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Henri Nouwen fonds
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Nouwen wil pastoraat dat over geloof spreekt

Item consists of an article by Jurjen Beumer titled "Nouwen wil pastoraat dat over geloof spreekt" [Nouwen ministry would like to speak about faith]. Beumer discusses Nouwen and his writings and his thoughts on faith.

Henri Nouwen

Item consists of an article about Henri Nouwen (in the section of the magazine titled "Faces of Faith). Boers describes his meeting with Nouwen, and describes his visit at L'Arche Daybreak. Boers interviews Nouwen and asks him about his experience in Latin America and attempt to find a vocation there, his 1984 speaking tour [An Interrupted Journey], his decision to join L'Arche, and Nouwen's role at L'Arche and his feelings about the community.

Van Gogh and God: a creative spiritual quest

Item consists of a book in which Nouwen has written the foreword, stating in part: "I am deeply grateful that Van Gogh and God has been written and I am convinced that those who read it will find in Vincent a lasting spiritual companion."

We have received more

This item is a 1/3 column article by Henri Nouwen entitled, ‘ We have received more’, published in ‘The Link and Visitor’, Vol. 62, No. 1, January 1989, p. 7. This item is an excerpt from an article published in Sojourners Magazine, July, 1985. Nouwen begins by stating, ‘People with mental handicaps are able to give much to those who are able to receive. They give their hearts’. Nouwen then goes on to describe the flourishing, fruit-bearing life the handicapped person lives when they live in a loving environment and the suffering and withdrawal when they are rejected. Nouwen concludes, ‘ They told me in many ways that I didn’t need to be afraid of my handicap, that I could also bear fruit as Jesus did when He offered His broken body to God.

Adam's peace

This item is a 2 page article by Henri Nouwen entitled ‘Adam’s Peace’ published in the journal of the Lake County Right to Life Committee, Inc., Grayslake Ill., U.S.A., February – March, 1989, pp. 10-11. This item is part one of a two part article reprinted from the World Vision journal, August/ September 1988. Nouwen begins by describing his move from the intellectual atmosphere of Harvard to the l’Arche community for the mentally handicapped at Daybreak. Nouwen writes of the atmosphere of loving equality at his house and then begins to write of Adam Arnett for whom Nouwen had some responsibility. Nouwen describes Adam as a totally dependent man who could not speak nor care for himself and who suffered daily with grand mal seizures. As he began to know Adam however, Nouwen says, ‘Out of this broken body and broken mind emerged a most beautiful human being offering me a greater gift than I would ever be able to offer him’. Nouwen uses the remainder of the article to write of Adam’s role as a man of peace, a peacemaker. ‘Adam’s peace is first of all a peace rooted in being’. Nouwen goes on to say, ‘I know this is right because, after four months of being a little with Adam, I am discovering in myself the beginning of an inner at-homeness that I didn’t know before’.

Prayer, Leisure are Linked

Item consists of one article by Sister Mary Ann Walsh titled "Prayer, Leisure are Linked." This article discusses leisure and how some find it difficult to use leisure to connect with God. Walsh interviewed Nouwen for the article.

In the name of Jesus: reflections on Christian leadership

Item consists of a book Nouwen wrote concerning a speech he gave about Christian leadership at the 15th anniversary of the Center for Human Development in Washington, D.C., by invitation of Murray McDonnell, chairman of the board of the Center for Human Development. The book has been divided into the following: Prologue; Introduction; 1 From Relevance to Prayer, The Temptation: To Be Relevant; The Question: "Do You Love Me?", The Discipline: Contemplative Prayer; II From Popularity to Ministry, The Temptation: To Be Spectacular, The Task: "Feed My Sheep", The Discipline: Confession and Forgiveness; III From Leading to Being Led, The Temptation: To be Powerful, The Challenge: "Somebody Else Will Take You", The Discipline: Theological Reflection; Conclusion; Epilogue.
As is stated on the front flap: ". . .By looking back at his own life and transition from the academic setting of Harvard to working with the mentally handicapped at the L'Arche communities in Toronto, Henri Nouwen reflects upon the challenges and the solutions to the problems within today's Christian leadership."

A place where God wants to dwell

This item is a one page article by Henri Nouwen entitled ‘A Place Where God wants to dwell’, published in Compass: A Jesuit Journal, Vol. 7, No. 4, September 1989, p. 34. Henri begins the article by describing his reading as a teacher of Christian spirituality and his discovery that you must be poor ‘so God can finally be with you’. Nouwen then goes on to describe his experience at l’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill Ontario and in particular his friendship with Adam Arnett. Nouwen describes Adam as a profoundly handicapped man who knows nothing of the world Nouwen has lived in and yet becomes for Nouwen, a teacher. Nouwen writes, “Daybreak turns our expectations upside down…Because of Adam’s weakness – his poverty – we can be united in ways that form the body. Because of Adam’s needs, we come to grips with our own’. Nouwen goes on to describe a l’Arche community as not a romantic place but one of struggle and a school of discipleship.

Giving without wanting anything in return is a great act of trust

This item is a half-page article by Henri Nouwen entitled ‘ Giving without wanting anything in return is a great act of trust’, published in The Liberal, Sept. 6, 1989. The article is printed in a section that is called the Clergy Column but there are no further identifying marks. This item is also found in the chapter entitled, 'Allow yourself to be fully received' in Nouwen's 'The Inner Voice of Love". Nouwen writes, ‘Giving yourself to others without expecting anything in return is only possible when you, yourself have been fully received’. The remainder of the article speaks about the need to be free so being able to give without needing affirmation or reward from others.

Heart speaks to heart: three prayers to Jesus

Item consists of a book containing three prayers which Nouwen wrote during Holy Week while staying with the Trappists in Holland, Manitoba. Nouwen had been encouraged to write about the Sacred Heart by Madame Pauline Vanier during his stay at L'Arche in Trosly, France in 1985 and 1986.
As is stated on the front flap: ". . .Instead of writing about the Sacred Heart [Nouwen] 'began to discern in [his] own heart a real desire to speak to the heart of Jesus and be heard.'"

Seeds of hope: a Henri Nouwen Reader

Item consists of a book containing passages from Nouwen's best published work. The book has been divided into the following: Acknowledgments; Introduction--Preparing the Ground, Henri Nouwen, The Person, Henri Nouwen, The Writer; Part One Seeds of Hope: Human Hungers, Breaking Ground, Our Restless, Busy Society, Words and Silence, Loneliness, Solitude, On the Possibility and Desirability of Love, Intimacy and Sexuality, Celebrating Humanness, Celebrating Children, Celebrating Life; Part Two Springs of Hope: Holiness and Humanness, Who is the Lord to Whom I Pray?, From Magic to Faith, The Search for God, Preaching and Ministry, Holiness, Humanness, and Prayer, How Can I Pray?--Three Rules, God's Presence and God's Absence, The Spirit of St. Francis, Displacement, Career and Vocation; Part Three The Roots of Hope: Human Destiny, Nature as Revelation, Advent: Waiting, Christmas at the Abbey, The Mother of Christ, The Face of Christ, The Body of Christ, The Agony of Christ, The Human Journey: Aging and Dying, The Last Hours of Christ, The Glory of Christ; Part Four Hope in a Nuclear Age, The Predicament of Humanity in a Nuclear Age; Apocalypse Now; Mysticism in a Nuclear Age, Thomas Merton on Gandhi and Nonviolence, Ecstasy in a Nuclear Age, A Parable, The Task of Peacemaking, Resistance, Second Coming, Last Judgment; Epilogue--Adam's Story: The Peace That is Not of This World; Bibliography; Index; Printing History.

God will take us back, such as we are

This item is a half-page article by Henri Nouwen entitled, ‘ God will take us back, such as we are’ , published in the National Catholic Reporter, July 28, 1989. This is a photocopy only and the page is not identified. This is identified as an excerpt from Nouwen’ ‘The Road to Daybreak’. Nouwen begins by stating that he has been meditating on the story of the prodigal son. He describes the sense that the younger son is selfish but all the same is welcomed back. ‘God does not require a pure heart before embracing us’. Nouwen then describes Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal. Nouwen concludes by saying. ‘God is standing there with open arms, waiting to embrace me…just having me back is all he desires’.

We must trust that every true friendship has no end

This item is a half-page article by Henri Nouwen entitled, ‘We must trust that every true friendship has no end’, published in the Clergy Column of The Liberal, Sept. 13, 1989. This article was later published in Nouwen’s book ‘The Inner Voice of Love, the chapter entitled, ‘Be a Real Friend’. Nouwen opens by stating, ‘Many of our friendships come from our need for affection, affirmation and emotional support. But this need often makes us lean so heavily on others that they become overwhelmed by our demands and run away in fear and confusion’. Nouwen goes on to suggest that healthy friendship comes when we accept ourselves as deeply loved by God.

A glimpse behind the mirror: reflections on death and life

This item is an 11 page article by Henri Nouwen entitled, ‘A Glimpse behind the Mirror: Reflections on Death and Life’ published in Weavings, A Journal of the Christian Spiritual Life, Vol. IV, No. 6, November/December 1989, PP. 13 – 23. This article is about Nouwen’s experience with possible death after a road accident. Nouwen begins the article by describing the accident, his experience of the hospital emergency room and intensive care ward. Nouwen describes his gradual awareness that he might die; that he was at peace. ‘I kept thinking that dying was quite possible and that I had to prepare myself and my friends for it. And so I let myself enter a place I had never been before: the portal of death.’ Nouwen describes his experience of the presence of the love of Jesus and his deep sense of wanting to make the journey of dying to life. Nouwen is hesitant however because he knows there are relationships unhealed and forgiveness not yet given nor received. Nouwen slowly realizes that he will not die and believes that he has work to do. ‘I believe that I am asked to proclaim the love God in a new way.’ Pondering the way Jesus was in the world Nouwen asks, ‘Can I become like Jesus and witness to what I have seen? Yes, I can live in God and speak to the human reality’. Nouwen concludes the article with a quote from Phil. 1:21 -26, words of Paul that Nouwen hopes will be his guide.

Prayer and health care

This item is an 11 page article by Henri Nouwen entitled, ‘Prayer and Health Care’, published in Review by the Catholic Health Association of Canada, Vol. 17, No. 4, Winter 1989, pp.5 – 16. This article is adapted from a lecture given by Nouwen for the CHAC’s 50th anniversary Day of Celebration, October 25, 1989 in Ottawa, ON. Nouwen begins by reminding his audience of the talk he gave 12 years previously on compassion and indicates that he would now like to speak on the source of compassion: prayer. Nouwen begins by writing about Jesus’ prayer which is the source of Jesus’ life-giving ministry. ‘Every aspect of Jesus’ ministry, every word, every action and every detail of his own journey bespeaks life…’ Nouwen states that from his prayer of listening Jesus understands he is the beloved and that he wants us to know that we are also. ‘Jesus wants each of us to be just as much a child of God as he is himself’. Nouwen then goes on to describe the stresses and pressures that prevent us from being able to hear the God who desires us and our need, over time, to turn to God, to live our lives for God. Nouwen then goes on to speak about freedom which will come from prayer as we learn to listen, to move away from obsessions and compulsions, to say ‘no’ to death forces. The last half of the article speaks about the discipline of prayer in three ways: discipline of the mind, discipline of the heart, and discipline of the body. Nouwen concludes by stating, ‘ …I call all of you to be men and women of prayer, men and women truly belonging to God, men and women who at every moment of your existence and every part of yourselves will give life, not in your own name, but in the name Him who said, “I come to bring life…” Folder also contains a loose leaf photocopy of the article with annotations.

Guiding stars: a sampler of quilters' favorite quotations

Item consists of a book in which the following quotation on p. 63 from Nouwen is included as a favourite of Elaine Miles. "The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing, and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is the friend who cares."

Seeds of hope: a faith journey

Item consists of a book in which Nouwen has written the introduction, stating in part: "In this book that so clearly shows the destructive powers of death, Phil Grout offers us a radical testimony to the God of Jesus, who is the God of life."

Holy week meditations

This item is a 5 page series of Holy Week meditations by Henri Nouwen entitled ‘ Holy Week Meditations’, published in ‘Praying’ a journal of the National Catholic Reporter, March-April, 1988, No. 23, pp. 4 – 9. Some of these excerpts have appeared in Nouwen’s Road to Daybreak, published in 1988 and are written during his time at l’Arche Trosley Breuil in France. The mediations begin with Palm Sunday and Nouwen is pondering Jesus’ entry in Jerusalem and writing of the words spoken by Pere Thomas during the service. Monday is written in the form of a prayer. Tuesday begins with Jesus in John’s gospel ‘one of you will betray me’. Nouwen writes of Jesus being ‘handed over’ and moving from activity to passivity. Wednesday Nouwen writes of the positions of Peter and of Judas and the choices one makes to trust in God’s mercy and the other to despair in the face of his betrayal rather than trust. Thursday Nouwen describes his participation in the Holy Thursday service at the l’Arche community in Paris and speaks of being touched deeply by the washing of the feet. ’I saw a glimpse of the new kingdom Jesus came to bring. Everybody in the room knew how far they were from being a perfect expression of God’s love. But everybody was also willing to make a step in the direction to which Jesus pointed’. Good Friday which Nouwen describes as both a day of suffering and a day of hope. Nouwen writes of seeing Christ’s body lying across the whole world and the immense suffering of humanity. Holy Saturday Nouwen writes of the Easter Vigil, and sees ‘the celebration of the resurrection of the body is also the celebration of the daily care given to the bodies of these handicapped men and women. Nouwen ends the mediations with Easter Sunday. A quiet Eucharist at Mdme Vanier’s house and the discussion after the Mass. ‘The five of us sitting in a circle around the table with a little bread and a little wine…knew deep in our hearts that for us too all had changed, while all had remained the same’.

Praying with icons

This item is a 5 page article by Henri Nouwen entitled, ‘Praying with Icons’ in the Forum section of the National Catholic Reporter, Vol. 24, No. 25, April 15, 1988, pp. 7 – 11. This item consists of edited excerpts from Nouwen’s book: Behold the Beauty of the Lord’; commentaries on four Russian icons. The first icon Nouwen looks at is Rublev’s Holy Trinity painted in 1425. Nouwen begins by stating ‘To live in the world without belonging to the world summarizes the essence of the spiritual life’ which reminds us that our true home is with God. Nouwen goes on to write that ‘I have never seen the house of love more beautifully expressed than in [this] icon. Nouwen writes that this icon has helped him to enter more deeply into the mystery of God and yet remain fully engaged in the ‘hate and fear-filled world’. Nouwen ends this meditation by stating,’ The longer we pray with the icon and the deeper our heart is drawn toward that mysterious place where circle and cross are both present, the more fully we come to understand how to be committed to the struggle for justice and peace in the world while remaining at home in God’s love’. In the second icon, The Virgin of Vladimir painted in the 12th C., Nouwen begins by describing the importance of this icon through the centuries. He then begins by writing first of her eyes, then her hands and finally, the child in her arms. Nouwen also writes, ‘Contemplating this icon was a profound experience for me. It was the experience of being lifted up through the intercession of the Blessed Mother into the inner life of God’. The third icon, The Savior of Zvenigorod, Nouwen writes first of his longing always, to see the face of Christ and in this 15th C., somewhat damaged icon by Andre Rublev, Nouwen sees a face in which he ‘saw what I had never seen before and felt what I had never felt before’. Nouwen speaks of his face and then states, ‘what finally makes seeing Rublev’s icon such a profound spiritual experience are the eyes of the Savior. The fourth icon is a 15th C. Russian icon entitled ‘The Descent of the Holy Spirit’. Nouwen describes how gazing upon this icon helps move his head knowledge to his heart. He suggests that the iconographer ‘has chosen to paint the deepest meaning of Pentecost. He wants to express the inner event’. Nouwen concludes by writing, ‘ All four icons speak of a God not hidden in the dazzling splendor of the divine light, but in reaching out to a world yearning for freedom…’

The place of his presence

This item is a half- page article by Henri Nouwen entitled ‘The Place of his presence’ published in The Lutheran, December 14, 1988, Vol. 1, No. 18, p. 15. This item is written in the form of a prayer to Jesus in his poverty, rejection and powerlessness asking Jesus’ to be with Nouwen and all his people especially at their poorest.

Mary, mother of priests

Item consists of a booklet featuring a homily by Nouwen on Mary for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael, Toronto, during Marian year 1988.

Brieven aan Marc: over Jezus en de zin van het leven

Item consists of a book of seven letters; the translated title is: Letters to Marc About Jesus. Nouwen wrote this book in response to a publisher friend named Herman Pijfers, and his suggestion that Nouwen write a book in Dutch. As well, the book was written in collaboration with Marc van Campen, Nouwen's nephew, who agreed to share a 'book of letters' about the spiritual life. The book has been divided into the following: Preface; Letter 1. Jesus: the Heart of Our Existence; Letter 2. Jesus: the God Who Sets Us Free; Letter 3. Jesus: the Compassionate God; Letter 4. Jesus: the Descending God; Letter 5. Jesus: the Loving God; Letter 6. Jesus: the Hidden God; Letter 7. Listening to Jesus; Index of Biblical Quotations.

The road to Daybreak: a spiritual journey

Item consists of a book representing Nouwen's day-by-day account of his first year at L'Arche in Trosly, France from August 13, 1985 to July 8, 1986. The book has been divided into the following: Prologue; 1. Parents and Children; 2. Following Jesus; 3. Darkness and Light; 4. First Glimpses of a New Vocation; 5. The Primacy of the Heart; 6. Feeling the Pain; 7. Forgiving the Hurt; 8. Jesus in the Center; 9. The Important and the Urgent; 10. Poverty and Wealth; 11. A Clear Call; 12. Going Home; 13. The Struggle of Prayer; 14. Deep Roots; 15. Choosing Life; 16. The Descending Way; 17. Passion, Death, and Resurrection; 18. Larger Connections; 19. The Gift of Friendship; 20. One Among Many; 21. A Hard but Blessed Vocation; 22. Contrasts and Choices; 23. Endings and Beginnings; Epilogue.
As is stated on the back cover: "The noncompetitive life with mentally handicapped people, their gifts of welcoming me regardless of name or prestige, and the persistent invitation to 'waste some time' with them opened in me a place that until then had remained unavailable to me, a place where I could hear the gentle invitation of Jesus to dwell with Him."

Henri Nouwen

Item consists of a book containing selections from Nouwen's best published work.

Adam's peace

This item is an article by Henri Nouwen entitled, ‘Adam’s Peace’ published in World Vision, Vol. 32, No. 4, August-September, 1988, pp. 4- 7. Versions of this article have been published previously in Weavings and in The Journal of Christian Healing, 1988. See items 1727 & 1729. Nouwen begins by describing his move from the intellectual atmosphere of Harvard to the l’Arche community for the mentally handicapped at Daybreak. Nouwen writes of the atmosphere of loving equality at his house and then begins to write of Adam Arnett for whom Nouwen had some responsibility. Nouwen describes Adam as a totally dependent man who could not speak nor care for himself and who suffered daily with grand mal seizures. As he began to know Adam however, Nouwen says, ‘Out of this broken body and broken mind emerged a most beautiful human being offering me a greater gift than I would ever be able to offer him’. Nouwen uses the remainder of the article to write of Adam’s role as a man of peace, a peacemaker. ‘Adam’s peace is first of all a peace rooted in being’. Nouwen compares this with the desire of many people to strive for success and for self-worth rather than accepting much more just ‘to be’. Nouwen writes of the importance of the heart over the mind; of the heart as the center of our being where God is. Nouwen writes of the ways in which Adam helps to create community among all those who are committed to his care. As Nouwen concludes the article he writes of Jesus, the Prince of Peace; Jesus whose peace is found in weakness. Nouwen begins his conclusion by then turning to us and saying, ‘I say to you: do not give up working for peace. But remember that the peace you seek is not of this world…Keep your eyes on the one who is poor with the poor, weak with the weak, and rejected with the rejected. That one is the source of all peace’.

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