
A 1956 picture taken in Germany of my oldest sister Rose-Marie and her Father.
The loneliness of the long distance runner , you don`t want to beat anyone , you don`t want to win. You don`t want your sense of interior excellence based upon public approval.
A quote from Thomas Merton to his good friend Ron Seitz ~
"Funny , but a long time ago, when I first came here to Gethsemani, I said that this place is the center of America . I had wondered then just what was holding the country together .... Really what was keeping the whole universe from cracking into pieces and falling apart. It is places like this monastery."
Merton than added, "I believed it then , and I believe it now ... Even moreso."
From a " Song for Nobody ", p. 75
Wow , what a great photo of many great photo`s taken by Ron Durham. RonDPhoto@aol.com
The Abbey of the Gethsamani near Bardstown Kentucky. This is where the late Fr.Thomas Merton use to live and where Fr. Matthew Kelty and many other Monks live at now.
All Saints and All Souls Day on which to celebrate God`s love for all those who have died.
The challenge of Sainthood is to go where love takes me.
~ Prayer for Days break and Days end ~
Saint Francis, Saint Anthony and all of the other Saints faced many obstacles. They dealt with their problems and overcame their problems.
Future Saint Mother Teresa dealt with many nuisance`s , but she never gave up.
They were all taught well from teachings of Jesus.
Prepare on All Hallow`s eve (October 31st) and have a good All Saints and All Souls Day !
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" Christian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel message that Scripture communicates by words. "
Council of Nicea
It appears that whenever someone walks into a Catholic Church they automatically make the Sign of the Cross.
Traditionally, Catholic`s cross themselves by saying , In the name of the Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit.
By crossing ourselve it also reminds us that the Trinity is with us in Mind , Body and Soul.
" The beauty of the images moves me to contemplation, as a meadow delights the eyes and subtly infuses the soul with the glory of God. "
St John Damascene
By crossing ourselves with Holy water are we , as Catholic`s , telling ourselves that we want to accept our imperfections .
St. Anthony, the Contemplative - June 2005 Issue of St. Anthony Messenger Magazine Online: "Another thing that motivated Anthony to keep his contemplative search alive, even in the midst of his busy life, was a letter St. Francis sent to him around 1224. It was a letter granting Anthony permission to teach theology to the friars—but with the caution that Anthony not get so caught up in lofty intellectual pursuits as to neglect humility and the inner life of the spirit.
The very succinct and rare letter reads thus: “Brother Francis sends his wishes of health to Brother Anthony.... It pleases me that you teach sacred theology to the brothers, as long as—in the words of the Rule—you ‘do not extinguish the Spirit of prayer and devotion’ with study of this kind.”
I like to imagine Anthony holding this special letter close to his heart as a spiritual reminder that, like Francis himself, he must never allow his burning need to seek the face of God in prayer to get snuffed out by the distractions of the active life."
Thomas Merton Internet Bibliography: "Each one of us has some kind of vocation. We are all called by God to share in His life and in His Kingdom. Each one of us is called to a special place in the Kingdom. If we find that place we will be happy. If we do not find it, we can never be completely happy. For each one of us, there is only one thing necessary: to fulfill our own destiny, according to God's will, to be what God wants us to be.'
- Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island "
Run by the River 5000 meter race in Clarksville Tennessee . Fast and flat , point to point 5000 meter race .
At the time it was considered to be the fastest 5000 meter race in the nation .
Bill Rodgers (four time winner of the Boston Marathon and four time winner of the New York City marathon) was the guest speaker at Run by the River in 1998 and he also wanted to break the world record for the grand masters division (50-55) age group for the 5000 meter distance, in which it is a sub15 minute 5k.
I am one second behind Bill Rodgers in this photo.
Do you think he broke the world record in this 5000 meter race and I had the greatest race of my life?
Or do you think he slowed down due to a hamstring injury and I still had a great race?
Note: Carlsbad 5000 meter race in California was the second fastest 5000 meter race in the nation at that time.