Below are my study notes for this week's chapter.
Letters to Marc –
April 13, 2014
1. This is Nouwen's final chapter that he uses as a final exhortation
to his nephew Marc.
a. Note that it has taken Nouwen seven months to write the letters,
instead of completing them in the seven weeks of Lent.
b. Nouwen has now moved to Canada to live at Daybreak, an L'Arche
community in Toronto.
c.
He notes that his time in France awakened in him the burning
question, “How best am I to follow Jesus?” (81). This, of
course, is a very good question for all of us to ask of ourselves.
d.
Nouwen indicates that even as he has written the letters to help Marc
get to know Jesus better, it has helped Nouwen himself get to know
Jesus better (81)
2.
Nouwen discusses how he has discovered
himself “secularizing” Jesus, which he defines as looking “to
Jesus for a cheap liberation, a solution to my problems, help with my
desire for success, getting even with my opponents and a good measure
of publicity” (82)
a.
Instead, he believes we should “see
Jesus as the gospel presents him: as the Lord who calls us to be
spiritual freedom, shares our suffering, shows us the descending way,
challenges us to love our enemies, and secretly reveals God's love to
us.” (82)
b.
Do you see the difference between secularizing Jesus and seeing
Jesus as the gospel presents him?
Conversation
starter: Share your image of who Christ is in your life.
3.
Nouwen explains that” spiritual life is life lived in the spirit of
Jesus” (82).
a.
No surprise that he sees the eucharist as the center of the life
lived in the spirit of Jesus (82).
b.
I continue to believe that the Catholic life rooted in the norm of
daily eucharist impacts Nouwen's reflections.
4.
Nouwen notes that he and Marc are both called to be disciples of
Christ.
a.
The differences between them (i.e. – age, upbringing, etc.) do not
count; what counts I “being attentive at all times to the voice of
God's love inviting us to obey, that is, to make a generous response
(83).
b.
I like his phrase “generous response,” and I wish that he had
spent some time reflecting on that phrase.
5.
Nouwen then asks the question “How can we keep listening to this
voice in a world which does its best to distract us and get our
attention for seemingly more urgent matters?” and then answers with
three forms of listening (83)
a.
“Listen to the church” (83). He notes that this means
specifically taking part in the church's liturgical life, which unite
us “more and more intimately with the divine life he [Jesus]
offers]” (83).
1. I wonder how Nouwen understands the role of church dogma in his
suggestion that Marc listen to the church?
2.
I find it fascinating and powerful that even as Nouwen is speaking of
the spiritual life, which many in our time interpret as private, he
connects it with the church.
Conversation
starter: Can you see in your own life how the following of the
liturgical calendar at church has impacted your life of faithfulness?
b.
Next. Nouwen exhorts Marc to listen to the book, which means “read
the Bible” (83).
1.
actually, Nouwen does not suggest just reading the Bible, but also
reading books about the Bible, and about spirituality, and about the
great saints of the church (83).
2.
Nouwen notes the difference between reading a book for information
and listening to a voice that addresses Marc directly (84).
3.
Nouwen notes that Marc's “thirst for knowledge and information
often makes you desire to own the word, instead of letting the word
own you” 84).
c.
Finally, Nouwen tells Marc to “listen to his heart” (84)
1. No surprise that Nouwen ends up back at the heart!
2.
Nouwen indicates that to listen to Jesus who dwells in the depths of
our hearts requires us to engage in prayer (84).
3.
Nouwen notes that “ten minutes each day for Jesus alone [prayer]
can bring about a radical change in your life (84).
6.
Let's finish with this statement from Nouwen: “When you admit
Jesus to your heart nothing is predictable, but everything becomes
possible. I pray that you will venture on a life with Jesus. He
asks everything of you, but gives you more in return” (84-5).
Conversation
starter: How can you better listen for Jesus?
Resources: Letters to Marc: Living Spiritually in a
Materialistic World, Henri Nouwen
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