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New Seeds of
Contemplation
"It can become almost a magic word," Thomas Merton
says of contemplation; "or if not magic, then
inspirational, which is almost as bad." With these words,
Merton takes us through the reality of contemplation, which is,
the author says, "life itself, fully awake, fully active,
fully aware that it is alive. It is spiritual wonder."
Above all, contemplation is "awareness of the reality"
of the Source, "with a certitude that goes beyond reason
and beyond simple faith." Covering a diverse range of
subjects ("Faith," "Renunciation," "The
Night of the Senses"), it moves the reader through certain
traditional "phases" of contemplation, and gives an
idea of what to expect in this spiritual process.—Doug
Thorpe
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Praying the Psalms
Merton shows us how to draw out the richness of worship from the
psalter and to use it to achieve "the peace that comes from
submission to God's will and from perfect confidence in
him".......Catholic Review Service.
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Contemplative Prayer
This is Thomas Merton at his contemplative best, applying
ancient wisdom to the longings of our age through his thoughtful
commentary on Scripture and important writers of the Western
spiritual tradition.
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Thoughts in Solitude
What has made this book such an enduring and popular work (now
in its 25th printing) is that it recognizes how important
solitude is to our morality, integrity, and ability to love. One
does not have to be a monk to find solitude, notes Merton;
solitude can be found in the act of contemplation and silent
reflection in everyday life. Also, this is not a pious book that
assumes that a relationship with the divine can be obtained only
by denying our humanity and striving for saintliness. Instead,
Merton asserts that connection with God can most easily be made
through "respect for temperament, character, and emotion
and for everything that makes us human."—Gail Hudson
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Life and Holiness
In this brief and readily accessible work, Merton offers his
thoughts on what it means to be holy in the face of the
anxieties of the modern world.
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The Ascent to Truth
Merton's understanding of our human nature and his spiritual
understanding of scripture combine to make a personally
challenging and thoroughly understandable realization of how to
become more spiritual, not religious. This is a
"centering" book. It centers you in God revealed
through Christ. Merton wastes no time in delving deep into the
nebulous realm of the heart. What sets his book apart is his
ability to do so while remaining completely in the realm of the
practical.
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Bread in the Wilderness
Merton writes, "The Psalms acquire, for those who know how
to enter into them, a surprising depth, a marvelous and
inexhaustible actuality. They are bread, miraculously provided
by Christ, to feed those who have followed Him into the
wilderness."
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Spiritual Direction and
Meditation
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