Henry Nouwen

7/27/2019 Henry Nouwen

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Henri J.M. NouwenLenten Prayer with

SO L I TUD EOF THE HEART


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INTRODUCTION

Henri J.M. Nouwen (1932-1996) was one of the most important voicesin the resurgence of Catholic spirituality in the latter half of the twenti-

eth Century. His wisdom and sound advice are nowhere more valuablethan when he offers help with our constant desire to pray better. Hispractical and down-to-earth advice about prayer was the result of hismany years of struggle with prayer in his own life. His gift is that he isable to describe so well the fluctuations in the spiritual life, with its fitsof success and its flirtations with despair, in such down-to-earth lan-guage that we can readily apply his insights to our own prayer.

As Nouwen knew so well, half the battle of prayer is won by justshowing upbeing faithful to setting aside some time each day to reallybe alone with God, and as difficult or easy, as fearful or rewarding as thatsolitude might be, to encounter Gods mystery and dare to let God workon our hearts. As he explains so well:

Although the discipline of solitude asks us to set asidetime and space, what finally matters is that our heartsbecome like quiet cells where God can dwell, wherever

we go and whatever we do. The more we train ourselvesto spend time with God and Him alone, the more we willdiscover that God is with us at all times and in all places.Then we will be able to recognize Him even in the midstof a busy and active life. Once the solitude of time andspace has become a solitude of the heart, we will neverhave to leave that solitude. We will be able to live the spir-itual life in any place and any time. Thus the discipline ofsolitude enables us to live active lives in the world, whileremaining always in the presence of the living God.

So now, with Nouwens help and guidance, let us dedicate ourselvesto the Lenten discipline of daily prayer and ask God to be with us in the

solitude of our heart. This is our Lenten challenge.Steve Mueller

Editor


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ASH WEDNESDAY

Now Is the Time for Change

O that today you would listen to his voice! (Psalm 95:7)

The Lenten season begins. It is a time to be with you Jesus in aspecial way, a time to pray, to fast, and thus to follow you on your wayto Jerusalem, to Golgotha, and to the final victory over death. I am stillso divided. I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my owndesires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success,human respect, pleasure, power, and influence.Help me to become deaf to these voices and more

attentive to your voice, which calls me to choosethe narrow road to life.

I know that Lent is going to be a very hardtime for me. The choice for your way has to bemade every moment of my life. I have to choosethoughts that are your thoughts, words that areyour words, and actions that are your actions.

There are no times or places without choices. AndI know how deeply I resist choosing you. Please, Lord, be with me atevery moment and in every place. Give me the strength and the courageto live this season faithfully, so that, when Easter comes, I will be ableto taste with joy the new life which you have prepared for me. Amen.

Jesus, lead me this Lent to yourself so I may become more like you. Today I

will

THURSDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

Doing Nothing, Being UselessBe still, and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:10)

When we enter into solitude we will often hear these two voicesthe voice of the world and the voice of the Lord pulling us in twocontrary directions. But if we keep returning faithfully to the place ofsolitude, the voice of the Lord will gradually become stronger and we

will come to know and understand with mind and heart the peace weare searching for.

What do we do in our solitude? The first answer is nothing. Just be


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present to the One who wants your attention and listen! It is precisely inthis useless presence to God that we can gradually die to our illusionsof power and control and give ear to the voice of love hidden in thecenter of our being. Doing nothing, being useless, is not as passive as

it sounds. In fact it requires effort and great attentiveness. It calls us toan active listening in which we make ourselves available to Gods healingpresence and can be made new.

O God, help me be more present to you during my prayer. Today I will

FRIDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

Living Here and Now with GodCome away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.

(Mark 6:31)

The invitation to a life of prayer is the invitation to live in the midstof this world without being caught in the net of its wounds and needs.The word prayer stands for a radical interruption of the vicious chainof interlocking dependencies that leads to violence and war, and for anentering into an entirely new dwelling place. It points to a new way ofspeaking, of breathing, of being together, of knowingtruly, to a wholenew way of living.

It is not easy to express the radical change that prayer represents,since for many the wordprayeris associated with piety; talking to God;thinking about God; attending morning and evening worship; going toSunday service; saying grace before meals; and many other things. Allof these have something to do with prayer, but prayer is the center ofChristian life. It is living with God, here and now.

Jesus, help me to find a new way of living during this Lenten time. TodayI will


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SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY

Returning To GodWe are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us;

we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.(2 Corinthians 5:20)

I am certainly not ready for Lent yet. Christmas seems just behindus, and Lent seems an unwelcome guest. I could have used a few more

weeks to get ready for this season of repentance, prayer, and preparationfor the death and resurrection of Jesus. This morning at the eucharist Ispoke about how Jesus stressed the hidden life. Whether we give alms,

pray, or fast, we are to do it in a hidden way, not to be praised by peoplebut to enter into closer communion with God. Lent is a time of re-turning to God. It is a time to confess how we keep looking for joy,peace, and satisfaction in the many people and things surrounding us,

without really finding what we desire. Only God can give us what wewant. So we must be reconciled with God, as Paul says, and let thatreconciliation be the basis of our relationships with others. Lent is a

time of refocusing, of reentering the place of truth, of reclaiming ourtrue identity.

Jesus, help me to embrace your hidden way in my life now. Today I will

1ST SUNDAY OF LENT

Heart Speaks to HeartThe Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as weought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

(Romans 8:26)

The practice of contemplative prayer is the discipline by which webegin to see God in our heart. It is a careful attentiveness to him who

dwells in the center of our being such that through the recognition ofhis presence we allow him to take possession of all our senses. Throughthe discipline of prayer we awaken ourselves to the God in us and lethim enter into our heartbeat and our breathing, into our thoughts andemotions, our hearing, seeing, touching, and tasting. It is by beingawake to this God in us that we can see him in the world around us.The great mystery of the contemplative life is not that we see God in the


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world, but that God within us recognizes God in the world. God speaksto God, Spirit speaks to Spirit, heart speaks to heart. Contemplation,therefore, is a participation in this divine self-recognition. It is thedivine Spirit praying in us who makes our world transparent and opens

our eyes to the presence of the divine Spirit in all that surrounds us. It iswith our heart of hearts that we see the heart of the world. This explainsthe intimate relationship between contemplation and ministry.

O God, help me to be more attentive to your presence all around me and inme. Today I will

MONDAY, WEEK 1

An Hour with YouRemember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

My hour in the Carmelite chapel is more important than I can fullyknow myself. It is not an hour of deep prayer, nor a time in whichI experience a special closeness to God; it is not a period of seriousattentiveness to the divine mysteries. I wish it were! On the contrary,it is full of distractions, inner restlessness, sleepiness, confusion, andboredom. It seldom, if ever, pleases my senses. But the simple fact ofbeing for one hour in the presence of the Lord and of showing him allthat I feel, think, sense, and experience, without trying to hide anything,must please him. Somehow, somewhere, I know that he loves me, eventhough I do not feel that love as I can feel a human embrace, eventhough I do not hear a voice as I hear human words of consolation, eventhough I do not see a smile as I can see a human face.

O God, help me trust that my being attentive to you in prayer is bearingfruit. Today I will


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TUESDAY, WEEK 1

Something Deep Is Happening in MeO LORD, you have searched me and known me. (Psalm 139:1)

Though my prayer may be dry, still the Lord speaks to me, looksat me, and embraces me there, where I am still unable to notice it. Theonly way I become aware of his presence is in that remarkable desire toreturn to that quiet chapel and be there without any real satisfaction.

Yes, I notice, maybe only retrospectively, that my days and weeks aredifferent days and weeks when they are held together by these regularuseless times. God is greater than my senses, greater than my thoughts;

greater than my heart. I do believe that he touches me in places that areunknown even to myself. I seldom can point directly to these places; but

when I feel this inner pull to return again to that hidden hour of prayer,I realize that something is happening that is so deep that it becomes likethe riverbed through which the waters can safely flow and find their wayto the open sea.

Jesus, help me trust that your power is at work within me. Today I will...

WEDNESDAY, WEEK 1

Listen to My VoiceMy sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)

Prayer is the discipline of the moment. When we pray, we enter intothe presence of God whose name is God-with-us. To pray is to listenattentively to the One who addresses us here and now. When we dare totrust that we are never alone but that God is always with us, always caresfor us, and always speaks to us, then we can gradually detach ourselvesfrom the voices that make us guilty or anxious and thus allow ourselvesto dwell in the present moment. This is a very hard challenge because

radical trust in God is not obvious. Most of us distrust God. Most of usthink of God as a fearful, punitive authority or as an empty, powerlessnothing. Jesus core message was that God is neither a powerless weaklingnor a powerful boss, but a lover, whose only desire is to give us what ourhearts most desire.

Jesus, help me to hear your voice more clearly and follow you. Today I will


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THURSDAY, WEEK 1

Gods Love Transforms Us

We love because God first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Contemplative prayer leads us to that first love, the love by whichwe receive our true self. We are not the votes we receive, but rather weare who God has made us in love: children of the light, children of God.Only a life of ongoing intimate communion with God can reveal to usour true selfhood; only such a life can set us free to act according to thetruth, and not according to our need for the spectacular.

This is far from easy. A serious and persevering discipline of solitude,silence, and prayer is demanded. Such a discipline will not reward us withthe outer glitter of success, but with the inner light which enlightens our

whole being, and which allows us to be free and uninhibited witnessesof Gods presence in our lives.

Jesus, help me continue to find you in my solitude, silence and prayer. TodayI will

FRIDAY, WEEK 1

My Own Way to PrayHear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. (Psalm 61:1)

Just as there are many ways to be hospitable, there are many ways

to pray. When we are serious about prayer and no longer consider itone of the many things people do in their life but, rather, the basicreceptive attitude out of which all of life can receive new vitality, we

will, sooner or later, raise the question: What is my way to pray, whatis the prayer of my heart? Just as artists search for the style that is mosttheir own, so people who pray search for the prayer of their heart. Whatis most profound in life, and therefore most dear to us, always needs to

be properly protected as well as expressed. It, therefore, is not surprisingthat prayer is often surrounded by carefully prescribed gestures and

words, by detailed rituals and elaborate ceremonies.

Jesus, help me discover my own way to pray. Today I will


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SATURDAY, WEEK 1

Opening Ourselves to Gods GiftsLet the word of Christ dwell in you richlyand with gratitude in your

hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. (Colossians 3:16)Prayer must become an attitude that sees the world not as something

to be possessed but as a gift that speaks constantly of the Giver. It leadsus out of the suffering that comes from insisting on doing things our

way. It opens our hearts to receive. And prayer refreshes our memoryabout how other people reveal to us the gift of life.

When we pray we admit that we dont know what God is going to

do, but remember that we will never find out if we are not open to risks.We learn to stretch out our arms to the deep sea and the high heavenswith an open mind and heart. In many ways prayer becomes an attitudetoward life that opens itself up to a gift that is always coming. We findcourage to let new things happen, things over which we have no control,but which now loom as less threatening.

Jesus, help me accept the risks that come with following you. Today I will

2ND SUNDAY OF LENT

Letting God Transform UsDo not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of

your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of Godwhat is good

and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

Do you really want to be converted? Are you willing to betransformed? Or do you keep clutching your old ways of life with onehand while with the other you beg peopleto help you change?

Conversion is certainly not something

you can bring about yourself. It is not aquestion of willpower. You have to trustthe inner voice that shows the way. Youknow that inner voice. You turn to itoften. But after you have heard withclarity what you are asked to do, you start raising questions, fabricatingobjections, and seeking everyone elses opinion. Thus you become


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entangled in countless often contradictory thoughts, feelings, and ideasand lose touch with the God in you. And you end up dependent on allthe people you have gathered around you.

Only by attending constantly to the inner voice can you be converted

to a new life of freedom and joy.

O God, help me trust in your power to transform me into the likeness ofJesus. Today I will

MONDAY, WEEK 2

Trying to Hear and ObeyObey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people.

(Jeremiah 7:23)

The word obedientcomes from the Latin word audire,which meanslistening. Jesus life was a life of obe dience. He was always listening tothe Father, always attentive to His voice, always alert for His directions.

Jesus was all ears. That is true prayer: being all ears for God. The coreof all prayer is indeed listening, obediently standing in the presenceof God. A spiritual discipline, therefore, is the concentrated effort tocreate some inner and outer space in our lives, where this obedience canbe practiced. Through a spiritual discipline we prevent the world fromfilling our lives to such an extent that there is no place left to listen.

A spiritual discipline sets us free to pray or, to say it better, allows theSpirit of God to pray in us. Through a spiritual discipline we preventthe world from filling our lives to such an extent that there is no placeleft to listen.

Jesus, help me to listen more attentively to your voice and obey your com-mands. Today I will

TUESDAY, WEEK 2

Knowing My Inmost HeartCome, my heart says, seek his face! Your face, LORD, do I seek.

(Psalm 27:8)

Our heart is at the center of our being human. There our deepestthoughts, intuitions, emotions, and decisions find their source. But its


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also there that we are often most alienated from ourselves. We knowlittle or nothing of our own heart. We keep our distance, as though we

were afraid of it. What is most intimate is also what frightens us most.Where we are most ourselves, we are often strangers to ourselves. That

is the painful part of our being human. We fail to know our hiddencenters; and so we live and die often without knowing who we really are.

The mystery of the spiritual life is that Jesus desires to meet us in theseclusion of our own heart, to make his love known to us there, to freeus from our fears and to make our own deepest self known to us. In theprivacy of our heart, therefore, we can learn not only to know Jesus but,through Jesus, ourselves as well.

Jesus, help me discover my hidden center where you live in me. Today Iwill

WEDNESDAY, WEEK 2

Listening Attentively to Jesus

Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. (John 18:37)

Praying is first and foremost listening to Jesus who dwells in thevery depths of your heart. He doesnt shout. He doesnt thrust himselfupon you. His voice is an unassuming voice, very nearly a whisper, thevoice of a gentle love. Whatever you do

with your life, go on listening to the voiceof Jesus in your heart. This listening mustbe an active and very attentive listening,for in our restless and noisy world Godsso loving voice is easily drowned out. Youneed to set aside some time every day forthis active listening to God if only for tenminutes. Ten minutes each day for Jesus alone can bring about a radicalchange in your life. Youll find that it isnt easy to be still for ten minutesat a time. Youll discover straightaway that many other voices, voicesthat are very noisy and distracting, voices which do not come from God,demand your attention.

Jesus, help me to listen to your voice and discover you in the depths of myheart. Today I will


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THURSDAY, WEEK 2

Let Jesus EnterListen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open

the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.(Revelation 3:20)

If you stick to your daily prayer time, then slowly but surely youllcome to hear the gentle voice of love and will long more and moreto listen to it. Prayerful listening will guide you to an ever deepeningspiritual life. They will help you to get to know Jesus in a very intimate

way, make you aware of the unique manner in which he is calling you,

and give you the courage to follow him even to places where youdrather not go. Living with Jesus is a great adventure. Its the adventureof love. When you admit Jesus to your heart, nothing is predictable; buteverything becomes possible. I pray that you will venture on a life with

Jesus. He asks everything of you, but gives you more in return. Withall my heart I wish you much hope, much courage, and aboundingconfidence.

Jesus, help me discover where you are calling me and dare to follow you.Today I will

FRIDAY, WEEK 2

Changed by Gods Spirit

May you be strengthened in your inner being with power through GodsSpirit. (Ephesians 3:16)

Often you will feel that nothing happens in your prayer. You say:I am just sitting there and getting distracted. But if you develop the

discipline of spending one half, hour a daylistening to the voice of love, you will gradually

discover that something is happening of whichyou were not even conscious. It might be onlyin retrospect that you discover the voice thatblesses you. You thought that what happenedduring your time of listening was nothing more

than a lot of confusion, but then you discover yourself looking forwardto your quiet time and missing it when you cant have it. The movement


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of Gods Spirit is very gentle, very softand hidden. It does not seekattention. But that movement is also very persistent, strong and deep. Itchanges our hearts radically. The faithful discipline of prayer reveals toyou that you are the blessed one and gives you the power to bless others.

Jesus, help me follow the gentle nudges that your Spirit is giving me thisLent. Today I will

SATURDAY, WEEK 2

Praying Always

Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spiritliving in us. (2 Timothy 1:14)

If you want to follow Jesus, control what you take in every day.When you are on the bus or subway, or in your car, why busy yourmind with all the garbage of advertisements? Why fill your mind withtelevision and radio? Somehow you have to decide what your mind

will receive. I dont mean you shouldnt ever go to movies or watchtelevision, but control what enters your mind and heart. Its not justa question of pushing bad things out but a question of holding on tosomething really good.

It is good to have a prayer on your lips wherever you go. There are somany moments in life when you are free to pray. When you are waitingfor the cashier in the supermarket, getting mad because he or she doesnthurry, say a little prayer: Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Takethat prayer with you wherever you go.

Jesus, help me guard my senses in order to hold on to you. Today I will

3RD SUNDAY OF LENT

Yearning for RelationshipThe one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always dowhat is pleasing to him. (John 8:29)

Jesus life is an invitation for us to believe, not primarily in him butin the relationship between himself and the God whom he calls Father.Furthermore, Jesus comes into the world to communicate to those of us


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who are listening that this very same relationship is uniquely available toeach one of us. By his life and death he announces the yearning in theheart of Love Divine, to be in relationship with each individual person.For you or I to engage this primal encounter is for us to return home.

Thisrelationshipbetween Jesus and the One who sent him into theworld isthecentral focus of Jesus whole life and teaching. He urges usto see how he comes to us not on his own but sent and in relationship

with God the Creator-Spirit. Jesus whole mission, his life, words, works,disgrace, and glory, are only relevant because of his relationshipwith theOne who sent him.

Jesus, draw me more deeply into your relationship with God. Today I will

MONDAY, WEEK 3

Forgiving Means FreeingBear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, for-

give each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

(Colossians 3:13)

It is good for us to be with and to forgive family members,partners, and children without needing to shape them in a violent

way. It is liberating to accept that they are different from us, that theythink and act in their own ways, and that they make different choices

than we might make. It is importantto liberate them to make their ownmistakes and to learn lifes lessons attheir own pace. And finally, instead of

wishing they had lived according toour expectations, how blessed wed beto be grateful even when they werentable to love us perfectly, and how

loving it would be to allow them to die in peace. Jesus gives us goodadvice: Leave your father, leave your mother, leave your sister, and leaveyour brother. He knows that letting our parents and siblings go free iscreating space in us not only to welcome Gods unconditional love butalso to gradually become a compassionate parent figure for others.

Jesus, help me to find ways to let others be free to be themselves.


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TUESDAY, WEEK 3

Let Gods Word Be Your CompanionThe grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand

forever. (Isaiah 40:8)The Word of God is powerful indeed. Not only the Jesus Prayer

but many words from the Scriptures can reshape the inner self. WhenI take the words that strike me during a service into the day and slowlyrepeat them while reading or working, more or less chewing on them,they create new life. Sometimes when I wake up during the night I amstill saying them, and they become like wings carrying me above the

moods and turbulences of the days andthe weeks. The words of God are indeedlike eagles wings. Maybe I can deepenmy hope in God by giving more time andattention to his words.

Jesus, help me use your words more fully toguide my daily life. Today I will

WEDNESDAY, WEEK 3

Being Unbusy with GodFor God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

(Psalm 62:1)

The world says, If you are not making good use of your time,you are useless. Jesus says: Come spend some useless time with me.If we think about prayer in terms of its usefulness to uswhat prayer

will do for usGod cannot easily speak to us. But if we can detachourselves from the idea of prayers usefulness, we become free to wastea precious hour with God in prayer.

Prayer is being unbusy with God instead of being busy with other

things. Prayer is primarily to do nothing useful or productive in thepresence of God. To not be useful is to remind myself that if anythingimportant or fruitful happens through prayer, it is God who achievesthe result.

Jesus, help me trust that you are at work in my prayer. Today I will


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THURSDAY, WEEK 3

To Whom Am I Really Speaking?Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!

(Psalm 27:7)For many of us prayer means nothing more than speaking with

God. And since it usually seems to be a quite one-sided affair, prayersimply means talking to God. This idea is enough to create greatfrustrations. If I present a problem, I expect a solution; if I formulate aquestion, I expect an answer; if I ask for guidance, I expect a response.

And when it seems, increasingly, that I am talking into the dark, it is not

so strange that I soon begin to suspect that my dialogue with God is infact a monologue. Then I may begin to ask myself: to whom am I reallyspeaking, God or myself?

O God, help me forget myself and concentrate more on you in my prayer.Today I will

FRIDAY, WEEK 3

Finding My Quiet CenterIn the morning, while it was still very dark, Jesus got up and went out to adeserted place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35)

To live a Christian life means to live in the world without beingof it. It is in solitude that this inner freedom can grow. Jesus went to a

lonely place to pray, that is, to grow in the awareness that all the powerhe had was given to him; that all the words he spoke came from hisFather; and that all the works he did were not really his but the worksof the One who had sent him. In the lonely place Jesus was made freeto fail.

A life without a lonely place, that is, a life without a quiet center,easily becomes destructive. When we cling to the results of our actions

as our only way of self-identification, then we become possessive anddefensive and tend to look at our fellow human beings more as enemiesto be kept at a distance than as friends with whom we share the gifts oflife.

Jesus, lead me to the quiet center where you desire to meet me each day.Today I will


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SATURDAY, WEEK 3

Do I Belong to God or the World?I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my

faithfulness to you. (Jeremiah 31:3)As long as I keep running about asking Do you love me? Do you

really love me? I give all power to the voices of the world and putmyself in bondage because the world is filled with ifs. The world says:Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I loveyou if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections.I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much. There are

endless ifs hidden in the worlds love. These ifs enslave me, since itis impossible to respond adequately to all of them. The worlds love isand always will be conditional. As long as I keep looking for my true selfin the world of conditional love, I will remain hooked to the worldtrying, failing, and trying again.

Jesus, free me from the worlds conditional love to find your unconditionallove for me. Today I will

4TH SUNDAY OF LENT

Show Me Your WayIf any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take uptheir cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

O Lord, this holy season of Lent is passing quickly. I enteredinto it with fear, but also with great expectations. I hoped for a greatbreakthrough, a powerful conversion, a real change of heart; I wantedEaster to be a day so full of light that noteven a trace of darkness would be leftin my soul. But I know that you do not

come to your people with thunder andlightning. Let me be thankful for yourgentle way. I know you are at work. Iknow you will not leave me alone. I knowyou are quickening me for Easter but ina way fitting to my own history and my own temperament. I pray thatthese last three weeks, in which you invite me to enter more fully into


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the mystery of your passion, will bring me a greater desire to followyou on the way that you create for me and to accept the cross that yougive to me. Let me die to the desire to choose my own way and selectmy own cross. You do not want to make me a hero but a servant who

loves you. Be with me tomorrow and in the days to come, and let meexperience your gentle presence. Amen.

Jesus, be with me each day to lead me according to your ways. Today I will

MONDAY, WEEK 4

Receive and Share Gods LoveMy soul thirsts for God, for the living God.When shall I come and behold the face of God? (Psalm 42:2)

God is Spirit and the Source of all love. Our spiritual journey callsus to seek and find this living God of Love in prayer, worship, spiritualreading, spiritual mentoring, compassionate service to the poor, andgood friends. Let us claim the truth that we are loved and open our

hearts to receive Gods overflowing love poured out for us. And livingfully each day let us share that love in all our wonderful and difficultrelationships, responsibilities, and passages.

The seeds of death are at work in us, but love is stronger than death.Your death and mine is our final passage, our exodus to the full realizationof our identity as Gods beloved children and to full communion withthe God of love. Jesus walked the path ahead of us and invites us to

choose the same path during our lifetime. He calls to us, Follow Me.He assures us. Do not be afraid. This is our faith.

Jesus, help me bring your love to others. Today I will

TUESDAY, WEEK 4

Gods Word Is PowerfulThe word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,

piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able tojudge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

The Word of God is not a word to apply in our daily lives at somelater date; it is a word to heal us through, and in, our listening here and


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now. The questions therefore are: How does God come to me as I listento the word? Where do I discern the healing hand of God touching methrough the word? How are my sadness, my grief, and my mourningbeing transformed at this very moment? Do I sense the fire of Gods love

purifying my heart and giving me new life? These questions lead me tothe sacrament of the word, the sacred place of Gods real presence.

At first this might sound quite new for a person living in a societyin which the main value of the word is its applicability. But most of usknow already, generally unconsciously, of the healing and destroyingpower of the spoken word. When someone says to me, I love you, orI hate you, I am not just receiving some useful information. These

words do something in me. They make my blood move, my heart beat,my breathing speed up. They make me feel and think differently. Theylift me up to a new way of being and give me another knowledge ofmyself. These words have the power to heal or to destroy me.

Jesus, help me be more attentive to your word and let it move me. Today Iwill

WEDNESDAY, WEEK 4

Moving from Mind to HeartSpeak, LORD, for your servant is listening. (1 Samuel 3:9)

The word obedient comes from the Latin word audire, whichmeans listening with great attention. Jesus is called the obedient one,

that means the listener. The Latin word for not listening, being deaf,is surdus. If you are absolutely not listening, that is where the wordabsurd comes from. So it might be interesting to note that somebody

who is not listening is leading an absurd life.Now, to become a listener, one way to do it is to say, How can I let

the Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want enter in frommy mind to my heart? I can say it is here and that is just a statement,

but it becomes prayer when I experience the shepherding presence ofGod in the center of my being. Listening starts precisely when you movefrom the mind to the heart and let the truth of your being center youdown.

Jesus, help me move your words from my head to my heart so that theychange me completely. Today I will


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THURSDAY, WEEK 4

Gods Pruning WorkI am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower who removes every

branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes tomake it bear more fruit. (John 15:1-2)

Jesus told his followers that they were intimately related to him asbranches are to a vine, but they still needed to be pruned to bear morefruit. Pruning means cutting, reshaping, removing what diminishesvitality. When we look at a pruned vineyard, we can hardly believe it

will bear fruit. But when harvest comes, we realize that the pruning

allowed the vines to concentrate theirenergy and produce more grapes.

Grateful people learn to celebrateeven amid lifes hard and harrowingmemories because they know thatpruning is no mere punishment, butpreparation. When our gratitude for

the past is only partial, our hope for thefuture can likewise never be full. But our submitting to Gods pruning

work will not ultimately leave us sad, but hopeful for what can happenin us and through us. Harvest time will bring its own blessings.

Jesus, send your life into me so that I may bear fruit for your kingdom.

FRIDAY, WEEK 4

Living with Open HandsBe filled with the Spiritsinging and making melody to the Lord in yourhearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in thename of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20)

A life in prayer is a life with open hands where you are not ashamedof your weakness but realize that it is more perfect for a man to be led bythe other than to seek to hold everything in his own hands. Only withinthis kind of life does a spoken prayer make sense. A prayer in church,at table or in school is only a witness to what we want to make of ourentire lives. Such a prayer only recalls to mind that praying is living andit invites you to make this an ever-greater reality.


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Thus there are as many ways to pray as there are moments in life.Sometimes you seek out a quiet spot and you want to be alone, sometimesyou look for a friend and you want to be together. Sometimes youd likea book or some music. Sometimes you want to sing out with hundreds,

sometimes only to whisper with a few. Sometimes you want to say itwith words, sometimes with a deep silence. In all these moments, yougradually make your life more a prayer and you open your hands to beled by God even to where you would rather not go.

Jesus, help me make my whole life a prayer. Today I will

SATURDAY, WEEK 4

Gods Mighty DeedsI will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.

(Psalm 77:12)

The more I come in touch with what happened in the past, the moreI come in touch with what is to come. The Gospel not only reminds meof what took place but also of what will take place. In the contemplationof Christs first coming, I can discover the signs of his second coming.By looking back in meditation, I can look forward in expectation. Byreflection, I can project; by conserving the memory of Christs birth,I can progress to the fulfillment of his kingdom. I am struck by thefact that the prophets speaking about the future of Israel always keptreminding their people of Gods great works in the past. They could lookforward with confidence because they could look backward with awe to

Yahwehs great deeds. I pray for the opportunity to deepen my memoryof Gods great deeds in time and will set me free to look forward withcourage to the fulfillment of time by him who came and is still to come.

O God, thank you for all the ways you have come into my life. Today Iwill


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5TH SUNDAY OF LENT

The Lord Is with YouTrust in the LORDwith all your heart, and do not rely on your own in-

sight. (Proverbs 3:5)What I must do first of all is be faithful. If I believe that the first

commandment is to love God with my whole heart, mind, and soul,then I should at least be able to spend one hour a day with nobody elsebut God. The question as to whether it is helpful, useful, practical, or

fruitful is completely irrelevant, since the onlyreason to love is love itself. Everything else is

secondary.The remarkable thing, however, is that

sitting in the presence of God for one houreach morningday after day, week after week,month after monthin total confusion and

with myriad distractions radically changes mylife. God, who loves me so much that he sent

his only son not to condemn me but to saveme, does not leave me waiting in the dark too

long. I might think that each hour is useless, but after thirty or sixty orninety such useless hours, I gradually realize that I was not as alone as Ithought; a very small, gentle voice has been speaking to me far beyondmy noisy place. So: Be confident and trust in the Lord.

Jesus, make my prayer a time for you to work changes in me. Today I will...

MONDAY, WEEK 5

Gods Heart-Felt LoveGods love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that hasbeen given to us. (Romans 5:5)

O Lord, how can I ever go anywhere else but to you to find the loveI so desire! How can I expect from people as sinful as myself a love thatcan touch me in the most hidden corners of my being? Who can washme clean as you do and give me food and drink as you do? Who wantsme to be so close, so intimate, and so safe as you do? O Lord, your loveis not an intangible love, a love that remains words and thoughts. No,


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Lord, your love is a love that comes from your human heart. It is a heart-felt love that expresses itself through your whole being. You speak...youlook...you touch...you give me food. Yes, you make your love a love thatreaches all the senses of my body and holds me as a mother holds her

child, embraces me as a father embraces his son, and touches me as abrother touches his sister and brother.

O God, help me experience your love and share it with others. Today I will...

TUESDAY, WEEK 5

Seeing Jesus TodayIt is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.

(Galatians 2:20)

O Lord, I have not seen you and yet I truly see you every time Ilook at the broken bodies of my fellow human beings. I have not heardyou, and yet I truly hear you every time I hear the cries uttered bymen, women and children in pain. I have not touched you, and yet I

truly touch you every time I touch all those who come to me in theirloneliness. In the midst of all the human brokenness and human pain, Isee, hear and touch the heart of humanity, your humanity, the humanityof all the people embraced by your love.

Thank you for showing me your heart. Thank you for letting mesee while not seeing, hear while not hearing, touch while not touching.Thank you for letting me believe more every day, hope more every day

and love more every day. Here I am, Lord, take my heart and let itbecome a heart filled with your love.

Jesus, help me recognize you in each person I encounter today. Today I will

WEDNESDAY, WEEK 5

We Are Never AloneLive in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.(Philippians 4:9)

Anyone who seeks to know Gods peace and presence, regardless ofage or circumstance, can practiceanywhere, anytimethe sacramentof the present moment? When we pray, we enter into the presence


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of God whose name is ImmanuelGod-with-us. To pray is to listenattentively to the One who addresses us here and now. When we dare totrust that we are never alone but that God is always with us, always caresfor us, and always speaks to us, we can gradually detach ourselves from

the voices that make us feel guilty or anxious, and embrace the presentmoment. If we could, for a few minutes each day, just be fully where weare, we would indeed discover that we are not alone, and that the One

who is with us in our hearts wants only to give us the love we need andthe power to love others.

Jesus, help me know you are with me every moment and everywhere. TodayI will

THURSDAY, WEEK 5

The Grace to ForgiveDo not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you willnot be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37)

We are a wounded people. Who wounds us? Often those whomwe love and those who love us. When we feel rejected, abandoned,abused, manipulated, or violated,it is mostly by people very close tous: our parents, our friends, ourspouses, our lovers, our children, ourneighbors, our teachers, our pastors.Those who love us wound us too.Thats the tragedy of our lives. Thisis what makes forgiveness from theheart so difficult. It is precisely ourhearts that are wounded. We cry out, You, who I expected to be therefor me, you have abandoned me. How can I ever forgive you for that?

Forgiveness often seems impossible, but nothing is impossible forGod. The God who lives within us will give us the grace to go beyondour wounded selves and say, In the Name of God you are forgiven.Lets pray for that grace.

Jesus, help me forgive those who have wounded me, especially close friendsand family members. Today I will


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FRIDAY, WEEK 5

Seek Love Not PowerThe greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will

be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.(Matthew 23:11-12)

One of the greatest ironies of the history of Christianity is that itsleaders constantly gave in to the temptation of powerpolitical power,military power, economic power, or moral and spiritual powereventhough they continued to speak in the name of Jesus, who did not clingto his divine power but emptied himself and became as we are. The

temptation to consider power an apt instrument for the proclamationof the Gospel is the greatest of all.

With this rationalization, crusades took place; inquisitions wereorganized; Indians were enslaved; positions of great influence weredesired. Every time we see a major crisis in the history of the Church,

we always see that a major cause of rupture is the power exercised bythose who claim to be followers of the poor and powerless Jesus.

What makes the temptation of power so seemingly irresistible?Maybe it is that power offers an easy substitute for the hard task of love.It seems easier to be God than to love God, easier to control people,easier to own life than to love life.

Jesus, help me to serve others instead of seeking power over them. Today Iwill

SATURDAY, WEEK 5

Jesus Way of WeaknessGod said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect inweakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The way of God is the way of weakness. The great news of theGospel is precisely that God became small and vulnerable, and hencebore fruit among us. The most fruitful life ever lived is the life of Jesus,

who did not cling to his divine power but became as we are. Jesusbrought us new life in ultimate vulnerability. He came to us as a smallchild, dependent on the care and protection of others. He lived for usas a poor preacher, without any political, economic, or military power.


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He died for us nailed on a cross as a useless criminal. It is in this extremevulnerability that our salvation was won. The fruit of this poor andfailing existence is eternal life for all who believe in him. It is very hardfor us to grasp even a little bit of the mystery of Gods vulnerability. Yet,

when we have eyes to see and ears to hear we can see it in many waysand in many places.

Jesus, help me accept my own weakness and vulnerability to be like you.Today I will

PASSION/PALM SUNDAY OF LENT

The Self-emptying ChristThough Jesus was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with Godas something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,being born in human likeness. (Philippians 2:6-7)

Our vocation as Christians is to follow Jesus on his downward pathand to become witnesses to Gods compassion in the concrete situation ofour time and place. Our temptation is to let needs for success, visibility,

and influence dominate our thoughts, words,and actions to such an extent that we are grippedin the destructive spiral of upward mobility andthus lose our vocation. It is this lifelong tensionbetween vocation and temptation that presentsus with the necessity of spiritual formation.Precisely because the downward mobility of the

way of the cross cannot rely on our spontaneousresponses, we are faced with the question, Howdo we conform our minds and hearts to the

mind and heart of the self-emptying Christ?To follow Christ requires the willingness and determination to

let Gods Spirit pervade all the corners of our minds and hearts andthere make us into other Christs. Formation is transformation, andtransformation means a growing conformity to the mind of Christ, whodid not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself.

Jesus, help me empty myself as you did and serve those I meet each day. TodayI will


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MONDAY HOLY WEEK

We Belong TogetherThe love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died

for allso that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but forhim who died and was raised for them. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Christians are called to bear witness to the truth that God hasgathered all people into one family. Yet wherever we look we see thedevastating fear people have of one another. Fear between races, religions,nations, continents. Fear between rich and poor, North and South, Eastand West. Wherever this fear rules division breeds, leading to hatred,

violence, destruction, and war. We need new eyes to see and new earsto hear the truth of our unity, a unity which cannot be perceived byour broken, sinful, anxious hearts. Only a heart filled with perfect lovecan perceive the unity of humanity. This requires divine perception.God sees his people as one, as belonging to the same family and livingin the same house. God wants to share this divine perception with us.By sending the only beloved son to live and die for us all, God wants to

open our eyes so that we can see that we belong together in the embraceof Gods perfect love.

O God, help me see persons as you do and serve them as Jesus did. Today I will...

TUESDAY HOLY WEEK

Our God Is Not DistantThe LORDis good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

(Psalm 145:9)

The mystery of Gods love is not that he takes our pains away, butthat he first wants to share them with us. Out of this divine solidaritycomes new life. Jesus being moved in the center of his being by humanpain is indeed a movement toward new life. God is our God, the God of

the living. In his divine womb life is always born again....The truly goodnews is that God is not a distant God, a God to be feared and avoided, aGod of revenge, but a God who is moved by our pains and participatesin the fullness of the human struggle.

O God, help me recognize your presence in my suffering and let me bear itas Jesus did. Today I will


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WEDNESDAY HOLY WEEK

A New Way to LiveWhen you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will

fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.(John 21:18)

To pray means to open your hands before God. It means slowlyrelaxing the tension which squeezes your hands together and acceptingyour existence with an increasing readiness, not as a possession to defend,but as a gift to receive. Above all, prayer is a way of life which allowsyou to find a stillness in the midst of the world where you open your

hands to Gods promises and find hope for yourself, your neighbor, andyour world. In prayer, you encounter God not only in the small voiceand the soft breeze, but also in the midst of the turmoil of the world, inthe distress and joy of your neighbor, and in the loneliness of your ownheart. Therefore, a life in prayer is a life with open hands where you arenot ashamed of your weakness but realize that it is more perfect to be ledby the other than to seek to hold everything in his own hands.

O God, help me open my hands to you and accept everything as your gift.Today I will

HOLY THURSDAY

Cup of Sorrow, Cup of Joy

Are you able to drink the cup that I am about todrink? (Matthew 20:22)

Jesus unconditional yes to his Father hadempowered him to drink his cup, not in passiveresignation but with the full knowledge that thehour of his death would also be the hour of his

glory. Hisyes made his surrender a creative act, anact that could bear much fruit. His yes took awaythe fatality of the interruption of his ministry.

Instead of a final irrevocable end, his death became the beginning of anew life. Indeed, hisyes enabled him to trust fully in the rich harvest thedying grain would yield.

Joys are hidden in sorrows! I know this from my own times of


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depression. We need to remind each other that the cup of sorrow is alsothe cup of joy, that precisely what causes us sadness can become thefertile ground for gladness. Indeed, we need to give each other strengthand 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 drinkit.

Jesus, help me to give up my resistance to your love so I can be more like you.Today I will

GOOD FRIDAY

The Way to New LifeThe death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he livesto God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God inChrist Jesus. (Romans 6:10-11)

Suffering and death belong to the narrow road of Jesus. Jesus doesnot glorify them, or call them beautiful, good, or something to bedesired. Jesus does not call for heroism or suicidal self-sacrifice. No,

Jesus invites us to look at thereality of our existence and revealsthis harsh reality as the way tonew life. The core message of

Jesus is that real joy and peace cannever be reached while bypassingsuffering and death, but only bygoing right through them.

We could say: We really have no choice. Indeed, who escapessuffering and death? Yet there is still a choice. We can deny the reality oflife, or we can face it. When we face it not in despair, but with the eyesof Jesus, we discover that where we least expect it, something is hiddenthat holds a promise stronger than death itself. Jesus lived his life withthe trust that Gods love is stronger than death and that death thereforedoes not have the last word. He invites us to face the painful reality ofour existence with the same trust. This is what Lent is all about.

Jesus, help me trust that through my suffering there will be new life withyou. Today I will


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HOLY SATURDAY

Through Death to New LifeWe are always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus

may also be made visible in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:10)You know that something totally new, truly unique, is happening

within you. It is clear that something in you is dying and something isbeing born. You must remain attentive, calm, and obedient to your bestintuitions. You feel a strange sadness. An enormous loneliness emerges,but you are not frightened. You feel vulnerable but safe at the same time.

Jesus is where you are, and you can trust that he will show you the next

step.There are two realities to which you must cling. First, God has

promised that you will receive the love you have been searching for. Andsecond, God is faithful to that promise. So trust that God will bring you

what you need. Your whole life you have been running about, seekingthe love you desire. Now it is time to end that search. Trust that God

will give you that all-fulfilling love and will give it in a human way. Just

stop running and start trusting and receiving.

Jesus, help me trust your work in me and hope that it continues. Today Iwill


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AcknowledgementsAll Saints Press expresses thanks to the following publishers

from which these reflections have been excerpted.

Bread for the Journeyby Henri Nouwen, 1996 by Henri Nouwen (HarperSanFrancisco)Can You Drink the Cup? The Challenge of the Spiritual Life by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Ave Maria, 1996)

Clowning In Rome Copyright 1975 by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday)Compassion Copyright 1982 by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday)

A Cry for Mercyby Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday, 1981)Finding My Way HomeCopyright 2001 by The Estate of Henri J.M. Nouwen (Crossroad)

The Genesee Diaryby Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday, 1976)Gracias! by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Harper & Row, 1983)

Heart Speaks to Heart by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Ave Maria Press, Inc., 1989, 2007)Here and Nowby Henri J.M. Nouwen (The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994)

Home Tonight: Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday, 2009)The Inner Voice of LoveCopyright Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday, 1996)

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership by Henri J.M. Nouwen(Crossroad, 1989)Letters to Marc about Jesus by Henri J.M. Nouwen(HarperCollins, 1998)Life of the Beloved Copyright 1992 by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Crossroad)

Lifesigns: Intimacy, Fecundity, and Ecstasy in Christian Perspective by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday, 1986)Liguorian Magazine, October 1992

Making All Things New & Other Classics, by Henri J.M. Nouwen (HarperCollins, 2000)Out of Solitudeby Henri J.M. Nouwen (Ave Maria Press, 1974)

Reaching Out by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday, 1975)The Return of the Prodigal Son: The Story of Homecoming 1992 by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday)

The Road to Daybreakby Henri J.M. Nouwen 1988 Henri J.M. Nouwen (Doubleday)The Road to Peace, by Henri J.M. Nouwen(Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1998)

Sabbatical Journey Copyright 1998 by The Estate of Henri J.M. Nouwen (Crossroad)The Selfless Way of Christ by Henri J.M. Nouwen(Orbis, 2007)

Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit by Henri J.M. Nouwen(HarperCollins, 2010)Turn My Mourning into Dancing by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Nashville: World Publishing Group, 2001)

The Way of the Heart by Henri J.M. Nouwen (HarperCollins, 1981)With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Orbis, 1994)

With Open Hands by Henri J.M. Nouwen (Ave Maria Press, Inc., 1972)


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EASTER SUNDAY

He Is Risen and with Us StillWhy do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has

risen. (Luke 24:5)The Easter season is a time of hope. There still is fear, there still is a

painful awareness of sinfulness, but there also is light breaking through.Something new is happening, something that goes beyond the changingmoods of our life. We can be joyful or sad, optimistic or pessimistic,tranquil or angry, but the solid stream of Gods presence moves deeperthan the small waves of our minds and hearts. Easter brings the

awareness that God is present even when his presence is not directlynoticed. Easter brings the good news that, although things seem to get

worse in the world, the Evil One has already been overcome. Easterallows us to affirm that although God seems very distant and although

we remain preoccupied with many little things, our Lord walks with uson the road and keeps explaining the Scriptures to us. Thus there aremany rays of hope casting their light on our way through life.

O God, fill me with hope that the new life that is happening within me willcontinue beyond Lent. Today I will

Henry Nouwen

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