There is in all visible things an invisible fecundity, a dimmed light, a meek namelessness, a hidden wholeness. Thomas Merton More Quotes by Thomas Merton More Quotes From Thomas Merton A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him.... The more a tree is like itself, the more it is like Him. Thomas Merton tree giving mean The fruitfulness of our lives depends in large measure in our ability to doubt our own words and to question the value of our own work. The man who completely trusts his own estimate of himself is doomed to sterility. Thomas Merton wisdom doubt men We cannot possess the truth fully until it has entered into the very substance of our life by good habits, and by a certain perfection of moral activity. Thomas Merton moral substance perfection You will never be able to have perfect interior peace and recollection unless you are detached even from the desire of peace and recollection. You will never be able to pray perfectly until you are detached from the pleasures of prayer. Thomas Merton prayer perfect desire It is true that we are called to create a better world. But we are first of all called to a more immediate and exalted task: that of creating our own lives. Thomas Merton creating tasks mindfulness This is the greatest stumbling block in our spiritual discipline, which, in actuality, consists not in getting rid of the self but in realizing the fact that there is no such existence from the first. Thomas Merton block powerful spiritual The art of our time, sacred art included, will necessarily be characterized by a certain poverty, grimness and roughness which correspond to the violent realities of a cruel age. Thomas Merton age reality art The biggest disease in North America is busyness. Thomas Merton inspiration faith america There is a logic of language and a logic of mathematics. Thomas Merton logic mathematics language The logic of the poet - that is, the logic of language or the experience itself - develops the way a living organism grows: it spreads out towards what it loves, and is heliotropic, like a plant. Thomas Merton logic language way Spread abroad the name of Jesus in humility and with a meek heart; show him your feebleness, and he will become your strength. Thomas Merton humility heart jesus We who claim to love peace and justice must always be careful that we do not use our righteousness to provoke the violent, and in this way bring about the conflict for which we, too, like other men, are hungering in secret, and with suppressed barbarity. Thomas Merton ignorance justice men The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the incandescent metal and burn my own hand while burning the other. Hate itself is the seed of death in my own heart, while it seeks the death of the other. Thomas Merton hate heart love-is You are certainly one of the joys of life for all who have ever come within a mile of you. Thomas Merton joy-of-life miles joy To hope is to risk frustration. Make up your mind to risk frustration. Thomas Merton frustration risk mind The only unhappiness is not to love God. Thomas Merton unhappiness god-love God Himself begins to live in me not only as my Creator but as my other and true self. Thomas Merton true-self creator self I suppose what makes me most glad is that we all recognize each other in this metaphysical space of silence and happening, and get some sense, for a moment, that we are full of paradise without knowing it. Thomas Merton space silence knowing When we are strong, we are always much greater than the things that happen to us. Thomas Merton strength strong happens One thing is certain: the humility of faith, if it is followed by the proper consequences-by the acceptance of the work and sacrifice demanded by our providential task-will do far more to launch us into the full current of historical reality than the pompous rationalizations of politicians who think they are somehow the directors and manipulators of history. Thomas Merton sacrifice humility acceptance
