prayer,  quotes,  Thomas Merton

the gift of silence, … and solitude

March 14, 2023
A quiet cloudless predawn sky at Dixon Reservoir

When I am liberated by silence,
when I am no longer involved in the
measurement of life,
but in the living of it,

I can discover a form of prayer in which
there is effectively, no distraction.

My whole life becomes a prayer.
My whole silence is full of prayer.

The world of silence in which I am immersed
contributes to my prayer.
Let me seek, then, the gift of silence, … and solitude,
where everything I touch is turned into prayer:

where the sky is my prayer,
the birds are my prayer,
the wind in the trees is my prayer,
for God is all in all.

Thomas Merton

Someone introduced me to the above prayer/poem by Thomas Merton this past Saturday. This prayer resonates with me because both silence and prayer have become a major part of my adult life. I am never the same after standing in the silence and solitude before a predawn sky over Dixon Reservoir. I’ve come to believe it is in the silence and solitude I’m more apt to hear the prayers within me that do transform me. And in that transformation I’ve come to ponder the question, What would our world be like if more people listened in the silence and solitude of prayer? Plus, silence and solitude are great teachers at listening. I’d venture to say the world needs more listeners than talkers.

I began writing this post on Sunday afternoon and will schedule its posting for 7:00 am today, which is when they start my surgery. I’ll let you know how that all turns out later.

Retired. Having fun with photography. Journal daily. Meditate daily. Learning haiku/poetry. Have a love for fountain pens.

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