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Advent, Art, Catholic Social Teaching, Christmas Season, Communion of Saints, Immigration, Love, Podcast, Prophetic Imagination, Theology and Culture
by Andrew StaronDecember 23, 20157:08 pmFebruary 22, 2016

Christ Comes Uninvited

SC171946
Luc-Olivier Merson, “Rest on the Flight into Egypt” (1879), Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

 

While being interviewed by Krista Tippett for the On Being podcast, actor and activist Martin Sheen shared his favorite passage from Trappist monk and author Thomas Merton… words that I’ve not been able to get out of my head since I first listened. I share them with the Daily Theology community so they might serve as a spark for prayer and reflection during this holy season.

 

Into this world, this demented inn, 

in which there is absolutely no room for Him at all, 

Christ has come uninvited. 

But because He cannot be at home in it, 

because He is out of place in it, and yet he must be in it, 

His place is with those others for whom there is no room. 

His place is with those who do not belong, 

who are rejected by power because they are regarded as weak, 

those who are discredited, 

who are denied the status of persons, tortured, excommunicated. 

With those for whom there is no room, 

Christ is present in this world.

                                        ~ Thomas Merton, Raids on the Unspeakable

 

 

 

 

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Tagged with: Christmas Krista Tippett Martin Sheen On Being Thomas Merton

Andrew Staron

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Andrew Staron is an assistant professor of theology at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia.

5Comments

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  1. 1
    Patrick Dougherty on December 23, 2015 at 7:46 pm
    Reply

    Thank you all for your reflections. Can we get the webpage to allow sharing on Twitter and FB, please ! Pat Dougherty  

      

    From: Daily Theology To: doughertyjp@sbcglobal.net Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2015 6:09 PM Subject: [New post] Christ Comes Uninvited #yiv0493336368 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv0493336368 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv0493336368 a.yiv0493336368primaryactionlink:link, #yiv0493336368 a.yiv0493336368primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv0493336368 a.yiv0493336368primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv0493336368 a.yiv0493336368primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv0493336368 WordPress.com | Andrew Staron posted: ” While being interviewed by Krista Tippett for the “On Being” podcast, actor and activist Martin Sheen shared his favorite passage from Trappist monk and author Thomas Merton… words that I’ve not been able to get out of my head since I firs” | |

  2. 2
    Fran Rossi Szpylczyn on December 23, 2015 at 8:46 pm
    Reply

    I wanted to write something using these words today, but no time… I’m glad that I did not, your use of them this way is what I needed. Thank you.

  3. 3
    Carol Stanton on December 24, 2015 at 7:40 am
    Reply

    Thank you Andrew, esp for using Merson art. I just used that as the basis for a Visio Divina on displacement in an Advent Reflection morning. Merton quote is perfect for Advent 2015.

  4. 4
    Garth Amundson, Psy.D. on March 4, 2016 at 9:22 pm
    Reply

    The quote from Merton is profound, as always. Please feel free to visit my WordPress blog, as I sense that we have overlapping interests. http://www.therapyviews.com

  5. 5
    vidajay on December 19, 2020 at 3:02 am
    Reply

    Reblogged this on A Sparrow's Cry and commented:
    While researching about the Annunciation and thinking about the #Adventword for Dec. 19 – “turn” I found this post by Andrew Staron featuring a poem by Thomas Merton.

    “In the silence, in the stillness turn. Pause, listen. What do you hear?” ~ Miriam McKenney

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