Authentic identity is prayerful existence: a short commentary.

This tape, carefully transcribed and edited by Brother Daniel Carrere, O.C.S.O., was recorded by Thomas Merton during the last years of his life while he was living as a hermit. In its simplicity, it does many valuable things. Above all, Merton reminds his listener that prayer cannot be a project which we undertake. Prayer is, in fact, always initiated by the mystery of God's presence. Prayer is a call just as any vocation is a call. Such a call is not initiated by us as individuals. Rather, it is something an individual hears and to which that person responds. Merton reminds us that no baby is ever aware of its nature and therefore no newborn consciously seeks to act as a baby should act. The child simply is--and in being so, the actions of the child are not different than our own entering into all life and prayer. Merton's analogy is to breathing. We do not consciously seek to breathe. We just do this natural action. So, he insists, should our prayer-life be--something which comes as a most natural part of our life. There are things which can be done to inspire the conditions of breathing and there are different kinds of moments when our breathing is different; yet Merton implies the best we can do is to realize there is no one single formula for prayer. Circumstances allow each person to pray in different ways--sometimes liturgically, sometimes in awe and silence. "Successful" prayer is not something to be evaluated.