Thomas Merton - When in the Soul of the Serene Disciple

When in the soul of the serene disciple
With no more Fathers to imitate
Poverty is a success,
It is a small thing to say the roof is gone:
He has not even a house.
Stars, as well as friends,
Are angry with the noble ruin.
Saints depart in several directions.
Be still:
There is no longer any need of comment.
It was a lucky wind
That blew away his halo with his cares,
A lucky sea that drowned his reputation.
Here you will find
Neither a proverb nor a memorandum.
There are no ways,
No methods to admire
Where poverty is no achievement.
His God lives his emptiness like an affliction.
What choice remains?
Well, to be ordinary is not a choice:
It is the usual freedom
Of men without visions.

Thomas Merton, Collected Poems (New York: New Directions, 1977)

Journey to manhood in liminal space

The Men's Rites of Passage in the UK was featured in 2011 in the Catholic Tablet magazine here in the UK. The article is written by David Loyn, a great and long-term friend of the men's movement here in the UK, and also the BBC's International Development correspondent. You can link to it here:

http://www.malespirituality.org.uk/articles/TabletEaster2011.pdf

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the 2013 UK event, which takes place in Perth, Scotland in July.