Notes on Merton prose from another viewpoint

I really love this stream of consciousness poem. Merton takes all of the little routines and hierarchies and internal dialog of Catholic monastic life, and pokes fun at them while, at the same time, he elevates them to the level of sacred ritual. There is something profoundly honest about this poem... a playful, unadorned bluntness that is both frank and humble.

Each one can sit at table with his own lemon, and mind his own conscience.

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Thomas Merton was a Catholic monk and mystic who was a key figure in opening up a dialog between the spiritual traditions of East and West. He himself studied many Eastern spiritual practices deeply, from Zen meditation to Hindu yogic philosophy.

1

Each one shall sit at table with his own cup and spoon, and with his own repentance. Each one's own business shall be his most important affair, and provide his own remedies.
They have neglected bowl and plate.
Have you a wooden fork?
Yes, each monk has a wooden fork as well as a potato.

2
Each one shall wipe away tears with his own saint, when three bells hold in store a hot afternoon. Each one is supposed to mind his own heart, with its conscience, night and morning.
Another turn on the wheel: ho hum! And observe the Abbot!
Time to go to bed in a straw blanket.

3
Plenty of bread for everyone between prayers and the psalter: will you recite another?
Merci, and Miserere.
Always mind both the clock and the Abbot until eternity.
Miserere.

4
Details of the Rule are all liquid and solid. What canon was the first to announce regimentation before us? Mind the step on the way down!
Yes, I dare say you are right, Father. I believe you; I believe you.
I believe it is easier when they have ice water and even a lemon.
Each one can sit at table with his own lemon, and mind his own conscience.

5
Can we agree that the part about the lemon is regular?
In any case, it is better to have sheep than peacocks, and cows rather than a chained leopard says Modest, in one of his proverbs.
The monastery, being owner of a communal rowboat, is the antechamber of heaven.
Surely that ought to be enough.

6
Each one can have some rain after Vespers on a hot afternoon, but ne quid nimis, or the purpose of the Order will be forgotten.
We shall send you hyacinths and a sweet millennium.
Everything the monastery provides is very pleasant to see and to sell for nothing.
What is baked smells fine. There is a sign of God on every leaf that nobody sees in the garden. The fruit trees are there on purpose, even when no one is looking. Just put the apples in the basket.
In Kentucky there is also room for a little cheese.
Each one shall fold his own napkin, and neglect the others.

7
Rain is always very silent in the night, under such gentle cathedrals.
Yes, I have taken care of the lamp, Miserere.
Have you a patron saint, and an angel?
Thank you. Even though the nights are never dangerous, I have one of everything.

 

At sunrise I ponder what more can there be for it all was and what will be is already....i sit today in thanksfullness and all else dissolves quickly with all that happened on the cross and I am left with just thanksfullness and a heart filled of god. My prayer are may it always be so... for all mankind and centerueed beings.... amen

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Prayer

  Lord, we should not give thanks for everything that happens to us, but in everything.  We don’t give thanks for disease, illnesses, etc., but we give thanks for Your presence during those trying times and the good that You will bring from them.  You work everything for our good and Your glory, so we give thanks to You in everything! 

Amen

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.

Rilke

 if you suspect that Christ was deluded by his yearning and Muhammad deceived by his pride – and if you are terrified to feel that even now he does not exist, even at this moment when we are talking about him – what justifies you then, if he never existed, in missing him like someone who has passed away and in searching for him as though he were lost?

Why don’t you think of him as the one who is coming, who has been approaching from all eternity, the one who will someday arrive, the ultimate fruit of a tree whose leaves we are? What keeps you from projecting his birth into the ages that are coming into existence, and living your life as a painful and lovely day in the history of a great pregnancy? Don’t you see how everything that happens is again and again a beginning, and couldn’t it be His beginning, since, in itself, starting is always so beautiful? If he is the most perfect one, must not what is less perfect precede him, so that he can choose himself out of fullness and superabundance? Must he not be the last one, so that he can include everything in himself, and what meaning would we have if he whom we are longing for has already existed?

Matthee 6-8

God knows what you need before you ask him"

And linear time is earth time so maybe the gift already was. Shall we not say a greatest glory of love, of spirit, of birth already was and your blessed with a knowing, must the veils burn off thru a suffering that bring us only closer to you, only but a heart whose human being can receive more light, 

Oh lord how the suffering blessed me with awful grace to know it has already ended on the cross so now I can live.

God is great

God is good

And in Christ's name I humbly await your calling,. Annoint me, find me as I bow in waiting only...

I pray as Solomon prayed lord let it be but knowledge of you that I am in you and u are in me that I pray for this existance to be but worthy as servant, Christ's teaching the body and blood I east and drink to be reborn in spirit, send my spirit thru the winds in thy will, not my will and I will be blessed in you.

Amen

And in the eastern religions one might reflect- All events are empty by virtue of their empty essence;  all events are immaculately pure in their origin;  all events are all-embracing clear light;  all events transcend suffering spontaneously;  all events are manifestly perfect -and who are we to judge what is good and what is bad simply thru the effects of how they balance passions...:) 

The morning swirls around me and I begin to see the story of 'schedules" is like an envelope we all carry around. Hey let's open it and look down and share it, read it, and all the while the future of activities becomes what defines us. The living in the world of the future, of plans and obligations that are all not god, because christ breathes thru us in the connection of the moment, in the sharing of love, and yes the schedules are happening.... and for me I awake today and say, so let them be, let the schedules just be and I speak NO more more to them. Let them be flowing in thy will and let me make room for that I can not speak and what I can not know for this is the greatest love....amen‎

By D. H. Lawrence‎
(1885 - 1930)

 

All that matters is to be at one with the living God
to be a creature in the house of the God of Life.

Like a cat asleep on a chair
at peace, in peace
and at one with the master of the house, with the mistress,
at home, at home in the house of the living,
sleeping on the hearth, and yawning before the fire.

Sleeping on the hearth of the living world
yawning at home before the fire of life
feeling the presence of the living God
like a great reassurance
a deep calm in the heart
a presence
as of the master sitting at the board
in his own and greater being,
in the house of life.

 

I can't speak on who I am- I am

Lord enter me and be me

Holy spirit I breathe you in love

Love though the light of ur presence

Who is and can only be love

Crucify  me in your love 

every morning

As I lay myself on the cross to sacrifice any humanness which keeps me from being in you

You in me

May it shine thru me as gift of light all and every day

Mostly and only this day

May it be ur grace that I accept this day of love

Amen‎ Kmg 2017

The spiritual and divine light does not consist in any impression made upon the imagination. It is no impression upon the mind, as though one saw anything with the bodily eyes: it is no imagination or idea of an outward light or glory, or any beauty of form or countenance, or a visible luster or brightness of any object. The imagination may be strongly impressed with such things; but this is not spiritual light. Indeed when the mind has a lively discovery of spiritual things, and is greatly affected by the power of divine light, it may, and probably very commonly doth, much affect the imagination; so that the impressions of an outward beauty of brightness may accompany those spiritual discoveries. But spiritual light is not that impression upon the imagination, but an exceeding different thing from it, Natural men may have lively impressions on their imaginations; and we cannot determine. But the devil, who transforms himself into an angel of light, may cause imaginations of an outward beauty, or visible glory, and of sound and speeches, and other such things; but these are things of a vastly inferior nature to spiritual light.

Jonathan Edwards

Move on as a mantra- expand urself, expand ur whole prescense to make no room for what others say and label. We are own own worst judges to let spoils of another darken light or take up space so u can not expand. Forgive those who defile themselves by what they say and expand for protection, and guidance.... move on from thoughts of judgement as all you have been taught and all u have read leads u to me,
Give up the worldly scales and words like judgemebt asent anymore seeds that can grwo,

as I who gave up judgmenet, anger and received with open arms
Comfort in giving and healing-- :)

Oh heaven on earth is so much richer
In Jesus name

Amen

"Lord who watches over me Christ who opens my heart Wash over any me left standing As in spirit I move with the winds of time And no time Only in your love Only to be grace To give grace Allow me to comfort those calling In fear and blindness  Let me heal this blindness ‎ Let me touch sooth and comfort - gift me with the peace and joy of giving. A gift my tears receive As I make room for only the giving... Amen

Suffering we fall apart

Emotion mortar  to bring it into place

Holy martar, holy water. Reborn into the holy waters flowing spirit of life

Crying into the full release

 as no long I can be

Holding a falling will,

. Thy will be done. 

In sewrvant of christ I stand waiting in love

Amen

Music blars from a bayfront that was once ago mst us. Now a distant sound, same full moon that keeps me comforted in my awareness....and ‎ somewhere there is a fallen leaf. And the dew it drinks... oh drink me lord, so I may be emptied and full with your presence- amen Kmg 2017

“You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High."

Isaiah 14:13-14

Prayer

Great God, there are sometimes when we just need to simply say, “Amen” to your will for us.  We struggle, fight, claw, run, jump, rationalize, flee, and wrestle against your will for us.  Lord, we die to that rebellious spirit that seeks to undermine You, and to make us the center of the universe instead of You.  Give us the strength to say, “amen” to You.

Amen

In quietness and trust is my strength. I sit besides a wake lessness  bay

and the sun, rises as she calls all to her light, oh mother of the tides, blind and me from all I see, I hear the birds join with you in praising this new day...and I hear ", come, in quietness and trust is my strength"... kmg2017