Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the Beloved.
HENRI NOUWENSelf-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the Beloved.
HENRI NOUWENThe only feelings that do not heal are the ones you hide.
HENRI NOUWENPrayer is not what is done by us, but rather what is done by the Holy Spirit in us.
HENRI NOUWENIf I were to let my life be taken over by what is urgent, I might very well never get around to what is essential.
HENRI NOUWENWe need to be angels for each other, to give each other strength and consolation. Because only when we fully realize that the cup of life is not only a cup of sorrow but also a cup of joy will we be able to drink it.
HENRI NOUWENDare to love and to be a real friend. The love you give and receive is a reality that will lead you closer and closer to God as well as those whom God has given you to love.
HENRI NOUWENLearning to weep, learning to keep vigil, learning to wait for the dawn. Perhaps this is what it means to be human.
HENRI NOUWENBe surprised by joy, be surprised by the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert, and be surprised by the immense healing power that keeps bursting forth like springs of fresh water from the depth of our pain.
HENRI NOUWENWe cannot make it rain but we can see to it that the rain falls on prepared soil.
HENRI NOUWENPrayer is first of all listening to God. It’s openness. God is always speaking; he’s always doing something.
HENRI NOUWENHospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place.
HENRI NOUWENWithout solitude it is virtually impossible to live a spiritual life. We do not take the spiritual life seriously if we do not set aside some time to be with God and listen to him.
HENRI NOUWENIn our own woundedness, we can become sources of life for others.
HENRI NOUWENThe spiritual life is a life beyond moods. It is a life in which we choose joy and do not allow ourselves to become victims of passing feelings of happiness or depression.
HENRI NOUWENLife is just a little opportunity for you during a few years to say, “I love you, too.”
HENRI NOUWENThe friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing that is a friend who cares.
HENRI NOUWEN