Wednesday, March 23, 2011

quotable quotes :)

"We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with Him and Him alone. Our primary task in solitude... is to keep the eyes of our mind and heart on him who is our divine savior. Only in the context of grace can we face our sin; only in the place of healing do we dare to show our wounds; only with a single-minded attention to Christ can we give up our clinging fears and face our own true nature.... Solitude is a place where Christ remodels us in his own image and frees us from the victimizing compulsions of the world but by our new mind, the mind of Christ. Silence prevents us from being suffocated by our worldly world and teaches us to speak the Word of God."
                                                                    — Henri J.M. Nouwen (The Way of the Heart)

3 comments:

  1. i am thankful that i came across this reading during the Lenten season, it seems perfect for me, here and now.
    it is also a wonderful complement to the 'ponderings of my heart' in response to Kara's post, here:
    http://liechtyletters.blogspot.com/2011/03/even-fool-is-thought-wise-if-he.html

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  2. Ahhh this:

    only in the place of healing do we dare to show our wounds;

    (and so we should be gentle with each other... places of healing for each other in the Body of Christ, yes?)

    and this:

    Solitude is a place where Christ remodels us in his own image and frees us from the victimizing compulsions of the world but by our new mind, the mind of Christ. Silence prevents us from being suffocated by our worldly world and teaches us to speak the Word of God

    (we needn't be victims of this world... we needn't be suffocated..... He has provided a safe haven..... in our solitude we are not truly alone, for He is there, and in our silence He still speaks..... He speaks in the still.)

    Thank you for sharing dear one.

    Kara

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  3. Yes! We just have to be bold and brave enough to savor the solitude and be reminded of who He is!! Oh how sweet! Love you, my sisters!

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