Life of the Beloved Henri J.M. Nouwen 

Henri wrote the Life of the Beloved from the fruit of a friendship.   It is a true blessing to have a friend where joy, pain and struggle can be welcomed. The Life of the Beloved tells us the Spiritual life is worth all our energy.


My favorite Quote from the book:

“To be chosen as the Beloved of God is something radically different. Instead of excluding others, it includes others. Instead of rejecting others as less valuable, it accepts others in their own uniqueness. It is not a competitive, but a compassionate choice. Our minds have great difficulty in coming to grips with such a reality. Maybe our minds will never understand it. Perhaps it is only our hearts that can accomplish this. Every time we hear about 'chosen people', 'chosen talents', or 'chosen friends', we almost automatically start thinking about elites and find ourselves not far from feelings of jealousy, anger, or resentment. Not seldom has the perception of others as being chosen led to aggression, violence, and war.” 
― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World




"We are chosen to be blessed and broken so as to be given."

We are a chosen priesthood and a holy nation to be blessed and broken as to be given.  God has so much to share  in our brokenness.


Advent reading from the Life of the Beloved
http://wp.henrinouwen.org/rgroup_blog/