Thomas Merton

The Seven Story Mountain

The seven storey mountain

Reinier Terblanche

This book has made its way into the space of my "inner library" reserved for extraordinary books. "The Seven Storey Mountain" by Merton is written with grace, wisdom, and insight from above. There were moments when I felt like I touched the Divine. Furthermore, Merton's story could not have come at a better time. I'm in a season of discernment about the shape of my Rule of life. Merton's story spoke to me regarding some key invitations I've been feeling. 

Merton's life story is beautifully told and filled with light. Come to it with an open heart and mind. You won't be sorry you did.

The Seven Storey Mountain

Dana Kraft

Merton is a talented writer for sure. This book started slow and was a bit long but I really enjoyed it in the end. I liked his perspective that things of this world draw us away from God, even the things that we don't think are evil on the surface. Even though he has separated himself from his old life completely, he still has to live with himself - the person he was and is and will be for his time on earth. 

A few of my favorite quotes:

- talking about how he and his friends use to taunt his little brother and throw things at him to keep him away from them - 
"This terrible situation is the pattern and prototype of all sin: the deliberate and formal will to reject disinterested love for us for the purely arbitrary reason that we don't want it." I can't stop thinking about that term "disinterested love".

"Human nature has a way of making very specious arguments to suit its own cowardice and lack of generosity."

I won't quote it but the poem for his brother at the end is great.

Brigid Hogan

This was so hard for me to read, but so worth it. The questions Merton asks himself, especially at the end of the book when he has come into the church and has changed so much of his life, are incredibly challenging questions to turn on myself. I understand that this was written when he was still relatively new to monastic life and that he later regretted some of the more condescending or pietistic passages, but even those passages provide such deep insight into the soul of a young believer - things that many, many people struggle with in reaction to the excesses of the world.

Merton is a challenging figure, and the book reflects that. There are a number of parts where I am left frustrated with the young monk, even when he sees himself as working out the answers he is seeking. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to be his monastic superior. I am even more excited to pick up some of his later work (No man is an island, The Sign of Jonas, New Seeds of Contemplation...) and to really dive into "Contemplative Prayer" which has been on my bookshelf for ages. I am not called to monastic life and don't think I will ever be a contemplative either (though neither did Merton for years!), but I do think there is so much to learn about simplicity, grace, and providence from him.

Seven Storey Mountain is a real kick in the pants for a believer - how far is any single person willing to go, how deep into God can a person fall, how willing to listen, to follow, to be open to the action of the Spirit in daily life? Do we get to decide that? Are we open to the idea of serving a purpose here on earth? And how do we find out what that is?

And in the words of Jim Martin SJ, "Seeing that someone so human could be holy gives me great hope. Especially with Merton one sees both the sins and the sanctity. And I wonder if this isn't something like the way God sees us."