Monk?

Thomas Merton

Tomas Merton died 40 years ago this past December 10.  It was the process of reading Merton’s words that moved me towards monastic life over 20 years ago, and so I thought it would be profitable to mention that his books and audio tapes and CDs are all still available.  Thomas Merton Books is a great place to locate all his books and audio files, including all the extant audio of his talks to novice monks while he was novice master at The Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, where he lived his entire monastic life.  If you don’t know the Merton story, I recommend it to you as a way to both get to know the most singular monastic voice of the 20th century, and also monasticism’s best explicator.

I hope you’re as moved by his life’s story and words as I have been.

Here is a wonderful reflection on The Our Father by Dom Bernardo Olivera, OCSO, Abbot General of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance. Dom Bernardo is recovering from a cerebral hemmorage he suffered on August 22, 2006.

January 26th was the feast of the founders of Citeaux, the first Cistercian Abbey, and the beginning of one of the great historical religious moments in Western civilization – and from such humble beginnings!

A heartfelt happy birthday to all Cistercians throughout the world. There is a beautiful reflection on the feast in a homily by Fr. Gerard of Genesee found here.

May their prayers for more vocations be answered. But more importantly lets pray for their journey into the depths of reality, their true call, that they may remain faithful to it. Amen

A quote from Aelred of Rievaulx, 12th Century Cistercian monk and abbot, that illuminates what we all encounter sooner or later, and by which, through grace and our free response, we are led to freedom:

See, dear Lord, how I have wandered the world and (have seen) those things which are in the world….In these I sought rest for my unhappy soul, but everywhere (I found) labor and lament, sorrow and affliction of spirit. You cried out, Lord; you cried out and called. You terrified me and shattered my deafness. You struck, you flogged, you conquered my hardheartedness. You sweetened, you flavored, you banished my bitterness. I heard you calling, but, alas, how late….Cistercian Fathers Series #17, pp. 133-34.

Those who seek will find, even if late, and some find their way to a monastery, the place where God best speaks to them, and where they best respond to his invitation.

I highly recommend John R. Sommerfeldt’s book, Aelred of Riveaux: pursuing perfect happiness (Newman Press, 2005), a wonderful reflection and application of Aelred’s vision of love.