Dear God,

“I am in hopes that as time goes on the value of such solitary retreats will become more and more evident and we will gradually begin to be able to have these advantages, beginning with a few days and so on.” Merton

Often while reading Merton I find I trail beside him with no problem, gently drifting along with his thoughts and language. Then I read something like this, and I’m reminded how far apart we are. I wonder if I have even begun to embark on any type of spiritual journey. I know that Merton said, somewhere, that in the spiritual life their are only beginners, but I’ve never desired to receive the permission to — Actually, that’s not true. I’ve been wanting to go on a solitary retreat for quite some time now, it’s just a matter of money. Maybe this is not a good example. This is better: “I hope to get in three or four hours a day of meditation besides my other office prayer, and the work I have to do…” Unless by meditation he means smoking a joint and going for a hike, I have trouble relating to this.  Continue reading →