The Reverend Thomas Merton, an important Catholic mystic and spiritual thinker, was born in 1915, to a New Zealand father and an American mother. During his monastic life, Thomas Merton developed his writing talent by translating religious texts and writing biographies. He also penned poetry, as well as books and articles on topics ranging from spirituality to social justice and peace. Today, we will read a selection from Thomas Merton’s book, “Thoughts in Solitude.” “If you want to have a spiritual life, you must unify your life. A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire. To unify your life, unify your desires. To spiritualize your life, spiritualize your desires. To spiritualize your desires, desire to be without desire.” “The 28th chapter of Job (also of Baruch 3) tells us that the wisdom of God is hidden and impossible to find — and yet ends by assuming that it is easily found, for the fear of the Lord is wisdom. A monk must never look for wisdom outside his vocation. If he does, he will never find wisdom, because for him wisdom is in his vocation.” “Reading ought to be an act of homage to the God of all Truth. We open our hearts to words that reflect the reality He has created or the greater Reality which He is. It is also an act of humility and reverence towards other men who are the instruments by which God communicated His Truth to us. Reading gives God more glory when we get more out of it, when it is a more deeply vital act not only of our intelligence, but of our whole personality, absorbed and refreshed in thought, meditation, prayer, or even in the contemplation of God.” “Humility is a virtue, not a neurosis. It sets us free to act virtuously, to serve God and to know Him. Therefore, true humility can never inhibit any really virtuous action, nor can it prevent us from fulfilling ourselves by doing the will of God. Humility sets us free to do what is really good, by showing us our illusions and withdrawing our will from what was only an apparent good.” 托馬斯‧默頓神父為重要天主教神祕主義者與靈性思想家，生於一九一五年，其父為紐西蘭人，其母則為美國人。修道院生活期間，托馬斯‧默頓發展其寫作才華，翻譯宗教經文並書寫傳記。他也作詩、撰寫書和文章，主題從靈性、社會正義乃至和平。今天我們將誦讀托馬斯‧默頓的著作《獨處中的沉思》文選。 「想過靈性化的生活，就要統整生活各方面。生活不是全然靈性化就是毫無靈性可言。人不可能師事二主。你的人生目的主導你的生活。你是以自己想要的形象所造。統整 ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMyq8pyX52Y

Today we present not one film but two by the name “Underdog,” which follow the adventures of “human’s best friend,” our much-loved dogs. The first “Underdog” feature, also known as “A Dog’s Courage,” is a delightful Korean animated movie. The film gives viewers an opportunity to look at the unfortunate reality of abandoned canine friends, and to think about a world where humans and animals can coexist in love. Scriptwriter and director Mr. Oh Sung-yoon was inspired to create this movie when he saw the suffering images on television of stray dogs caged behind steel bars. “Basically, I thought the right to live was fundamentally a very important subject; we can make the connection between animal rights and human rights because both are about the same right to live.” “Underdog” won the Best Animation Award at the 2018 Silk Road Film Festival. In 2019, the screening of “Underdog” prompted the official closure of the last canine slaughterhouses in Seoul. The Honorable Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul and Shining World Leadership Award for Protection Laureate affirmed his determination to ban dog meat businesses in the capital, saying, “I believe in building a peaceful world that is also a safe place for animals.” His Excellency President Moon Jae-in, a Shining World Leadership Award for Peace Laureate, also lent his voice to a campaign against the dog meat trade in 2017, when he adopted a four-year-old dog named Tory, who was rescued from a dog meat farm. Let us now take a look at the 2007 American action-comedy “Underdog.” “Underdog” not only tells the story of an ordinary beagle who finds himself with extraordinary powers, but the film also sends a meaningful message about the cruelty and needlessness of animal experimentation, that can be appreciated by the whole family. Certainly, both “Underdog” films are eartwarming and entertaining, while reminding us of the deep compassion, courage, and preciousness of our canine friends. 今天介紹的不是一部，而是兩部英文片名都叫Ｕｎｄｅｒｄｏｇ的電影，描述「人類的摯友」我們最愛的狗狗的冒險經歷。第一部是《萌犬流浪記》又稱《萌犬的勇氣》，這是一部歡樂有趣的韓國動畫電影。這部電影讓觀眾有機會看到被遺棄的狗狗朋友不幸的真實遭遇，進而去設想一個人類和動物在愛中共存的世界。編劇兼導演的吳承允先生在電視上看到流浪狗被關在鐵籠中的痛苦影像後受到啟發，創作了這部電影。「基本上，我認為生存的權利基本上是很重要的議題；我們可以在動物權和人權之間建立關聯，因為兩者都享有同樣的生存權。」《萌犬流浪記》榮獲二○一八年絲綢之路國際電影�� ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CphvOXq5l-c