Thomas Merton

Prayer ~ I Have No Idea Where I Am Going

“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. ”

~ Thomas Merton

Contentment

This was originally posted a couple years ago, but I felt this reminder especially beneficial as we move through these last weeks of the Winter season. Let us not rush things, expecting too much of ourselves. Instead, let’s enjoy a few more slow days, hibernating, storing up energy until it’s time to push through and reach for the sky. Enjoy!

A Note on Contentment

“One who is content with what he has and who accepts the fact that he inevitably misses very much in life is far better off than the one who has much more but who worries about all he might be missing. For we cannot make the best of what we are if our hearts are always divided between what we are and what we are not.

We cannot be happy if we expect to live all the time at the highest peak of intensity. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony. Let us therefore learn to pass from one imperfect activity to another without worrying too much about what we are missing.”

~ Thomas Merton

Hi, Friends,

I’ve been slowing down and practicing aparigraha to the best of my ability. Every moment can be challenging! I want to share with you one of my favorite quotes. Let’s use it as food for the Advent journey.

Image result for contentment — via google images

“One who is content with what he has and who accepts the fact that he inevitably misses very much in life is far better off than the one who has much more but who worries about all he might be missing. For we cannot make the best of what we are if our heart are always divided between what we are and what we are not.

We cannot be happy if we expect to live all the time at the highest peak of intensity. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony. Let us therefore learn to pass from one imperfect activity to another without worrying too much about what we are missing.”

~ Thomas Merton