"One of the tragedies of our life is that we keep forgetting who we are"
Read quote
18 likes
Quote collection
Henri Nouwen quotes (page 7 of 25)
497 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"Jesus does not respond to our worry-filled way of living by saying that we should not be so busy with worldly affairs. He does not try to pull us away from the many events, activities, and people that make up our lives. . . . He asks us to shift the point of gravity, to relocate the center of our attention, to change our priorities. Jesus does not speak about a change of activities, a change in contacts, or even a change of pace. He speaks about a change of heart."
Read quote
18 likes
"The spiritual life does not remove us from the world but leads us deeper into it"
Read quote
18 likes
"What is Hope?Hope is that inner dynamic that compels us to explore and pursue the expectations built into the human condition. Hope was born the day the first human beings discovered the first bridge and decided not to jump off the bridge in despair, but to cross it"
Read quote
18 likes
"It's an incredible mystery of God's love that the more you know how deeply you are loved, the more you will see how deeply your sisters and your brothers in the human family are loved."
Read quote
17 likes
"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-identifiction, then we become possessive and defensive and tend to look at our fellow human beings more as enemies to be kept at a distance than as friends with whom we share the gifts of life."
Read quote
17 likes
"Gratitude flows from the recognition that who we are and what we have are gifts to be received and shared."
Read quote
17 likes
"Our society is so fragmented, our family lives so sundered by physical and emotional distance, our friendships so sporadic, our intimacies so 'in-between' things and often so utilitarian, that there are few places where we can feel truly safe."
Read quote
17 likes
"Jesus invites us to abide in his love. That means to dwell with all that I am in him. It is an invitation to a total belonging, to full intimacy, to an unlimited being-with. The light of the Spirit reveals to us that love conquers all fear."
Read quote
17 likes
"...real care means the willingness to help each other in making our brokenness into the gateway to joy."
Read quote
17 likes
"Compassion means full immersion in the condition of being human."
Read quote
17 likes
"Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved."
Read quote
17 likes
"Our lives are unique stones in the mosaic of human existence -- priceless and irreplaceable."
Read quote
16 likes
"Much violence is based on the illusion that life is a property to be defended and not to be shared."
Read quote
16 likes
"The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self. God loves us, not because of what we do or accomplish, but because God has created and redeemed us in love."
Read quote
16 likes
"As long as we relate to the trees, the rivers, the mountains, the fields and the oceans as properties which we can manipulate according to our real or fabricated needs, nature remains opaque, and does not reveal to us its true being."
Read quote
16 likes
"When you're on the bus or subway or in your car, why busy your mind with all the garbage of advertisements? Why fill your mind with television and radio? Somehow you have to decide what your mind will receive. I don't mean you shouldn't ever go to movies or watch television, but control what enters your mind and heart. It's not just a question of pushing bad things out but also a question of holding on to something really good."
Read quote
16 likes
"Once we deeply trust that we ourselves are precious in God's eyes, we are able to recognize the preciousness of others and their unique places in God's heart."
Read quote
15 likes
"Forgiveness changes the way we remember. It converts the curse into a blessing. Forgiveness indeed heals memories . . ."
Read quote
15 likes
"Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family."
Read quote
15 likes