Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the "Beloved." Being the Beloved expresses the core truth of our existence.Henri Nouwen
I am loving Life of the Beloved. Once I turn the last page, I will likely start all over again. It is a conversation (one-sided) between a Catholic theologian (Henri) and his Jewish friend who asked him to write something for the lay person--those who don't understand or have the same kind of relationship with the Divine that Henri has.
Catholic, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, other...we all have the same issues. We all struggle with self-rejection. We all struggle with shame. We all struggle. And we all need to know and have the experience of being the Beloved.
When it comes to being the Beloved, there is no competition. I am chosen--and so are you. And the more I realize this Truth, the more it makes me smile.
Do you know that you are the Beloved?
Oh, yes...you are.
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3 comments:
This is exactly what I need today, as I work through the fallout of a week spent entertaining out-of-town guests. Their lifestyle is just enough at odds with ours as to create friction that required constant tending during their stay.
Had I been able to hold myself and them continually in this light of the Beloved--to feel myself beloved, to feel them beloved--how different might our visit have been? How much less strain? How much more energy might I have today?
Thank you for sharing your journey through the year with this rich soul-word. Your quotations, and especially your own thoughts, enlighten my day, and frequently lighten it as well.
Thank you. I really needed to read this today.
Thank you.
I love Henri Nouwen! And it's so perfect that you have him right now at this exact time in your life.
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