15 Days of Prayer with Henri Nouwen

15 Days of Prayer with ...

by Robert G. Waldron

Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) is considered one of the greatest spiritual masters of the modern age. Born, educated and ordained in Holland, he came to America as a professor of pastoral theology. Invited by Jean Vanier to join his mission to help the handicapped, Nouwen left academia behind to become pastor of LArche Daybreak, a home for the disabled in Toronto. There, among God's wounded, he found a home and his greatest happiness. A heart attack cut short his rich life as writer, lecturer and priest. Nouwen drew standing room only audiences, who flocked to hear his message that we are God's beloved children, that God is the One of unconditional love who loves us now, with no strings attached. His many books are arrows pointing towards this love, reminding Christians of the timeless message that Christ came into the world not to blame but to love.

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Robert Waldron holds a B.A. in English, an M.Ed., and an M.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts. He has taught English Literature and Language at Boston Latin School—Boston’s first public school, for 33 years.

Waldron is the recipient of four fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities; in 1997 he also received first prize from the Catholic Press Association for the best article on spirituality written for a periodical. In addition to scholarly articles, he has written several books including: Poetry as Prayer: the Hound of Heaven, The Lost Diary of Francis Thompson Poetry as Prayer: Thomas Merton, and A Man of a Certain Tread.

Waldron is intrigued by the life inside abbeys, seminaries, and convents, places where people have given up a worldly life to pursue something greater. His novel, Blue Hope takes place in a Cistercian abbey; in this remote New England setting, John Highet comes face to face with the great poet Ethan Seegard, now a reclusive monk at the abbey.

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a gift, and I didn’t read it as a prayer book for 15 days. The author was open about this in the introduction. He really helped me to understand Nouwen’s life and experiences, and how he was influenced by those he admired. I especially appreciated the way that he was drawn to art and icons. I so loved his book The Return of the Prodigal Son and the way Rembrandt’s painting of the story led Nouwen to so many insights into the parable.

This book is a short read and one well worth taking the time for, whether as a prayer book or as inspiration based upon Henri Nouwen’s life and teachings.

[Esther Stevenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the right book at the right time. It acted as an accompanier to me through a tricky time, and a signpost to the other books and ideas of Henri Nouwen.