not always to my liking or understanding.
I find myself in solitude a lot and fear.
I try to stay positive and reach out for God. I do trust Him and I know He is the Master Weaver, He plans for my good and He can see the bend in the road knows what is on the other side.
Thank you for thinking of us. We are hopefully there with you as well...love ya.
ReplyDeleteI will be following you!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful...and the 23rd Psalm...you can't go wrong. I have you in my prayers, every night, by name, for many years, now. Rest assured, you will also be in my daily thoughts, through your journey. Matthew 19:26 oxox
ReplyDeleteI needed this today.
ReplyDeleteLove This! Can't wait for more. Thank you for your epic words.
ReplyDeleteThought this might interest you, especially while you are immersed on your silent retreat
ReplyDeleteAE
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditation
From the Center for Action and Contemplation
God's Self-Revelation
Sunday, January 14, 2018
For what can be known about God is perfectly plain, since God has made it plain. Through everything God has created, people can clearly see God’s invisible qualities—God’s eternal power and divine nature. So you have no excuse for not knowing God. —Romans 1:20 [1]
For those who are willing to see, the divine self-revelation of creation as image and likeness is everywhere evident, long before Scriptures were written. God was not mute for 14 billion years. Even though Abraham didn’t have the Bible (either of the Testaments!), he and Sarah still knew God—which is true for all the Patriarchs and their families. They instead knew God by the relationship called faith, better translated as “trust in goodness.”
Faith is the other side of the coin of revelation. Faith is God’s self-exposure received and responded to trustfully. A genuine act of faith is always in response to a new disclosure. It is meant to be an ongoing dialogue of divine disclosure and human response—an ever deeper divine disclosure and an ever deeper human response—just like any human love affair. People who are incapable of vulnerability thus cannot get very far on the journey of faith. They usually substitute either religion itself or atheistic denial.
For Christians, this dialogue with and self-exposure of God is summed up and encapsulated in Jesus. While present throughout all creation from the beginning of time—as “Christ” (Colossians 1:15-20, Ephesians 1:3-14)—Jesus makes the universal and cosmic message both personal and lovable and thus more easily healing.
It is important to note that Jesus was not born fully mature: “The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him” (Luke 2:40). He fully entered into the human journey. Many want to imagine that Jesus lying in the manger knew everything from the beginning (which would make his faith a mere caricature, and he would not be the “pioneer and perfecter of our faith” as stated in Hebrews 12:2). At Jesus’ baptism in the River Jordan, we witness Jesus’ dawning realization of who he is: God’s “beloved Son.” Throughout his life on earth, Jesus continued to discover his own ways of embodying God’s likeness through his ministry of teaching and healing, his nonviolent resistance to religious and political power, and his death on the cross. But even at the end we see Jesus doubting God’s presence, just as we all do at various times: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46). I believe that prayer and plea was heartfelt and sincere.
Simply put, God reveals God’s self to us through what unfolds as our life, along with every visible thing around us. These ordinary revelations must be respected and deeply listened to—before we start reading Bibles, joining churches, and quoting dogmas. Life itself is the primary divine revelation.
Thank you for sharing your blog and Thomas Merton with me. So many important points to consider.
ReplyDelete