People have no idea what one saint can do: for sanctity is stronger than the whole of hell.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the immense power and influence of a single virtuous person compared to the forces of evil.
Thomas Merton's quote suggests that the goodness and sanctity of one individual can have a profound impact, capable of overcoming even the strongest negative forces. It highlights the belief that personal holiness and virtue are immensely powerful, serving as a beacon of hope and motivation in a world that often feels consumed by darkness and despair.
In practice
In a speech about community service, one might quote Merton to inspire others to volunteer and make a difference.
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.
Practice all movements slow and fast, soft and hard; the effectiveness of Jeet Kune-Do depends on split-second timing and reflexive action, which can be achieved only through repetitious practice.
Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
He who would do good to another must do it in minute particulars.
I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The hundredth time I am right.
You come to me for advice, but you can't cope with anything you don't recognize. Hmmm. So we'll have to tell you something you already know but make it sound like news, eh Well, business as usual , I suppose.
He who indulges in falsehood will find the paths of paradise shut to him.
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