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هل تستطيع أن تشرب الكأس؟
The last book published by Henri Nouwen before his untimely death in 1996, Can You Drink the Cup? explores the deep spiritual impact of the question Jesus asked his friends James and John. Reflecting upon the metaphor of the cup, Nouwen uses the images of holding, lifting, and drinking to articulate the basics of the spiritual life. The cup, a symbol used to celebrate a wide range of human endeavors, becomes for him an image to illustrate spiritual potential. Written with the profound insight and clarity characteristic of his numerous best-selling books, Nouwen's deeply perceptive exploration of Jesus' challenging question has the power to pierce your heart, expand your spiritual horizons, and radically change your life.
114 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
154 people are currently reading
1379 people want to read
About the author
Henri J.M. Nouwen
452 books2,132 followersHenri Jozef Machiel Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, psychologist, professor, and spiritual writer whose work profoundly shaped contemporary Christian spirituality. Born in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, in 1932, Nouwen pursued religious studies and was ordained a priest in 1957. His intellectual curiosity led him to study psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen and later at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, where he explored the connection between faith and mental health. Throughout his life, Nouwen remained committed to integrating pastoral care, psychology, and spiritual theology in a way that addressed the emotional and existential needs of believers.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
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December 2, 2021
This is the last book published before author’s death in 1996, and it’s a fitting one. Using the imagery of holding, lifting, and drinking a cup of wine, he talks about the basics of the spiritual life, and the cup imagery here illustrates spiritual potential in our life, right until death. This book is slim, but like some other slim books, it has much power.
The author uses real-life scenes from his work in a community for physically and mentally challenged people as some examples, which connect nicely with the book’s theme. The title comes from the Gospel of Matthew, where the mother of the sons of Zebedee asks if the boys can get seat next to Jesus in his kingdom, and Jesus pretty much answers that they first must go through life with its sufferings and joys (for James, his martyrdom comes soonish, executed by Herod – John is the only apostle not to die by martyrdom, but lives a long life with other sufferings of the Christians in Ancient Rome, including at least one time of exile as it’s told in the book of Revelation).
He also talks about how he became a priest, and what kinds of cups he has used in life, including the glass ones used in the community he worked in. But the main question of the book is: can we accept and live our spiritual life as it happens during our lifetime? Can we accept our own cups? The main part of the book is divided into the three actions of drinking: holding, lifting, drinking.
Holding: reflecting on life, looking critically even when it’s scary; holding our own cup (our own choices, life). It’s both a cup of sorrow, and of joy; there may be moments of joy within sorrow, and whatever cup is like in whatever point of life, there is always hope and hope of good future in afterlife to think about.
Lifting: to affirm and celebrate life together, contributing to the community. To find people you can trust to be open about yourself with, to be grateful of life.
Drinking (and to the bottom of the cup): accepting our life (not easy) and being true to ourselves. Yearning for beyond’s freedom. Having moments of silence with thinking, a good community, and good actions.
And going through this with the support of the Holy Spirit. We have the cup of Communion during Mass, but thinking about the cup of our (spiritual) life is also important. To think about our lives, to have a community, and to have hope for a good future of afterlife: and we drink our own cup, using our senses to examine it, and drink it slowly and with appreciation, with a connection to God.
Yes, this book is a slim book full of things to ponder about, with a good after-feels. Recommended to all interested.
The author uses real-life scenes from his work in a community for physically and mentally challenged people as some examples, which connect nicely with the book’s theme. The title comes from the Gospel of Matthew, where the mother of the sons of Zebedee asks if the boys can get seat next to Jesus in his kingdom, and Jesus pretty much answers that they first must go through life with its sufferings and joys (for James, his martyrdom comes soonish, executed by Herod – John is the only apostle not to die by martyrdom, but lives a long life with other sufferings of the Christians in Ancient Rome, including at least one time of exile as it’s told in the book of Revelation).
He also talks about how he became a priest, and what kinds of cups he has used in life, including the glass ones used in the community he worked in. But the main question of the book is: can we accept and live our spiritual life as it happens during our lifetime? Can we accept our own cups? The main part of the book is divided into the three actions of drinking: holding, lifting, drinking.
Holding: reflecting on life, looking critically even when it’s scary; holding our own cup (our own choices, life). It’s both a cup of sorrow, and of joy; there may be moments of joy within sorrow, and whatever cup is like in whatever point of life, there is always hope and hope of good future in afterlife to think about.
Lifting: to affirm and celebrate life together, contributing to the community. To find people you can trust to be open about yourself with, to be grateful of life.
Drinking (and to the bottom of the cup): accepting our life (not easy) and being true to ourselves. Yearning for beyond’s freedom. Having moments of silence with thinking, a good community, and good actions.
And going through this with the support of the Holy Spirit. We have the cup of Communion during Mass, but thinking about the cup of our (spiritual) life is also important. To think about our lives, to have a community, and to have hope for a good future of afterlife: and we drink our own cup, using our senses to examine it, and drink it slowly and with appreciation, with a connection to God.
Yes, this book is a slim book full of things to ponder about, with a good after-feels. Recommended to all interested.
February 3, 2016
Writing in a gentle and calm style, Nouwen invites us to an imaginative rereading of Jesus's question "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?". Through the metaphors of holding, lifting and drinking the cup, he shows us how the celebration of the Eucharist may model for us a path of true spiritual life. By reflecting upon our own lives and embracing our own sorrows and joys, by living a life of community and friendship and by surrendering ourselves fully to Jesus, we say a deep spiritual Yes to the question, therefore emptying the cup of our lives for God to fill it with everlasting life. Wisdom to be savoured again and again.
June 20, 2021
Written and published just before his death, Nouwen uses the drinking of the cup (from Jesus question to James and John) as a metaphor for living the Christian life. This small book contains much of Nouwen's wisdom from a life lived in God's service delivered succinctly. Books like these are rare and well worth every minute spent reading.
September 6, 2025
An enchanting little book. Nouwen is so gentle, pastoral, and caring.
March 5, 2017
هذا الكتاب ترجم الى العربي تحت اسم : هل تستطيع ان تشرب الكاس.?
الترجمة مفهومة .
الكاتب بيشرح التشابه بين طريقة شرب كاس من الخمر واحتمال الم الحياة و قبولها.
التشبيه جميل وكان جديد على بعض التشابهات التي وضعها.
هنري نوين فنان في شرح ما يريد ان يعلمه لنا عن الم الحياة. و كيف ان كاس الحياة هو كاس الالم وكاس الفرح مع بعض. انه كاس واحد. وعلى الانسان ان يقبله ويشربه .
ايضا وضح اهمية وجود اخرين لكي تساعد الانسان ان يشرب كاس الحياة.
الترجمة مفهومة .
الكاتب بيشرح التشابه بين طريقة شرب كاس من الخمر واحتمال الم الحياة و قبولها.
التشبيه جميل وكان جديد على بعض التشابهات التي وضعها.
هنري نوين فنان في شرح ما يريد ان يعلمه لنا عن الم الحياة. و كيف ان كاس الحياة هو كاس الالم وكاس الفرح مع بعض. انه كاس واحد. وعلى الانسان ان يقبله ويشربه .
ايضا وضح اهمية وجود اخرين لكي تساعد الانسان ان يشرب كاس الحياة.
February 15, 2022
This book was given to me by a friend for my birthday this year - she found it transformative & encouraging for her life calling.
'Drinking the cup' is the metaphor that Henri Nouwen explores in this book. It was an inspiring read for me as Henri Nouwen wrote this while taking up residence at L'Arche Daybreak, a residential community for those with intellectual and physical disabilities in Toronto, and I see parallels with the people I see as the visiting GP at a supported accommodation for those with chronic mental illness. I am praying for a team of people who can catch my vision to offer "a cup of cold water" to these people who would otherwise be homeless.
'Drinking the cup' is the metaphor that Henri Nouwen explores in this book. It was an inspiring read for me as Henri Nouwen wrote this while taking up residence at L'Arche Daybreak, a residential community for those with intellectual and physical disabilities in Toronto, and I see parallels with the people I see as the visiting GP at a supported accommodation for those with chronic mental illness. I am praying for a team of people who can catch my vision to offer "a cup of cold water" to these people who would otherwise be homeless.
February 27, 2021
A beautifully simple and rich read for lent. An exploration of what it means to drink our cups of life, with all its highs and lows. What does it mean to join Christ in fulfilling his calling of relational intimacy with the father? Henri Nouwen guides us on this journey through his own life experiences.
September 20, 2024
It took me 2 years to finish but it was well worth it. There is a reason Henri is so respected. I would highly recommend.
December 14, 2020
هل تستطيع أن تشرب الكأس؟ هل تستطيع أن تشرب كأس الحياة بكل ما فيها من حزن وفرح؟ هل تستطيع أن تشربه في جو من حب اصدقاء حقيقيين؟ هل تستطيع أن تفرغه حتى قاعه عالماً ان الله سوف يملأه حياة ابدية؟
ان حمل وشرب الكأس هو حياتك المدعو ان تعيشها وتقبلها. وهو دعوتك لتعيش حريتك الحقيقية.
ان حمل وشرب الكأس هو حياتك المدعو ان تعيشها وتقبلها. وهو دعوتك لتعيش حريتك الحقيقية.
March 25, 2020
Who is ever prepared for life and all it will bring? As much as we hope that ‘everything will work out in the end’ - when it doesn’t, we are left holding our disappointment, failure, and despair. Each of us has our own individual life to live and cup to drink. No one can drink it for you and you can even try to avoid it altogether. The cup of life is full of sorrow. Yet it is also full of joy. To drink it, we must learn to savor the taste of both. He argues that in accepting it, with gratitude, and drinking it to the bottom, every drop, is life itself.
Jesus asks a simple question, yet within it contains the entire Christian life. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
If you are not careful, this book will open up your spirit, and cause you to reflect on your life, your history, your future and the cup that you have been asked to drink. It challenged me deeply. It’s not one of Nouwen’s most profound works but a worthy and necessary read. It can be read in only a day or two. And yet no matter how short his work he always leaves you with a lifetime worth of reflection and wonder.
"To Life"
Jesus asks a simple question, yet within it contains the entire Christian life. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”
If you are not careful, this book will open up your spirit, and cause you to reflect on your life, your history, your future and the cup that you have been asked to drink. It challenged me deeply. It’s not one of Nouwen’s most profound works but a worthy and necessary read. It can be read in only a day or two. And yet no matter how short his work he always leaves you with a lifetime worth of reflection and wonder.
"To Life"
August 22, 2018
Just reread this again on a personal retreat. Some times it is difficult to equally embrace the joys and sorrows of life, recognizing that both are needed to fully follow Christ and the unique path He prepares for us.
May 16, 2024
Henri Nouwen remains one who makes me want to be a disciple of Christ, for all the best reasons. The book, serving as a timely reminder, successfully parallels the threefold actions of consecrating the cup with the ways we must claim (hold), share (lift), and appropriate (drink) every aspect of our lives — whether the cup first tastes sorrowful or joyful. A major theme included the necessity of a life reflected upon and claimed in totality, for the cup of blessing and salvation includes both sorrow and joy. I quite liked his recommendations for drinking the cup, or realizing the totality of our life, through silence, fellowship, and action, all in a Kierkegaard-fashion of taking hold of and declaring oneself before God, now expanded to be before the trusted community of the Church and then the non-believing world.
Overall, it was an excellent read and very accessible to someone who wants some good ole fashioned encouragement to love Jesus, and a reminder that in any circumstance, the life we have is the lot we’ve been given, the cup we must drink, so even in the sorrow find the blessing, the pearl of great price, and pursue it richly.
last line:
“Together when we drink that cup as Jesus drank it we are transformed into the one body of the living Christ, always dying and always rising for the salvation of the world.”
Overall, it was an excellent read and very accessible to someone who wants some good ole fashioned encouragement to love Jesus, and a reminder that in any circumstance, the life we have is the lot we’ve been given, the cup we must drink, so even in the sorrow find the blessing, the pearl of great price, and pursue it richly.
last line:
“Together when we drink that cup as Jesus drank it we are transformed into the one body of the living Christ, always dying and always rising for the salvation of the world.”
January 15, 2025
This was an awesome read. The title question of Jesus’ “can you drink the cup?” is present throughout and is pointed directly at the reader. It makes you take a look internally, whilst paired with anecdotes and scripture. Though it is only 100 pages, it is dense with wisdom and paragraphs that can be reflected upon for hours. It’s almost like a Christian fortune cookie the quotes are so good in here. It could be read in two hours or broken down page by page over weeks. It talks about the meaning of raising the cup, in Jesus’ time and in our present day culture as well as several different examples of what is in the cup, from sorrow and joy, to Jesus’ blood and ours.
I noted some of my favorite quotes earlier, but the chunk that stuck with me in the last half was: “Entertainment keeps us distracted, excited, or in suspense. Entertainment is often good for us. It gives us an evening or a day off from our worries and fears. But when we start living life as entertain-ment, we lose touch with our souls and become little more than spectators in a lifelong show. Even very useful and relevant work can become a way of forgetting who we really are. It is no surprise that for many people retirement is a fearful prospect. Who are we when there is nothing to keep us busy?” (Page 94)
Thanks for letting me borrow Coop <3
I noted some of my favorite quotes earlier, but the chunk that stuck with me in the last half was: “Entertainment keeps us distracted, excited, or in suspense. Entertainment is often good for us. It gives us an evening or a day off from our worries and fears. But when we start living life as entertain-ment, we lose touch with our souls and become little more than spectators in a lifelong show. Even very useful and relevant work can become a way of forgetting who we really are. It is no surprise that for many people retirement is a fearful prospect. Who are we when there is nothing to keep us busy?” (Page 94)
Thanks for letting me borrow Coop <3
November 24, 2023
Wow, what a beautiful little book. This is my third venture into one of Nouwen's works, and every time I leave astounded, inspired, and enamored by his way of communicating truth in a way that is both full and digestible, poetic and precise. As Nouwen encounters and expounds upon Jesus's question, "Can you drink the cup that I'm going to drink?" and the depth and meaning of our yes. The exploration of — and invitation to — the three movements of holding, lifting, and drinking the cup is incredibly valuable, and Nouwen's inclusion of his own story and his experience at Daybreak only further magnifies the messages he seeks to communicate.
This book is easy to read and immersive in nature. Engaging the heart of Jesus is no struggle here, and engaging our own hearts and stories is deeply welcomed. I am so glad that class led me to read this book. I go forth from its pages now with much to consider and a desire and pursuit to drink the cup of my own life with Jesus, and to drink it to the full.
This book is easy to read and immersive in nature. Engaging the heart of Jesus is no struggle here, and engaging our own hearts and stories is deeply welcomed. I am so glad that class led me to read this book. I go forth from its pages now with much to consider and a desire and pursuit to drink the cup of my own life with Jesus, and to drink it to the full.
December 13, 2020
Can You Drink the Cup? is Henri Nouwen’s reflection on Matthew 20:20-23. This was Nouwen's final book before his death in 1996. He left us with much to ponder: "The cup of life is the cup of joy as much as it is the cup of sorrow. It is the cup in which sorrows and joys, sadness and gladness, mourning and dancing are never separated. If joys could not be where sorrows are, the cup of life would never be drinkable."
April 19, 2025
I adore and am inspired by the enduring thoughtfulness of Nouwen. He is one of many voices inviting us into thoughtful silence, deep vulnerability with others, and intentional action for the sake of the world. I highly recommend this text and his testimony that is grounded in his lifelong ministry of accompaniment to anyone feeling the nudge towards deeper engagement with and appreciation of “the life that truly is life” (1 Timothy 6:19)
January 12, 2019
Challenging, thought-provoking, raw, and true. What does it mean to drink the cup? To be vulnerable? To identify with Christ, and each other? To drink the sorrows, the sufferings, and the joys? Read this book to challenge your perceptions and step into truth that sets you free - because Jesus himself drank from the cup first and shed his blood for all.
October 26, 2020
إن دعوة يسوع لنا لأن نشرب الكأس دون تقديم المكافأة التي
نتوقعها هو التحدي العظيم في الحياة الروحية. فهي تكسر كل
الحسابات والتوقعات البشرية. وهى تتحدى كل أمنياتنا فى أن
نكون متأكدين ومطمئنين مقدما٠ وهي تقلب أملنا في مستقبل
متوقع رأسا على عقب، وتقوم بتحطيم كل أجهزة الأمان التي
نخترعها لأنفسنا. إنها تطالب بثقة جذرية كبرى في الله، نفس
تلك الثقة التي جعلت يسوع يشرب الكأس حتى قاعه
نتوقعها هو التحدي العظيم في الحياة الروحية. فهي تكسر كل
الحسابات والتوقعات البشرية. وهى تتحدى كل أمنياتنا فى أن
نكون متأكدين ومطمئنين مقدما٠ وهي تقلب أملنا في مستقبل
متوقع رأسا على عقب، وتقوم بتحطيم كل أجهزة الأمان التي
نخترعها لأنفسنا. إنها تطالب بثقة جذرية كبرى في الله، نفس
تلك الثقة التي جعلت يسوع يشرب الكأس حتى قاعه
August 22, 2021
A masterful look at the question Jesus asked James and John… “can you drink this cup?”
Nouwen has a unique ability in his writing to help readers probe the depths of their own journey with Jesus. This was most certainly true with this book.
Nouwen has a unique ability in his writing to help readers probe the depths of their own journey with Jesus. This was most certainly true with this book.
March 23, 2024
Learning to hold joy and sorrow together. Even more so, I’m seeing that salvation, like communion, is received, not earned by any effort of mine. The cup of salvation far outweighs any sorrow or joy I experience!
January 25, 2025
Teaching me, in days with a herniated back, what it means to find God’s power made perfect in weakness, and to learn to drink the cup of suffering along with the cup of joy, for as it turns out, they are one and the same
July 29, 2018
“Together when we drink that cup as Jesus drank it we are transformed into the one body of the living Christ, always dying and always rising for the salvation of the world.” - Henri Nouwen
April 8, 2021
Great little book - I used it for meditation during Lent-- especially at Adoration.
May 6, 2022
"When we are crushed like grapes, we cannot think of the wine we will become."
Another powerful, deeply challenging and spiritual work from Nouwen. Highly recommended.
Another powerful, deeply challenging and spiritual work from Nouwen. Highly recommended.
February 4, 2024
Simple yet profound. Nouwen uses the image of the communion cup to discuss our lives in 3 ways. Holding who we are - discovering, accepting. Lifting - sharing, celebrating joys & sorrows. Drinking - why we’re here - our unique cup. To be read slowly & meditatively.
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October 20, 2024I really enjoyed this book and I loved Henri Nouwen’s view on suffering and joy!!
July 2, 2021
A simple but deeply profound explanation of the cup of life that we drink to remember the life of Jesus poured out for us. This book captures in a very accessible way through 100 pages of short chapters the very essence of living for God both individually and in community.
August 18, 2021
Moving. Very moving. Intimacy with God is, after all, the greatest of things.
June 4, 2013
"The cup of sorrow, inconceivable as it seems, is also the cup of joy. Only when we discover this in our own life can we consider drinking it." (38)
"Jesus' unconditional yes to His Father had empowered him to drink his cup, not in passive resignation but with the full knowledge that the hour of his death would also be the hour of his glory. His yes made his surrender a creative act, an act that could bear much fruit. His yes took away the fatality of the interruption of his ministry. Instead of a final irrevocable end, his death became the beginning of a new life. Indeed, his yes enabled him to trust fully in the rich harvest the dying grain would yield." (50)
"Nothing is sweet or easy about community. Community is a fellowship of people who do not hide their joys and sorrows but make them visible to each other in a gesture of hope. In community we say: 'Life is full of gains and losses, joys and sorrows, ups and downs--but we do not have to live it alone. We want to drink our cup together and thus celebrate the truth that the wounds of our individual lives, which seem intolerable when lived alone, become sources of healing when we live them as part of a fellowship of mutual care.'" (57)
"The Eucharist is that sacred mystery through which what we lived as a curse, we now live as a blessing. Our suffering can no longer be a divine punishment. Jesus transformed it as the way to new life. His blood, and ours too, now can become martyr's blood--blood that witnesses to a new covenant, a new communion, a new community." (68)
"We need to be able to let our tears flow freely, tears of sorrow as well as tears of joy, tears that are as rain on dry ground. As we thus lift our lives for each other, we can truly say: 'To life,' because all we have lived now becomes the fertile soil for the future." (74)
"When we are committed to do God's will and not our own we soon discover that much of what we do doesn't need to be done by us." (100)
"Drinking the cup is an act of selfless love, an act of immense trust, an act of surrender to a God who will give what we need when we need it." (106)
"Jesus' unconditional yes to His Father had empowered him to drink his cup, not in passive resignation but with the full knowledge that the hour of his death would also be the hour of his glory. His yes made his surrender a creative act, an act that could bear much fruit. His yes took away the fatality of the interruption of his ministry. Instead of a final irrevocable end, his death became the beginning of a new life. Indeed, his yes enabled him to trust fully in the rich harvest the dying grain would yield." (50)
"Nothing is sweet or easy about community. Community is a fellowship of people who do not hide their joys and sorrows but make them visible to each other in a gesture of hope. In community we say: 'Life is full of gains and losses, joys and sorrows, ups and downs--but we do not have to live it alone. We want to drink our cup together and thus celebrate the truth that the wounds of our individual lives, which seem intolerable when lived alone, become sources of healing when we live them as part of a fellowship of mutual care.'" (57)
"The Eucharist is that sacred mystery through which what we lived as a curse, we now live as a blessing. Our suffering can no longer be a divine punishment. Jesus transformed it as the way to new life. His blood, and ours too, now can become martyr's blood--blood that witnesses to a new covenant, a new communion, a new community." (68)
"We need to be able to let our tears flow freely, tears of sorrow as well as tears of joy, tears that are as rain on dry ground. As we thus lift our lives for each other, we can truly say: 'To life,' because all we have lived now becomes the fertile soil for the future." (74)
"When we are committed to do God's will and not our own we soon discover that much of what we do doesn't need to be done by us." (100)
"Drinking the cup is an act of selfless love, an act of immense trust, an act of surrender to a God who will give what we need when we need it." (106)
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