Thomas Merton: Deep devotion to Divine Providence

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Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:1

“If we love one another truly, our love will be graced with a clear-sighted prudence which sees and respects the designs of God upon each separate soul. Our love for one another must be rooted in a deep devotion to Divine Providence, a devotion that abandons our own limited plans into the hands of God and seeks only to enter into the invisible work that builds His Kingdom. Only a love that senses the designs of Providence can unite itself perfectly to God’s providential action upon souls. Faithful submission to God’s secret working in the world will fill our love with piety, that is to say, with supernatural awe and respect. This respect, this piety, gives our love the character of worship, without which our charity can never be quite complete. For love must not only seek the truth in the lives of those around us; it must find it there. But when we find the truth that shapes our lives we have found more than an idea. We have found a Person. We have come upon the actions of One Who is still hidden, but Whose work proclaims Him holy and worthy to be adored. And in Him we also find ourselves.”

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) in No Man is an Island (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1955) 9.

This is one of those quotes that it is best for me to suggest you just read it again. When you do, see the function of the deep devotion to Divine Providence.

We can give love to others generously when we know that God will care for us, and for our every need. Then we need not expect things of other souls that only He can supply.

We can only find ourselves when we have faithfully submitted ourselves to the Person who wants us to grow and understand our place in community with others.

If this sounds lofty read it again, and pause with the Spirit to reflect. Then go give love to others and build His Kingdom as an act of worship and adoration. You got this. God’s got you.