Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith [Hardcover]

Henri J. M. Nouwen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 20, 1996

When beloved author Henri Nouwen set out to record this daybook of totally new reflections, he suddenly found himself on "a true spiritual adventure." For in these 366 original, interlocking morsels of daily wisdom, Nouwen provides both sustenance and a trail for us to follow, as he unveils, to his own surprise, his personal map of faith. From the delicate interplay of human experience to the surrender to Christ and the embrace of Christian community, that journey of Christian spirituality is explored and celebrated here in each eloquent, thought–provoking passage,

"The table is one of the most intimate places in our lives. It is there that we give ourselves to one another. When we say, 'Take some more, let me serve you another plate, let me pour you another glass, don't be shy, enjoy it,' we say a lot more than our words express. We invite our friends to become part of our lives. We want them to be nurtured by the same food and drink that nurture us. We desire communion.... Every breakfast, lunch, or dinner can become a time of growing communion with one another."

Intimately personal and inspiring, Bread for the Journey is a daily feast of fresh insight into the challenges and deep joys of a life lived in close communion with God. Nouwen is a wise, loving companion who invites us along as he finds joy in the community of loss, true freedom in forgiveness of others, and hope in surprising places. Each daily meditation is a stepping–stone along a path of private discovery, offering Nouwen's seasoned yet fresh ideas on kindness, love, suffering, and prayer, the Church as God's people, and the importance of Jesus in one's life–reflecting, as a whole, Nouwen's own 'personal creed.' Bread for the Journey brims with daily nourishment and guidance for devoted followers and new friends alike –– food for thought on a yearlong journey of discovery and faith.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith is a devotional containing meditations for every day of the year. Henry Nouwen begins the book by honing in on everyday experiences and objects. His reflection on the spiritual significance of mealtime, for instance, renders breakfast a revelatory hour:

The table is one of the most intimate places in our lives. It is there that we give ourselves to one another. When we say, "Take some more, let me serve you another plate, let me pour you another glass...," we say a lot more than our words express. We invite our friends to become part of our lives. We want them to be nurtured by the same food and drink that nurture us. We desire communion.

As the year progresses, Nouwen's focus shifts to the person of Jesus, the nature of the Church, and, finally, to the eternal life that is facilitated, in part, by books of wisdom like this one. --Michael Joseph Gross

Review

"Henri Nouwen shares personal moments, teaching moments, sacramental moments-moments of delight and surprise for anyone who cares to commune with him-and the One to whom he points each day of this journey. What a gift for us all! Bread for the Journey nourishes the soul." -- Fred Rogers, host and creator of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood

"How graced we are to have Henri Nouwen's bread to break at the beginning of each day. He has combined the flour, water, and yeast of his heart to provide us with loaves of wisdom to nourish us." -- Christopher de Vinck, author of Simple Wonders

"On the long road it's good to have Nouwen and his divining rod. Deftly he bends toward the drop of spiritual wisdom caked in the most ordinary things." -- Sister Helen Prejean, C.S.J., author of Dead Man Walking

"Reading his thoughts is like probing a diamond mine: each page lays bare another gem. Faithful followers will not only enjoy reading this latest spiritual masterpiece, but will find themselves reflecting on his thoughts long after they have finished the book." -- Fr. Joseph F. Girzone, author of Joshua

"[This] daily companion...offers faith in plain speech, solid nourishment of the soul." -- Kathleen Norris, author of Dakota and The Cloister Walk

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (November 20, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060663766
• ISBN-13: 978-0060663766
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,153 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Meditations
  • #68 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Prayer
  • #92 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Worship & Devotion > Meditations

More About the Author

Henri Nouwen was born in Holland in 1932 and ordained a Catholic priest in 1957. He obtained his doctorandus in psychology from Nijmegen University in the Netherlands and taught at Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard. He experienced the monastic life with Trappist monks at the Abbey of the Genesee, lived among the poor in Latin America with the Maryknoll missioners, and was interested and active in numerous causes related to social justice. After a lifetime of seeking, Henri Nouwen finally found his home in Canada, as pastor of L'Arche Daybreak - where people with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers live together in community.

Henri Nouwen wrote over 40 books on spirituality and the spiritual life that have sold millions of copies and been translated into dozens of languages. His vision of spirituality was broad and inclusive, and his compassion embraced all of humankind.

He died in 1996. His work and his spirit live on.

Henri Nouwen pronounced his name "Henry Now-en." For more information on his life and work, please visit www.henrinouwen.org .

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ideal devotional book, January 15, 2001

By 

"drzac" (Vellore, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (Hardcover)

I have found this book so helpful that I have used it as my morning devotional book two years running. Each day's reading is brief, yet so thought provoking. There is much spare space on each page and in my copy of the book all the spare space is filled up with thoughts and ideas provoked by the readings. I have given away at least ten copies of the book as gifts and I have invariably been thanked for each gift. If life is a journey, here are a set of helpful road signs.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Straight to the heart, January 18, 2005

By 

Mark Blackburn (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (Hardcover)

"The very best translation of the Bible" (I enjoy saying this to friends ---- always pausing for dramatic effect) . . . "is the one you pick up and actually READ every day."

By my own standard then, I'd have to say this is my second-favorite book. Published at the time of Henri Nouwen's death in 1997, it is almost without peer. There is one other that may be as good: Mother Teresa's book of 365 daily meditations, "The Joy in Loving" published the same year. Yet, Nouwen's "Bread for the Journey" may appeal to an even wider audience --- for reasons that become evident the moment you open it anywhere.

Well, we're only as good as our latest work . . . so why not start literally with 'yesterday, today and tomorrow.' You'll find each reflection interlocks with the previous one, and each is barely 100 words. Just see if these thoughts don't speak to your heart . . .

(Yesterday, January 17) -- BE YOURSELF

Often we want to be somewhere other than where we are, or even to be someone other than who we are. We tend to compare ourselves constantly to others and wonder why we are not as rich, as intelligent, as simple, as generous or as saintly as they are. Such comparisons make us feel guilty, ashamed or jealous. It is very important to realize that our vocation is hidden where we are and who we are. We are unique human beings, each with a call to realize in life what no one else can, and to realize it in the concrete context of the here and now.

We will never find our vocations by trying to figure out whether we are better or worse than others. We are good enough to do what we are called to do. Be yourself!

(Today, January 18) -- FINDING SOLITUDE

All human beings are alone. No other person will completely feel like we do, think like we do, act like we do. Each of us is unique, and our aloneness is the other side of our uniqueness. The question is whether we let our aloneness become loneliness or whether we allow it to lead us into solitude. Loneliness is painful; solitude is peaceful. Loneliness makes us cling to others in desperation; solitude allows us to respect others in their uniqueness and create community.

Letting our aloneness grow into solitude and not into loneliness is a lifelong struggle. It requires conscious choices about whom to be with, what to study, how to pray, and when to ask for counsel. But wise choices will help us to find the solitude where our hearts can grow in love.

(Tomorrow, January 19 - CREATING SPACE TO DANCE TOGETHER

When we feel lonely we keep looking for a person or persons who can take our loneliness away. Our lonely hearts cry out, "Please hold me, touch me, speak to me, pay attention to me." But soon we discover that the person we expect to take our loneliness away cannot give us what we ask for. Often that person feels oppressed by our demands and runs away, leaving us in despair. As long as we approach another person from our loneliness, no mature human relationship can develop. Clinging to one another in loneliness is suffocating and eventually becomes destructive. For love to be possible we need the courage to create space between us and to trust that this space allows us to dance together.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Graduation Gift, May 12, 2000

By 

M. H Mele "Mary H. Mele" (Bellingham, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (Hardcover)

This book leads one gently through all the themes of life with Christ. I love to give it as a graduation gift because it is mature, but not overwhelming. It is an invitation, one that can be picked up at any time of the year, and there is a short message. Worth having the head of one's bed - that's why I give it.