Henri Nouwen Quotes

...we all want to hear stories, from the moment we are born to the moment we die. Stories connect our little lives with the world around us and help us discover who we are.

Active waiting means present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it.

I loved to teach, I loved my students, but I wanted to find a community. I prayed: "Lord, show me where you want me to go. I will go wanted wherever you call me - but please be clear."

While my friend always spoke about the sun, I kept speaking about the clouds, until one day I realized that it was the sun that allowed me to see the clouds.

Ministry is the least important thing. You cannot not minister if you are in communion with God and live in community.

Mysticism is for all, not just for a few special people.

One of the most satisfying aspects of writing is that it can open in us deep wells of hidden treasures that are beautiful for us as well as for others to see.

You don't have to run around world proving you're lovable.

I don't pray enough, but I pray more now. Every morning at six o'clock have a half hour of meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. I pray with others too.

The leaders of the future will be those who dare to claim their irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation.

By giving words to these intimate experiences I can make my life available to others.

The soul of the artist cannot remain hidden.

[...]when two people have become present to each other, the waiting of one must be able to cross the narrow line between the living or dying of the other.

People with handicaps teach me that being is more important than doing, the heart is more important than the mind, and caring together is better than caring alone.

Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are.

Beneath our frantic activities, there's a deep desire to show the world we are worthwhile.

The mystery of one man is too immense and too profound to be explained by another man.

There are areas I have to work on. I had some questions and some struggles, but it was an enormously important time for me.

I am working on three things: on being a prayerful person; on staying close to the handicapped; and on my writing. These are my constant concerns.

The resistance to praying is like the resistance of tightly clenched fists. This image shows a tension, a desire to cling tightly to yourself, a greediness which betrays fear.

Community life is not easy for somebody like me, who is used to living by himself and doing what he wants. It's a demanding life, and you quickly get in touch with your own handicaps and weaknesses.

Often we come home from a sharing session with a feeling that something precious has been taken away from us or that holy ground has been trodden upon.

Peacemaking is a full-time vocation that includes each member of God's people.

The great challenge is to discover that we are truly invited to participate in the divine life of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Writing is not just a job. It helps me to pray. It's a way of being.

I still believe that the university is a place where people can develop their minds and learn skills, but also they can develop their personalities and their spiritual life.

Solitude, community, and ministry are certainly not just for celibates! Celibates also have a hard time keeping up.

I have always felt that if I am very personal and connected with what I myself am living, my writing will transcend ecclesial boundaries.

It is not that the university as such is against spiritual formation. It is just that often the university does not know how to integrate spiritual formation within its academic disciplines.

In solitude we discover that community is not a common ideology, but a response to a common call.