Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith, by Henri Nouwen. Harper, 2015.
. . . these clearly are the words and teachings of Nouwen, prepared by two people close to him when he was alive (Rebecca Laird and Michael Christensen).
Much like Nouwen’s Making All Things New, this is by a spiritual master for everyday people longing to be closer to God. It is not about how to become a spiritual friend, mentor or director, but focuses on ways individuals can find their spiritual direction in the broadest possible sense. Although there is
an essay on what a spiritual director does, there is much more about how to pray, practice solitude and overcome the fears that keep us from knowing ourselves as God’s beloved.
Many Christians who struggle with the image of a punishing God will appreciate the section on becoming attentive to and working with
our image of God. Following each chapter there is a recommended spiritual practice and questions to ponder.
This is a brilliant addition to Nouwen’s canon of work as a writer and will enrich both longtime Nouwen fans and newcomers to his wisdom.
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Saint of the Week
St. Peter of Tarentaise: May 8. 1102-75.
There are two men named Saint Peter of Tarentaise who lived one century apart. The man we honor today is the younger Peter, born in France in the early part of the 12th century. The other man with the same name became Pope Innocent the Fifth.
The Peter we’re focusing on today became a Cistercian monk and eventually served as abbot. In 1142, he was named archbishop of Tarentaise, replacing a bishop who had been deposed because of corruption. Peter tackled his new assignment with vigor. He brought reform into his diocese, replaced lax clergy, and reached out to the poor. He visited all parts of his mountainous
diocese on a regular basis.
After about a decade as bishop, Peter “disappeared” for a year and lived quietly as a lay brother at an abbey in Switzerland. When he was found out, the reluctant bishop was persuaded to return to his post. He again focused many of his energies on the
poor.
Peter died in 1175 on his way home from an unsuccessful papal assignment to reconcile the kings of France and England.
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The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples.. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
'Take only ONE . God is watching.'
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, 'Take all you want. God is watching the apples'.
