This past summer my parish hosted a book club where we read Thomas Merton’s Seven Story Mountain.  I’ve been wanting to read this book for years and it was well worth the wait.  I think the book can be summed up in this quote from the last chapter: 

“By the gift of faith, you touch God, you enter into contact with His very substance and reality, in darkness: because nothing accessible, nothing comprehensible to our senses and reason can grasp His essence as it is in itself.  But faith transcends all these limitations, and does do without labor: for it is God who reveals Himself to us, and all that is required of us is the humility to accept His revelation, and accept it on the conditions under which it comes to us: from the lips of men.” 

    What is great about the book is how Merton explains his journey to a life of faith in Christ Jesus.  His journey to faith was not superficial at all.  Merton wasn’t looking for a faith or spirituality to help him feel better or make sense out of lives difficulties.  Merton was truly seeking the truth and unsurprisingly found Jesus who is “the way, the truth, and life.” (John 14:6)  This is a great reminder for us that Catholicism isn’t a spirituality that helps us to accept suffering.  While this is part of our prayer life (Luke 9:23) it is not the totality of our religious beliefs.  There is a truth and logic to Catholicism that explains what we believe and why.  Our tradition is full of great thinkers, philosophers, scientists, and most obviously theologians.

    Another part of the book that I likes is how Merton walks us through his spiritual discernment.  Not only his discernment of priesthood and entering the Trappist Monastery, but also his discernment to become Catholic or not.  Merton’s discernment is very similar to St. Ignatius of Loyola’s discernment of spirits.  Merton was extremely focused on his interior life; especially his thoughts, feelings, and desires.  It’s through close attention to our thoughts, feelings, and desires that help us discern what is good (from God) or not good (not from God).  Seven Story Mountain offers a practical look and personal witness of what real discernment looks like and how much time needs to be given by us for good and true discernment of spirits.

    If you have not yet read this book please run, don’t walk, to a book store (preferably a Catholic one so we can support them) and buy this book!  If you know someone who is discerning becoming Catholic, give this book to them for Christmas or their birthday (which ever comes first).  If you know someone discerning priesthood or religious life, give them a copy of this book! Venerable Fulton Sheen called this book a modern version of St. Augustine’s Confessions and he’s right.  Buy it.  Read it.  Pray with it.