As the book study I lead concluded the reading of Thomas Merton's classic spiritual autobiography, the Seven Storey Mountain, we considered making our own pilgrimage to the Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky. It would entail making the Trappist silent retreat, not easy for many. If we spent three days and nights in the Abbey, taking our meals in silence, walking, reading in silence, and only breaking that for daily afternoon faith discussions with the retreat master and the five times of collective worship a day, how would we do with that?

 

I took a personal silent retreat at the Gethsemane Abbey over ten years ago. By the end of it the silence and spirit had driven deeply inside. In our busy, noisy world we need to carve out contemplative territory for the spirit, not just in monasteries but everywhere.

 

Where is your quiet place, the closet of the spirit, the still waters? How can you carve out its time and space?