Friday, March 22, 2013

Daily Meditation: The Ways to Self-knowledge

Henri Nouwen Society - Daily Meditation

Friday March 22, 2013 

 

The Ways to Self-knowledge

 

"Know yourself" is good advice.  But to know ourselves doesn't mean to analyse ourselves.  Sometimes we want to know ourselves as if we were machines that could be taken apart and put back together at will.   At certain critical times in our lives it might be helpful to explore in some detail the events that led us to our crises, but we make a mistake when we think that we can ever completely understand ourselves and explain the full meaning of our lives to others.

 

Solitude, silence, and prayer are often the best ways to self-knowledge.  Not because they offer solutions for the complexity of our lives but because they bring us in touch with our sacred center, where God dwells.  That sacred center may not be analysed.  It is the place of adoration, thanksgiving, and praise.

 

- Henri J. M. Nouwen  

Comment on this Daily Meditation.

Read and reflect this Lent on The Return of the Prodigal Son. Join us anytime. Click here for details.
 
Visit our website for inspiration, resources, news, events, community.
Text excerpts taken from Bread for the Journey, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, ©1997 HarperSanFrancisco. All Scripture from The Jerusalem Bible ©1966, 1967, and 1968 Darton, Longman & Todd and Doubleday & Co. Inc. Photo by V. Dobson.
Forward this Daily Meditation to a friend!

Safe Unsubscribe
This email was sent to cbgamb@gmail.com, by email_lists@henrinouwen.org
Henri Nouwen Society | PO Box 220522 | St. Louis | MO | 63122 | USA
Henri Nouwen Society | John M. Kelly Library, 3rd Fl. | 113 St. Joseph Street | Toronto | ON | M5S 1J4 | Canada

No comments:

Post a Comment