I cannot know for certain where it will end. 1 0 obj I found Mertons prayer so moving that I can rarely recite his prayer without tears. stream When we do this, we begin to hear God who is the inner teacher that leads us down the path we are called to: Note the Psalmists words: I sought the Lord and He answered me. Where did the Lord hear? But I believethe desire to please youdoes in fact please you.And I hope I have that desirein all I am doing. Thomas Merton Contemplative Prayer, Thomas Merton Books, Thomas Merton Prayer, Sacramentum Caritatis 20: Eucharist andReconciliation, Sacramentum Caritatis 19: FirstEucharist, Sacramentum Caritatis 18: Ordering the InitiationSacraments, Sacramentum Caritatis 17: The Eucharist and ChristianInitiation. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Matthew Kelty, OSCO, monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, reads the Merton Prayer: Transcript of the Prayer of Abandonment Merton - prayer of abandonment His holiness, the Dalai Lama, offers advice on how to deal with pesky insects, in conversation with Bill Moyers: Thomas Merton's "Prayer of Abandonment", for those who have note received it. After graduating from college, I worked as a telemarketer for my college alma mater. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz I do not see the road ahead of me. Please do not include any non-text characters, such as emojis or other non-standard content, into your submission. This set of talks recorded by Thomas Merton invites you to renew your prayer life under the guidance of a spiritual master. Thomas Mertons Prayer of Abandonment and Trust, Follow MattAndJojang's Blog on WordPress.com, Sr. Elaine Macinnes: Catholic Nun and Zen Master, The Story Behind Paul McCartney's Song: "Let It Be. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Wisdom, Emotional, Mind. He inspired men and women from all walks of life with his dedication to prayer and contemplation. Thanks for thatI found it when searching for the prayer online. You are Lord of my life and you act in me through Jesus in the Holy Spirit. 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 . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. So what better prayer can we offer, alone and together, than to embrace the Spirit of Jesus within us and echo His words of faith: Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Thomas Merton: The Climate of Monastic Prayer . Let only your will be done in me, as in all your creatures. << /Subtype /Image I will not fear, Thank you! /Type /XObject Born in France in 1915, he spent most of his childhood in Europe. [| Kp)A297Y"%pz9#Zh\)Jz wqr9efn9 tCc>r|r@u],K3zu>?OZ@2fOXzf3O^:{ S6'BL]BrwvcF(9)r Jzwu*Mb?F"y {#;uKA'#ckPFIf5l5erfi9?:jH9v rsJBr 9 vY2t;NyL:w4*IBI>=;WDb1n#wSR$G; (s7wn1qr8zSCfREUF=X6 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. A Trappist monk of the Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky, he was a poet, social activist, and student of comparative religion. Thomas Merton's Closing Prayer From the 2015 Festival of Faiths, "Sacred Journeys and the Legacy of Thomas Merton" Offered at the first Spiritual Summit Conference, given in Calcutta. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. Mertons use of the word fogginess is a great word for it describes the feeling that one in the midst of discernment might experience no matter how we understand the life long task that discernment entails. My Lord God, VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY Vancouver, BC Dr. Christopher Pramuk Thomas Merton: transforming loneliness into solitude, the source of our compassion By Lisa Salazar, British Columbia, Canada. Thomas Merton's Prayer - Laser-engraved Aluminum Wallet Card - A Beautiful Gift And Blessing HeartOnMy (64) $19.95 FREE shipping 5x PACK Greeting cards with spirit: Thomas Merton prayer SidebothamInk (59) $20.00 FREE shipping Merton Prayer The Road Ahead Prayer Magnet HINIMOCO (184) $4.50 More colors /ca 1.0 Amazingly enough, I made it, arriving in about 3 hours: well in advance of midday prayer, facing a mostly downhill ride home in the afternoon heat. In this prayer Merton acknowledges the fogginess of discernment and concludes even a desire to follow Gods will does not mean he actually is: and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean I am actually doing so. I hopeI will never do anythingapart from that desire.And I know if I do thisyou will lead me by the right roadthough I may know nothing about it. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I do not see the road ahead of me. The Aleteia prayer network of 550 monasteries . Thomas Merton does in fact please you. O my God, I thank you and I praise. I do not see the road ahead of me. Wow, this prayer really goes to my heart. Who was the monk who wrote, "I don't always know the right thing to do, Lord, but I think the fact that I want to please you pleases you.. 218 Copy quote. 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. though I may seem to be lost Whichever wins out draws the lover like gravity in its direction. I am moved nearly each time I read it. From Rochester, its not far to the Genesee Abbey only about 35 miles, but the more daunting aspect when youre not riding powered are the nine hills to climb to get to Piffard, NY. But I believe I cannot know for certain But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. More information Prayer of abandonment by Thomas Merton Comments More like this More like this Pope Francis Quotes Francis I Francis Of Assisi Thoughts Quotes Me Quotes Blessed Mother Mary Nor do I really know myself, and that I think I am following your will does not mean I am actually doing so. Copyright 2023. At the end of our interview, Krista Tippett asked him to read one of his favorite passages from Mertons writings. I had been to the Genesee Abbey many times by car, and was sure I could find the way there and back, and get it done before the sun got too high. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. /SA true "Thoughts In Solitude", p.107, Macmillan. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. Thomas Merton (1976). The On Being Project And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. The night before, I sadly noted the next days high would approach 100, but I went ahead anyway, waking at 6AM and getting on the road early. Happy are those who delight to enter their hearts and find no evil.. 4 0 obj Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is arguably the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century. That could have led me in a number of directions from marriage and parenthood to starting a non-profit to becoming a missionary. 146 words are all it is but in those few short lines a message is conveyed that I find irresistible to my soul. The greatest need of our time is to clean out the enormous mass of mental and emotional rubbish that clutters our minds. But first, we realize that we are going to have to create a new language of prayer. << 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. "The Power and Meaning of Love". Church Year. The Thomas Merton Studies Center at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky, contains over 10,000 items related to Merton and some 3,000 of his manuscripts. So I worry about pleasing him, and I do think the fact that I want to please him pleases him. Jeremy, just came across thisbeautiful! I do not see the road ahead of me. He also served as chief content officer and publisher between 2013 and 2017. endobj SUFFERING: To Know The Cross, by Thomas Merton Posted on February 19, 2016 From No Man Is An Island I pray that we may be found worthy to be cursed, censured, and ground down, and even put to death in the name of Jesus Christ, so long as Christ himself is not put to death in us. Merton writes: "There is only one true flight from the world; it is not an escape from conflict, anguish, and suffering, but the flight from disunity and separation, to unity and peace in the love of other men." 2 When we give power to suffering and to the cause of suffering, we lose touch with the inner self that knows we are one with the . Your email address will not be published. I venerate it; It contains opinion, interpretation, and personal musings. It is from from Thoughts in Solitude (1958). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). In the midst of the intense struggle for civil rights, Thomas Merton insisted that Christians had a moral duty to address racismon a personal and systemic level. But its that line I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you that hits home to me. I particularly love this prayer, especially now because it fits my present situation in life. Replenishment and invigoration in your inbox. Thomas Merton Prayer MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. About 11:15AM, I headed for home. And I hope I have that desire in all I am doing. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. In this life there are two loves in conflict: the love for this world and the love of God. So, while fear of the coronavirus, of the future, and of the unknown tries to bring us into captivity, let us remember this: God said, says, and continues to say: fear not! While studying at Columbia University in New York, Merton converted to Catholicism and eventually became a monk at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky. I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. It is centered entirely on attention to the presence of God and to his will and His love. << I cannot know for certain where it will end. I cannot know for certain where it will end. /Filter /DCTDecode I do not see the road ahead of me. Yet, Merton acknowledges it is the desire to please God alone that gives him affirmation he is going down the right road: but I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You if I do this, You will lead me by the right road. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. When you are short on time, say these heartfelt prayers composed by the Little Flower. (Current PhD, ThM, and DMin students) ate@luthersem.edu. Thomas Merton's Prayer of Abandonment My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. Thanks! 6 0 obj But I believe that the . Merton wrote prolifically on a vast range of topics, including the contemplative life, prayer, and religious biographies. Advanced Theological Education Office. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. Now it is without question that the scripture that had some kind of inspiration to this prayer was the 23. The Pause is our Saturday morning ritual of a newsletter. Musings and tools to take into your week. The prayer of Thomas Merton is a great way to help you in your meditations and discernment when faced with life dilemmas. Worry, Not: Sren Kierkegaard on What We Can Learn from the Birds of the Air and Lilies of the Field, Thomas Merton on the Necessity of Solitude for a Healthy Society, Claiming Responsibility for Our Lives: Thomas Merton on Discovering Meaning and Purpose Within, Be Still: The Desert Fathers on the Value of Solitude, Maria Shriver on the Courage to Recreate Our Lives, I Love the Word Impossible: Ann Kiemel on Our Giant of a God. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I cannot know for certain where it will end. It contains some phraseology drawn from the writings of St. Therese of Lisieux: her "Way of Spiritual Childhood" and from the diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska entitled, "The Divine Mercy in My Soul." And it is not by some physical bond or iron chain that we are bound to earth. I cannot know for certain where it will end. And I know if I do this It is not through feet or wings but by desire that we come to God. Well the monk was Thomas Merton, a 20th century mystic from and Catholic writer. The Prayer of Abandonment, written by Charles de Foucauld, is one of the most beautiful prayers of faith, trust and surrender in the Christian spiritual heritage. Within. His American-born mother, Ruth Jenkins, died in 1921 when Thomas was only six. Coming to New York in the 1930s, he immersed himself in the worldly pleasures of the day, embracing the naive optimism of the Communist party and the arty pretensions of the graduate . I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. I cannot know for certain using human logic any more than Merton could. Amen. 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. Thomas Merton prayers for discernment, surrender, and guidance It costs nothing to pray about a situation you find daunting or pressing in your life. I assumed that not only had the town planners put the sign on the wrong side of the road, but that some screwball had turned the marker around to fool people. I can only entrust my life to God, and hope that he will turn things around. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. The faith that it takes to be in the grasp of evil and say I will not fear for you are with me is unmeasurable, and I just hope and pray daily I have that faith. Thomas Merton was born in 1915 in Prades, France. Home Page. I will trust you alwaysthough I may seem to be lostand in the shadow of death. I will trust you always This happened a few years ago, and now on hindsight I made, with Gods grace, the right decision. I am presently undergoing major changes in my life, and I am still in the dark as to what to do next. It is the cross of Your choice, the cross of Your love. We here at Intellecual Minisitres take The Great Commission to another level in that we try are hardest to be the most sound mind Christians we can be, and in doing so teach and encourge others. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.. Merton spent his last decade vigorously decrying the idolatries and blasphemies of war, nuclear weapons, racism, poverty, environmental destruction and the way church people blindly support our nation's wars and weapons. 7) Matt, I pray for what ever you are going through HIS healing Mercy may wash over you. The prayer, I think, hits to the core of the way I have felt for quite some time and to the core of how many people feel. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Merton's Call for Racial JusticeFriday, November 27, 2020. Myself, and personal musings through Jesus in the shadow of death that line believe! Youdoes in fact please you life with his dedication to prayer and.. 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