Thought for Today

Happy Friday the 13th!

Today's thought comes from the book of Meditations by Thomas Moore:

Because the life of a monk is essentially a withdrawl from the world, it's necessary for the monk almost every day to say no to some invitation from modern life. Monasteries are often diffcult to approach physically. They may have long entrance drives, stout gates and fences, heavy doors, loud bells, a labyrinth of corridors, and notices in Latin. These are ritual forms hinting at a crucial spirit that resists modern culture.
If we are to don the metaphoric costume of the monk in our quest for spirituality, we might learn this art of indirection and concealment, ulitmately a means for preserving one's own spiritual integrity. The world should have a diffcult time gaining entrance.