Every moment and every event of everyman's life on earth plants something in his soul. For just as the wind carries thousands of winged seeds, so each moment brings with it germs of spiritual vitality that come to rest imperceptibly in the minds and wills of men.
Interpretation
Life experiences influence our inner selves and shape our spiritual growth.
This quote by Thomas Merton suggests that every experience we encounter leaves a lasting impact on our souls, much like how the wind spreads seeds that take root and grow. It emphasizes the idea that each moment carries the potential for spiritual growth and development, contributing to the overall vitality of our inner lives.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a philosophical discussion about the impact of life experiences.
The devil is no fool. He can get people feeling about heaven the way they ought to feel about hell. He can make them fear the means of grace the way they do not fear sin. And he does so, not by light but by obscurity, not by realities but by shadows; not by clarity and substance, but by dreams and the creatures of psychosis. And men are so poor in intellect that a few cold chills down their spine will be enough to keep them from ever finding out the truth about anything.
Our vocation is not simply to be, but to work together with God in the creation of our own life, our own identity, our own destiny....To work out our identity in God.
Conscience is the light by which we interpret the will of God in our own lives.
You are made in the image of what you desire.
But if you want to identify me, ask me not where I live, or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair, but ask me what I think I am living for.
I have the immense joy of being man, a member of a race in which God Himself became incarnate. As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now that I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.
The next time you experience a blackout, take some solace by looking at the sky. You will not recognize it.
And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge.
It is an absurdity to believe that the Deity has human passions, and one of the lowest of human passions, a restless appetite for applause
Our energy is in proportion to the resistance it meets.
Human life is inherently creative. It's why we all have different résumés. … It's why human culture is so interesting and diverse and dynamic.
When my father was born, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. When I was born, it was Lithuania. When I left, it was Hungary. It is difficult to say where I come from.
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