The peculiar monastic dimension of this struggle lies in the fact that society itself, institutional life, organization, the “approved way”, may in fact be encouraging us in falsity and illusion. The deep root of monastic “dread” is the inner conflict which makes us guess that in order to be true to God and to ourselves we must break with the familiar, established and secure norms and go off into the unknown. “Unless a man hate father and mother…” These words of Christ give some indication of the deep conflict which underlies all Christian conversion - the turning to a freedom based no longer on social approval and relative alienation, but on direct dependence on an invisible and inscrutable God, in pure faith.- Thomas Merton, Contemplative Prayer
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