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Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring
 
 
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Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring [Paperback]

Henri J. M. Nouwen (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)


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Book Description

April 15, 1995

One of the best-loved spiritual writers of our time takes a moving, personal look at human mortality. As he shares his own experiences with aging, loss, grief, and fear, Nouwen gently and eloquently reveals the gifts that the living and dying can give to one another.



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nouwen, well-loved author of such books as The Wounded Healer , offers us here a gentle, almost meditative book on coming to terms with death. Reflecting on his own not-so-distant future death, as well as on the deaths of loved ones and friends, he shares his view of death as a gift, an opportunity to impart hope to those around us, whether through our own dying or in our caretaking of someone else. In embracing death, says Nouwen, one comes to ask: "How can I so live that I can continue to be fruitful when I am no longer here among my family and friends?" One can, in other words, make choices that effect not just one's self but also the generations to come--choices to care well, to die well and to embrace Grace. If there is a limitation to this book it lies in its failure to deal explicitly as well as implicitly with sudden and/or violent death. This is a very comforting book that will appeal to the general reader as well as the religious or to health professionals.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

".a very comforting book. .Nouwen offers us here a gentle, almost meditative book on coming to terms with death." (Publishers Weekly )

"It's a new way of looking at death, one with an upside." (Miami Herald )

"One of my favorite 'caregivers,' Henri Nouwen challenges us to accept our death as part of our spiritual journey, not its end. .Nouwen continues to be a must read." (Capital Times )

"On the long road it's good to have Nouwen and his diving 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 )

Product Details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: HarperOne (April 15, 1995)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060663553
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060663551
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 4.5 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,281 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Ministry and Caring, February 14, 2000
This review is from: Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring (Paperback)
This is a great book for all those dealing with the ministry of the pastoral care for the sick or those confronting a illness or death in the family. It demonstrates that although sometimes we cannot take away the physical pain of being sick or dying, often times, the most important part is not adding to the emotional, psychological and more importantly, spiritual pain that those who are suffering often feel. It is a call to compassion through Jesus, who is the best example of compassion that we have.
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A WARM, SIMPLE MEDITATION, December 9, 2004
The death of his friend, "Moe" who had Down's syndrome, caused Henri Nouwen to relook at one inescapable fact of all our lives. Is death so terrible that it must be feared, never spoken of or thought of? Speaker and author Nouwen thinks not and explains his thesis in this brief meditation.

Drawing on his own feelings upon reaching the age when he was closer to his death than his birth and the experiences of many friends, Nouwen crafted a slim volume in which he reminds us that we are children of God, brothers and sisters of each other, and parents of generations to come.

"Our Greatest Gift" is a warm and simple meditation discussing the realities involved in caring for those who are dying and in facing death ourselves.

- Gail Cooke
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for EVERYONE, March 30, 2007
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This review is from: Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring (Paperback)
Our society says that only "productive" people are worthwhile. Nouwen challenges us all to see the inate worth of ALL people, not just those making a salary and contributing to the tax base.

We did a study of this book at Church and it made folks really think about life, death, aging, and the value of their loved ones who are in nursing homes, etc.
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