The secret of my identity is hidden in the love and mercy of God.
But whatever is in God is really identical with Him: for His infinite simplicity admits no division and no distinction. Therefore I cannot hope to find myself anywhere except in Him.
Ultimately the only way that I can be myself is to become identified with Him in Whom is hidden the reason and fulfillment of my existence.
Therefore there is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him, I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him.
But although this looks simple, it is in reality immensely difficult. In fact if I am left to myself it will be utterly impossible. For although I can know something of God’s existence and nature by my own reason, there is no human and rational way in which I can arrive at that contact, that possession of Him, which will be the discovery of Who He really is and of Who I am in Him.
That is something that no man can ever do alone.
Nor can all the men and all the created things in the universe help him in his work.
The only One Who can teach me to find God is God, Himself, Alone.
Thomas Merton
Seeds of Contemplation
When I read the works of Thomas Merton–namely this one–I struggle, thinking these words are not for me, my mind seems to lack the wisdom to understand, to follow what he’s saying. Is this the purpose, the testing–is the struggle too understand the goal? It is easier to turn away.
Merton is like one of the Desert Fathers or Mothers in many ways. Sometimes what he says creates as response immediately. Other time you wonder where on earth he is coming from. Anything that hits me in what he has written I usually write down and put away and come back to it later. Or, in this case, bookmark the article. But if something he has written sticks with you there is a reason and it will become apparent over time.