Thoughts on blessings

 

Discovering Our True Self

From: Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

To give a blessing is to affirm, to say “yes” to a person's Belovedness. And more than that: To give a blessing creates the reality of which it speaks. There is a lot of mutual admiration in this world, just as there is a lot of mutual condemnation. A blessing goes beyond the distinction between admiration and condemnation, between virtues or vices, between good deeds or evil deeds. A blessing touches the original goodness of the other and calls forth his or her Belovedness.

Reflection Question: Who might God be directing you to give a blessing to today?

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. - 1 John 4: 11

Henri Nouwen (1932–1996) was a priest, professor, and spiritual writer. He authored over 40 books on the spiritual life and spent his final years at L'Arche Daybreak, a community for people with intellectual disabilities. Drawing from his own journey of vulnerability and faith, he invites seekers into deeper intimacy with God, themselves, and others.

More Books by Henri Nouwen

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