You Are the Beloved is the book of daily readings that I used during my quiet times in 2021. They were selected from the writings of Henri Nouwen and are presented in bite-sized daily chunks.

The theme is well summed up by the title: You are the beloved. The meditations remind me that God loves me and help me think about how I should live my life in the light of that. They were a good way to start my days.

Paging through, here’s a passage I highlighted on January 14:

For most of my life I have struggled to find God, to know God, to love God. I have tried hard to follow the guidelines of the spiritual life – pray always, work for others, read the Scriptures – and to avoid the many temptations to dissipate myself. I have failed many times but always tried again, even when I was close to despair.

Now I wonder whether I have sufficiently realized that during all this time God has been trying to find me, to know me, and to love me. The question is not “How am I to find God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?” The question is not “How am I to know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?” And, finally, the question is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?” God is looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home.

This book always left me with something to think about. I do recommend it as a nice way to add inspiring meditations to your year.