Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton and the Greatest Commandment

Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton together made history with their radical witness to love of God and neighbor. Even so, this evocative saga has not come center stage—until now. The firstever pairing of their personal journals reveals that Merton drew great inspiration from Dorothy Day’s devotion to prayer, peace, and privileging “the least,” while she wrote, “I must pray to him,” after the death of this famous monk whose meditations on injustice often appeared in her Catholic Worker newspaper. Their moving correspondence with each other, as well as their voluminous personal papers—many mined for the first time—also yield revelations both timely and timeless. Deeply researched and vividly written, this compelling account of the two spiritual figures that Pope Francis showcased to Congress offers valuable insights on living with integrity despite the odds.Julie Leininger Pycior