Inner Voice of Love by Henri Nouwen

"Today, the time when I wrote these spiritual imperatives seems far away and long ago. Reading them now, eight years later, makes me aware of the radical changes I have undergone. I moved from anguish to freedom, from depression to peace, from despair to hope. It certainly was a time of purification for me. My heart, ever questioning my goodness, value, and worth, became anchored in a deeper love and thus less dependent on the praise and blame of those around me. It also grew into a greater ability to give love without always expecting love in return...

"What once seemed such a curse has become a blessing. All the agony that threatened to destroy my life now seems like the fertile ground for greater trust, stronger hope, and deeper love."

-Henri J. M. Nouwen

HENRI J. M. NOUWEN is one of the most prolific and popular spiritual writers of our time. He wrote more than 40 books and taught at Notre Dame, as well as at Yale and Harvard. For the 10 years before his death in 1996, he was part of the L'Arche Daybreak community in Toronto, sharing life with people with developmental disabilities.