Life is everything

And finally , never lose hope. RB 4:74

Other Voices

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when feeling it not. I believe in God even when he is silent. -- an inscription on the wall in a cellar in Cologne, Germany, when Jews hid from the Nazis

The Rule of Saint Benedict

Devine Scripture calls to us. ~ RB 7:1~ They will themselves to their reading or to the Psalms. ~RB 38:14~

Thomas Merton ~ What is Contemplation?

Two drawings by Thomas Merton, of the Abbey of the Gethsemani in Trappist Kentucky .

When you begin the life of contemplation , Fr. Thomas Merton tells us, " you have left the beaten path and are traveling by paths that cannot be charted and measured."

Excerpt from, What is Contemplation?

Great photo`s of The Abbey of the Gethsamani

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 Hallowed Eve ( Halloween)

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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Signum Crux Crucis

" 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 .

The Way of the Cross

We adore you , O Christ , and we bless you. Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Sunflower Brightness

Sunflower so bright and clean ~ Show us a way to tranquility ~ Teach us Sunflower. ~ Anthony Palevo ~

Country Music Marathon 2000

Country Music Marathon 2000 . I ran a good race , 3 hours and 13 minutes on a very hilly Nashville course.

Psalms and Scripture

The Psalms are the true Garden of the solitary and the Scriptures are his Paradise. As soon as you are really alone , you are with God. Thomas Merton , Thoughts in Solitude XVIII .

The Eucharist ~ The Sign of the Light

Drinking the cup of Life involves holding , lifting , and drinking. It is the full celebration of being human. Henri Nouwen , Can you Drink the Cup?

Mosiac Diversity

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp , with the sound of music. With trumpets and the sound of the horn acclaim the King , the Lord. Psalm 97

St. Anthony, the Contemplative - June 2005 Issue of St. Anthony Messenger Magazine Online

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."

Disney World Marathon 1995

Inaugural Disney World Marathon 1995. I ran this marathon for the fun of it. Mickey Mouse fired the starting gun . It was another great marathon. I stayed with my sister and her family , who live in Orlando, Florida.

Las Vegas Marathon 1998

Las Vegas Marathon 1998. 26.2 miles in the desert , on the old L.A. highway. I set a personal record that morning, running a 3 hour and 6 minute marathon. I ran a big negative split. I spent one night at the MGM and two nights at the Monte Carlo.

Thomas Merton Internet Bibliography

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 "

Green Freshness

Wintry water, breezy mist and righteous heavens makes a fresh cloistered walk. Anthony Palevo

Contemplation

" We must taste and see that the Lord is sweet . " Gustate et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus. " I love simply because I love , and I love in order to love." Amo quia amo , amo ut amem. Thomas Merton

Tom King Classic Half Marathon 2005

Run Tony run , the girls are chasing you !

Tom King Classic 2005 Meredith Thompson , Sage Norton and Rob Barber were dragging me along. Those guys were definitely pushing the pace !