today is the anniversary date of the passing of thomas merton, or father louis merton. i've mentioned before his impact on my life. today i want to share a prayer that comes from new seeds of contemplation.

Justify my soul, O God, but also from Your fountains fill my will
with your fire. Shrine in my mind, although perhaps this means “be
darkness to my experience,” but occupy my heart with Your tremendous
Life. Let my eyes see nothing in the world but Your glory, and let my
hands touch nothing that is not for Your service.

Let my tongue taste no bread that does not strengthen me to praise
Your great mercy. I will hear Your voice and I will hear all harmonies
You have created, singing Your hymns. Sheep’s wool and cotton from the
field shall warm me enough that I may live in Your service; I will give
the rest to Your poor. Let me use all things for one sole reason: to
find my joy in giving You glory.

Therefore keep me, above all things, from sin. Keep me from the
death of deadly sin which puts hell in my soul. Keep me from the murder
of lust that blinds and poisons my heart. Keep me from the sins that
eat a man’s flesh with irresistible fire until he is devoured. Keep me
from loving money in which is hatred, from avarice and ambition that
suffocate my life. Keep me from the dead works of vanity and the
thankless labor in which artists destroy themselves for pride and money
and reputation, and saints are smothered under the avalanche of their
own importunate zeal. Stanch in me the rank wound of covetousness and
the hungers that exhaust my nature with their bleeding. Stamp out the
serpent envy that stings love with poison and kills all joy.

Untie my hands and deliver my heart from sloth. Set me free from the
laziness that goes about disguised as activity when activity is not
required of me, and from the cowardice that does what is not demanded,
in order to escape sacrifice.

But give me the strength that waits upon You in silence and peace.
Give me humility in which alone is rest, and deliver me from prise
which i s the heaviest of burdens. And possess my whole heart and soul
with the simplicity of love. Occupy my whole life with the one thought
and the one desire of love, that I may love not for the sake of merit,
not for the sake of perfection, not for the sake of virtue, not for the
sake of sanctity, but for you alone.