Reflections on the Merton Weekend
I have just gotten back from the International Thomas Merton Society weekend at the Abbey of Gethsemani. It is Monday Morning and I am awake much earlier than usual.
One of the highlights was meeting Alan Creech for the first time. Alan lives in Lexington and we able to eat lunch together on Saturday. Alan was one of the Merton bloggers who helped with the Merton online retreat last December 10. He is a person deeply involved with the emerging church movement. He has an exceptional knowledge of Merton and told me something I did not know, that Thomas Merton and James Fox were the only two monks buried in caskets at Gethsemani because they died outside of the country and had to be shipped back. By the way he told this story while we were standing by the trappist caskets in the bookstore. This is a rare photo of Alan. He likes to play incognito on his own blog. Thanks Alan for coming to see me.
Also you need to read Alan's Blog for Saturday. It includes 64 fabulous pictures he made in black and white, including terrific ones of Bro. Paul and the other monks.
posted by Dan Phillips @ 5:59 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Aagghh! Who is that smiling man? He needs to lose some weight, I know that. :)
It was good to hang out with you too Dan, for sure. I think Dom James died in Georgia, but he was away from the monastery, if I remember (like I was there or something). Personally, I think I'm more catholic than "emerging" but hey - the emerging catholic church is growing every day.
Thanks for the good words. Peace to you.
Too cool you guys. I've met Alan, but it would be great to meet you one day Dan.
Peace from another Merton fan and "emerging catholic",
Antony H.
(omg, did I just use the "e" word? ;)
TIME ALONE WITH GOD...........what a treasure...what precious moments..."Come unto Me, I will refresh you..."
Alan Creech Thanks for the photos....I was there on retreat in 1950...much different now. This must be a new monastery...was the old torn down?
Who are you O anonymous one? No, it's the same one. The guest house is "new" - since '50 anyway. The church has been remodelled, and the outside likely has been. It's the same one though. I guess maybe the old gate house was there in 1950 too - the one Merton entered through in '41. Did you see the old man back then? Peace to you.
JUST KNEW HE WAS DOWN THERE .....We were in the loft and did not see the monks up close. Fr Raymond, also a writer,MAN WHO GOT EVEN WITH GOD, was there at the same time. In chapter, a novice confessed that he was reading a book other than Scripture in chapel....Fr Tom mouthed to Fr Raymond 'It was YOUR book.' and I suppose your fault too. Blessings. anon
IN THE WORLD.............How shall we find God in all our hurry and haste and busyness? We pray that God will keep alive in our hearts, a little chapel, where we may daily retreat to find Him...Who has already found us. Francis said that we each have a 'hermitage' that we carry with us...everywhere we go, it is an inner place where we might look at God and He at us.
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