Life and Holiness

While I have read many of Merton's other books, they seemed to have been more targeted toward a life of contemplation and clergy. The voice of this book speaks more to the average person with a emphasis on living every day in Jesus's name. "Life and Holiness" is a somewhat intimidating name to give to a book. Most of us have the realization that we are far from sainthood. While we might strive to be good Christians, classifying ourselves as holy may be a stretch. Knowing our weakness as humans, Merton writes about living everyday life. Through the sacraments, charity, prayer, and faith, we move closer to the perfection that God makes us capable of achieving. Having already been chosen by God to follow, we are already making strides on the path. While the book is targeted toward the Catholic faction of Christianity, Christians of all denominations can take benefits from this book. Some readers may not follow the focus in Catholicism in certain sections, but these discussions are to be expected from a Catholic Trappist Monk.

As always, Merton is concise, unsentimental, and challenging, but at the same time, passionate and full of Christian love. Unlike many of his books, which speak mainly to the religious contemplative, "Life and Holiness" is written for the lay person. How can we we lead truly Christian lives in the hustle and bustle of daily life? What does it really mean to have faith, hope and charity in our hearts? In terms of vocation, how do we know what God wants us to do? Are we aspiring to holiness, or are we just trying to get by in our faith? What are the consequences of just trying to get by? In a world so full of seemingly insoluble social problems, what can we do to really change anything? How can we have deep authentic faith without turning our backs on the world? These are just some of the difficult question Merton tries to answer with his usual insight and common sense. I think this book provides excellent help for anyone seeking to put his/her life in a better, more faith-filled perspective.

If you've read Seven Storey Mountain, you know that Merton has a gift for communicating the Christian faith in a passionate and easy to read style.In this book, Merton expresses the idea that faith and obedience are both necessary to a complete life in Christ. Neither can be discarded. As such, Merton expresses that saving faith is not simply believing in certain truths, but in living these ideals and expressing them to others in love.Merton's concern is to call all to holiness. This book does just that. Pick it up and read it, but most importantly think about it.

A few years back, I picked up my mother's copy of Merton's "Seeds of Contemplation." Although I knew of many people who enjoyed Merton's writings, it seemed "over my head" to say the least! Recently, I picked up this book of Mertons' (mostly bacause it was one of his books that wasn't intimidatingly huge ) and after reading a few chapters, I was surprised to find it was simple to understand (even for a 22 yr old!) and yet very challenging to my faith. Although Merton may be labeled as a "Catholic writer", his writings deal with real-life issues ANY Christian can learn from - if you want to GROW in your spiritual relationship with God, READ THIS BOOK! It will **challenge** you and refreshen your faith! The chapers are small enough (2-3 pgs) to read a little each day....Most of all, I enjoyed this book because it addresses a common question I often ask: How can I be holy for God in my "normal," everyday life (i.e. without becoming a nun!) .... Merton answers this question to my satisfaction, to say the least!

This tiny book is the best introduction to Merton's writings. Merton, a Trappist monk, discusses Catholic spirituality in a deeply powerful way, and completely avoids the use of theological jargon. But even though he avoids jargon, he still conveys powerful theological ideas: theological seminary ideas like the Incarnation of Christ, justification, and priesthood ordinations all become living realities in his writings. It's easy to read but by no means light reading. He had a unique gift. Though written from a Catholic perspective, this book is for ordinary Christians of all faiths. It discusses not just the life of prayer, but also the active life. He talks about how Christians can genuinely make their work and their political participation part of their sacred sphere. We'll surely be reading his work for another century; and we'll need it.