Customer Reviews

Praying with Thomas Merton (Companions for the Journey)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The "Companions" series are very good introductions to the spirituality of great writers such as Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day. By distilling their works into a few major topics, the reader can get a real flavor for their outlook on Catholicism. By devoting a chapter and activities--many of them involving journal writing--to topics such as solitude, silence and prayer, they give the reader a quasi-retreat experience, almost as if the subject were leading it one-on-one. The Merton book is an excellent introduction to the life and writings of this century's major spiritual writer and one of its loudest voices for justice and non-violence. Overall, a beautifully written and designed little book that can be easily carried and devoured, yet will engage the reader with its activities and prayers. Highly recommended!

After a short introduction to Merton, this book presents 15 "Meditations" on aspects of Merton's life and prayer. Simsic does a great job of funneling Merton wide ranging writings into topics that include "Solitude", "In Silence" "Wandering in the Wilderness", "The Person of Christ", and "The Quest for Unity". Each meditation includes an opening prayer, Merton's' words, reflections, and closes with God's word and a prayer. As a Kentucky resident, and birder, I particularly liked Merton's quote on "lots of pretty myrtle warblers" .. " a sense of total kinship with them as if they and I were all of the same nature". The reflections section personally challenged me with exercises to write about what I felt was my true self, saying yes to Christ, and need for silence. The final section on Unity closes with God's words both from Mark and from the Upanishads.

This book is excellent. I just used a few of the meditations for it in a silent retreat for the new volunteers in the program where I work. I love Merton, and have read a lot of his writing. It is hard to distill him down into brief excerpts that would be suitable for people who are unfamiliar with him. This book does the job nicely. Not only has Wayne Simsic chosen passages from Merton that shine, but Wayne's own writing in the prayers and meditation are almost as beautiful as Merton's! He has each meditation broken into a theme, and includes some of Merton's writing, some passages from scripture. Each meditation is about 3-4 pages long, so very brief and to the point.

I just ordered Wayne's Companions for the Journey book on St. John of the Cross, and I hope I won't be disappointed.