Brother Paul Quenon, who was inspired to write by his mentor Thomas Merton, says “the purpose of the monastic life in the modern world is to show that we don’t need a purpose. The purpose of life is life.”

An acclaimed new movie shows that a monastery is "at once a refuge and a very integral part of the world," says Jesuit priest James Martin, and that "the life of faith is not without doubt."

"Deep down there is only one faith that all human beings have, and that is deep trust in life."

The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, directed by two Buddhist monks, is training chaplains, caregivers, and health care professionals to listen to patients and lighten the burden of their suffering and pain.

"As the mind becomes a little more quiet, the sacredness of everything, within and without, becomes clear," says Norman Fischer, a practicing Jew and a Zen Buddhist priest who has been teaching meditation for over 30 years.

A Maryland foundation has created more than 100 public spaces of hope and healing that “offer a temporary place of sanctuary, encourage reflection, provide solace, and engender peace.”

Read excerpts from THOMAS MERTON: A LIFE IN LETTERS: The Essential Collection edited by Willam H. Shannon and Christian M. Bochen