Firstly, it is important to establish that Fr. Louis (Thomas Merton) truly understood what Christian mysticism was. Contemplative prayer, according to Merton, is prayer “centered entirely on the presence of God.”
Saying again, elsewhere, “Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone — we find it with another.” During his early years as a monk, he remarked: “I must above all things avoid playing the “know myself” game, because if I do it will surely mean losing what little I can find of a path to God.” (Run to the Mountain).