Later this summer, I hope to visit the hermitage of Thomas Merton in New Haven, Kentucky. Merton is a 20th century American Trappist monk, considered by many to be a mystic, as well as a scholar, author and activist.

Merton pops up from time to time in my reading, and once in a while, his wisdom stops me in my tracks.

I share with you today one of those reflections that captures into words what I hope for myself and others. There is something quite hopeful in Merton’s words- as it is an invitation into a deeper relationship with God.

As a dad, I pray I can guide my girls as Merton guides us, in knowing and believing that “the infinite God is dwelling within them.” I pray I can truly know and believe this myself. It is a game changer.

Take a few minutes this day and reflect patiently and without distraction on these insightful words from Merton:

“The Christian is then not simply a man of good will, who commits himself to a certain set of beliefs, who has a definite dogmatic conception of the universe, of man, and of man’s reason for existing.

He is not simply one who follows a moral code of brotherhood and benevolence with strong emphasis on certain rewards and punishments dealt out to the individual.

Underlying Christianity is not simply a set of doctrines about God considered as dwelling remotely in heaven, and man struggling on earth, trying to appease a distant God by means of virtuous acts.

On the contrary Christians themselves too often fail to realize that the infinite God is dwelling within them, so that He is in them and they are in Him.

They remain unaware of the presence of the infinite source of being right in the midst of the world and of men.

True Christian wisdom is therefore oriented to the experience of divine Light which is present in the world, the Light in whom all things are, and which is nevertheless unknown to the world because no mind can see or grasp its infinity.“