Customer Reviews

Dialogues with Silence: Prayers & Drawings

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Before becoming a Trappist monk, Thomas Merton "loved books, women, ideas, art, jazz, hard drink, cigarettes, argument, and having his opinions heard" (p. x). At age 26, however, he abandoned that life for a life of prayer, silence, and anonymity "from the world's one thousand and one interesting things" (p. x). He ended his wanderlust by travelling instead the inner geography of his heart and soul. This collection of 183 prayers is the result of his twenty-seven-year journey as a monk at Gethsemany.

"This book is a partial harvest from over four hundred prayers collected from Merton's published and unpublished works" (p. xvii). Most of the prayers here are derived from Father Merton's THOUGHTS IN SOLITUDE and ENTERING THE SILENCE. (I have given this book four stars only when measured against his NEW SEEDS OF CONTEMPLATION, and these earlier books.) In his prayers, we find Merton entrusting himself "completely to the silence of a wide landscape of woods, and hills, or sea, or desert," his heart on fire, as he quietly searches for salvation. "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going," he prays. "I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end" (p. vii).

Although this may not be Father Merton's best book, it offers us the quiet prayers of a humble monk. Those prayers may be experienced as a powerful antidote to the troubling events unfolding in the world today.

G. Merritt

While he was alive, Thomas Merton dedicated his life as a monk to contemplative meditation, constantly seeking a closer and ideal relationship with God. After becoming a Trappist monk at Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky, he searched for solace in a monk's life of solitude. But the more Merton expressed himself through his writing, and became better known in the outside world, the solitude that he sought was harder and harder for him to find. Johnathan Montaldo has done a wonderful job of editing this collection of Merton's prayers and private thoughts and pairing them with sketches from Merton's own hand. Together both represent the soul of a man who offers inspiration and insight to this very day.

"Dialogues with Silence" is a collection that is best read in small batches; while it is possible to read it through as one might a novel, the point of meditation and contemplation (especially on the prayers) would be lost. Some of the pictures and words go hand in hand and offer a look into Father Merton that many have never experienced before this book. The prayers are a candid glimpse into a struggling soul, and are juxtaposed with thoughts on nature and poems that are starkly beautiful. Every page is a testament to the magnificent talent that Merton had in transferring his thoughts into words.

There are many prayers I could single out to include as an example of the power of Merton's writing, but this prayer to Etienne Gilson struck me as most appropriate to one of the struggles that Merton underwent: "Please pray for me to Our Lord that, instead of merely writing something, I may 'be' something, and indeed that I may so fully be what I ought to be that there may be no further necessity for me to write, since the mere fact of being what I ought to be would be more eloquent than many books." It is extremely fortunate for us that Merton did feel the need to write so that his love of God might be an inspiration to all who read his works.

I have read many of his books since reading SEVEN STORY MOUNTAIN, A GREAT FAITH-SHARING READ,, A FRIEND HAD THIS AND I SENT FOR IT..I AM GRATEFUL FOR AMAZON.....I HAVE HAD SACRAMRANTS OF MOMENTS, THROUGH EACH PAGE OF PRAYER,,EACH DRAWING..IN THE QUIET OF THE SILENCE.. LOVE HIM FOR WROIING ALL HE HAS AND SHARING WITH US...NANA OXOXOX

While many are familiar with the writings of Thomas Merton, "Dialogues with Silence" presents a different side of him. What struck me as the most touching portion of the book was the simplistic sketches that accompany each passage. Although the sketches may not have had a particular purpose when Merton drew them, they add a new perspective to the writings in this book since most of the writings were previously published in various books.

This book would make an excellent coffee-table book, and serves as a great conversation piece. I came upon this book by chance, and have not seen it available in stores since that time. The sketches that accompany the prayers and writings alone make this book worth purchasing.

First of all let us note in passing this review is of the paperback with white cover with the ink sketch of a monk done by Father Thomas Merton, pacifist priest (a redundancy, of course, forgive me). This edition is exquisitely published on the kind of good thick and uncut paper we expect to find from French high quality paperbacks of an earlier era. Again, the edges are uncut, and the paper thick and a joy to caress and to study. This is the quality of publishing we learned to expect from James Laughlin's New Directions publications of Father Thomas Merton's poetry and other works (please consult their correspondence in Thomas Merton and James Laughlin: Selected Letters).

We get the feeling in reading this volume that much here he would not have presented for public consumption, including the drawings. Many of the writings reveal most personal and private prayers, imperfect, incomplete; some represent stylistic experiments by this excellent writing monk. Some we read as if hearing the rejected practice tapes of a deceased musician, re-issued for post-humous profit, never intended for public hearing.

The drawings most often seem the doodles of the searching, made in the process of meditation, not for the rough finished product but as an aid to contemplation, never intended to share.

And yet much here there is which is exquisite, and which represents Father Merton's continual preoccupation for peace.

We may find this more fully developed in such works as The Nonviolent Alternative and Cold War Letters as well as Seeds of Destruction, etc., but here we find prodigious pearls of prayers for peace. See as well in this infinite vein of Father Merton's urgent writings for Peace Passion for Peace, New and Revised: The Struggle for Non-Violence, Peace In The Post-christian Era, Thomas Merton on peace and over two hundred twenty five other volumes available readily here upon the amazon of Father Merton's writings for peace and pacifism.

"O peace, bless this mad place; Silence, love this growth (p. 183)"

We find here the famous Prayer for Peace offered for the US House opf Representatives in Wednesday of Holy Week 1962, "Bless our earnest will to help all races and people to travel in friendship along the road to justice, liberty and lsting peace. Grant us above all to see that our ways are not necessarily your ways ( . . .) Grant us to seek peace where it is truly found (p.177)."

"Da quaesumus mihi servulo tecum perpetuam
Nox ubi non contristet corda vel umbra diem (p. 173)"

Read especially the Prayer to Dorothy Day on page 159, the great Catholic pacifist (for Merton and Day such a phrase is redundant as all Catohlics are pacifist).

"Dona nobis pacem (p. 143)."

Remember this Paschaltide Gospel, recounting the doubting of the Apostle Saint Thomas: The resurrected Christ enters twice the apostolic abode with the blessing: "Peace be with you!" wishing first and foremost nothing other than Peace: "PAX VOBISCUM."

We wonder whether the title originates with Father Merton, contemplative, hermit and Trappist monk. Certainly it indicates the call of the hermit and the contemplative to prayer, to silent contemplation in the utmost peace attentive to the presence of God in Love. May we each enter this sacred dialogue with silence, as the ancient prophet who discerned God's merciful, charitable and true presence not in the hurricane but in the soft breeze of Peace. Those who compromise peace, those who reject peace, cannot find the way to God. Read Father Merton, able guide to God's peace and love.

THis little book is a hidden gem!! The drawings correlate beautifully with the short prayer/thoughts. Allows you to enter into a dialogue with silence-- very insightful and recommended for anyone who desires and needs a "quiet" prayer time. Gave me a new insight into this brilliant man of God.

When the dawn is still quiet, before the world comes crashing through the door, join Thomas Merton, as he prays, writes, questions, and walks through the woods always bumping into God. I still giggle at his distraction, a postulant wearing a shirt full of horses all heading in one direction, except one. During prayer, Merton mused thinking to himself about the one horse, "And where do you think you're going?"

For the spiritual and the writerly, this book is indispensible. The kindle version enables one to take and find notes rapidly.

Just loved it. Please put Seeds of Contemplation on the kindle too....