On December 10, 1068, Trappist monk Thomas Merton died in an electrocution accident while attending a conference in Bangkok, Thailand. The son of two artists, Merton was born in 1915 and grew up in France and New York. After studying literature and leading a very secular life, his journey led him to Catholicism and conversion to the Catholic faith in 1938. He moved to the Trappist monastery in Gethsemane, Kentucky in 1941. He took his solemn vows as a Trappist monk in 1948. In 1949, several of the books he wrote were published, starting a literary career that made him immensely popular and well-known in the United States and throughout the world. Even more than 50 years after his death, Merton remains a popular writer even beyond the Catholic world. He is well-known for his inter-religious dialogue and his interest in Eastern religions.
From Isaiah today, we hear him speak to the people of Israel who are in exile, telling them to look at the sky at the numerous stars, giving glory to God as the creator of the universe. Far away from home and unable to practice their faith that was centered around the temple in Jerusalem, the people of Israel wondered if God had forgotten about them. God promises that he will give them the strength to lead them back to their holy land. Those who wait for the Lord will have their strength renewed and will not grow weary on their journey. As we are on our own journey through the holy season of Advent, let us put our hope and trust in the Lord.
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