Thomas Merton

"True knowledge is to know oneself in relation to God."

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but action in spite of it."

"We spend our lives searching for things that cannot satisfy us."

"The greatest form of prayer is simply to be present to God."

"A person is not truly alive until they have something worth dying for."

"Nature is the mirror in which God sees His own perfection."

"To forgive is not to condone, but to release ourselves from bitterness."

"The seeds of despair cannot grow in a heart full of gratitude."

"We are born not to be perfect, but to be human."

"Every breath is a gift; every moment is grace."

"The contemplative finds God not in books, but in silence."

"Love is the only real force in the universe that can change hearts."

"To be fully alive is to be fully present to this moment."

"The greatest poverty is to have everything except God."

"In the presence of true love, all defenses fall away."

"God does not call the qualified; He qualifies the called."

"Peace comes not from the absence of conflict, but from trust in God."

"We must learn to listen with our hearts, not just our ears."

"The purpose of life is not to arrive at death in good condition, but to arrive at life."

"Every person we meet is an angel in disguise."

"True wealth is measured not in possessions, but in relationships."

"The path to God is found in the surrender of our will."

"A grateful heart is always open to miracles."

"The greatest injustice is to remain silent when we know the truth."

"We cannot serve God while clinging to the things of this world."

"The contemplative life teaches us that less is more."

"True strength is found in gentleness and humility."

"To pray is to become who you truly are."

"Our greatest limitation is our lack of imagination about what is possible."

"The seed of God is in us. Now the seed of a pear tree grows into a pear tree; and a hazel seed grows into a hazel tree; and the seed of God grows into God."