Tag Archives: Thomas Merton

The Christian Communist

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve been writing recently about stuff–our tendency to acquire too many things, our difficulty letting go, our need to simplify as we get older. Recently I ran across a quote on possessions and spirituality by Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk. … Continue reading →

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Practicing Contemplation While in a Crowd

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve been trying to develop a more contemplative life, using Thomas Merton’s New Seeds of Contemplation as my primary guide. I’ve written some about aspects of this journey, such as in this post about the solitude I found in a simple … Continue reading →

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True Solitude

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

In his book New Seeds of Contemplation, Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote of the spiritual benefits of solitude. He notes, though, that not everything that looks like solitude is genuine: “There is not true solitude except interior solitude.” Just getting … Continue reading →

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Among the Stones (Far from the Madding Crowd)

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

It’s been a contemplative summer. I read a book on Centering Prayer, a contemplative form of Christian prayer, and have tried to incorporate aspects of it into my spiritual practice. I’ve been slowly working my way through New Seeds of … Continue reading →

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