"In Tales of a Magic Monastery by Theophane the Monk, there's a story about an old Trappist monk who goes to a monastery seeking the true gifts of spiritual life. The monk had seen and learned much in life, but he was not interested in ordinary knowledge. 'I didn't want any more of the little answers. I wanted the big answer.' So he went to the magic monastery and asked the guest master to show him directly to the house of God.

"In the house of God, the monk sat down, determined to wait as long as necessary for the big answer. He sat all day and far into the night, looking God in the eye and wondering whether God was looking back. As dawn neared he heard a voice, 'What are you leaving out?' He looked around but saw no one. Then he heard it again, 'What are you leaving out?' Was it his imagination?

"Soon the voice was coming from every direction, beseeching, whispering, demanding, and roaring. 'What are you leaving out? What are you leaving out?' The monk wondered about his sanity. Had he lost his mind? 'What are you leaving out?' roared the voice.

He leaped to his feet and headed for the door. He ran down the corridor to the first door he came to and knocked.

" 'What do you want?' came a sleepy voice.

" 'What am I leaving out?'

" 'Me,' was the answer.

"The monk turned, ran to the second door, and pounded on it. 'What do you want?'

" 'What am I leaving out?'

" 'Me.'

"A third door, a fourth, all the same. The monk thought, 'They're all stuck on themselves.' Feeling disgusted, he left the monastery. The sun was peeking over the horizon. He looked directly at it and beseeched, 'What am I leaving out?'

"The sun answered, 'Me.'

In despair, he threw himself to the ground.

The earth said, 'Me, too.' "