xt7f4q7qrt28 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7f4q7qrt28/data/mets.xml  Thomas Merton 1960-04-12 This letter is from collection 75m28 Thomas Merton papers. archival material 75m28 English  Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Thomas Merton correspondence Letter from Thomas Merton to Victor Hammer, April 12, 1960 text Letter from Thomas Merton to Victor Hammer, April 12, 1960 1960 1960-04-12 2023 true xt7f4q7qrt28 section xt7f4q7qrt28 _..|_

ABBEY OF GETHSEMANI

TRAPPI ST. KENTUCKY

April 12,1960

Dear Victor:

All I can say is that the meaning of the Cross and the Jesurrection
is just that. Death is destroyed and sin is forgotten. There is a w>nderful
mysterious text in St Paul somewhere, in which he says ”even if my heart
reproach me, yet God is greater than my heart.” Meaning that (as he says
in another place) we do not judge ourselves. And if we do, the answer of His
mercy is more final than our self—condemnation. The reason why We talk of
remembering sin is that it has to be remembered first before it can be for—
gotten. we are not birds or animals, living in thoughtlessness. fihat is done
must be brought to mind and judged. But when it is judged the matter ends.

It is forgotten. lt is only in hell that sin is not forgotten. That is why it
is hell. The Cross is not a reproach for sin as so many people make it to
be. (So many preachers simply threaten men with the Cross, and belabour them
with it.) The meaning of the Cross is that the ”writ” that is against us has
been nailed to the wood and destroyed. It is that sin can now be forgotten,
in so far as we are new men in Christ. If it comes back, then it is again
destroyed by his mercy and forgotten. All this is in St Pail, but St Paul
is sometimes hard reading. And it is in the First Epistle of St John, which
would be a good one to read and meditate around this time, Easter.

Of course someone will say: there must be penance and reparation for
sin.‘Uell, the best reparation and penance is to have so much confidence in
the mercy of God that one can forget it. But this implies a certain way of
.ite which makes the forgetfulness real and not just a psychological suppressiow
- it must be a new life in Christ. Which does not mean good bourgeois confor-
mity by any means.

here is a little card, not beautiful, which I got somewhere. The text is
nice. I wonder if you would like to make something of it for us, sometime -
not necessarily with a picture. I could ask fihther Abbot is we could commission
you to do a few hundred for us. It is a good word to give to many people.

And here is the proof. hany thanks.

God bless you and Carolyn, and all best Easter wishes.

Cordially in Christ Our Lord

il’“ Lw