From: JIM@AMERICAN.EDU (Jim McIntosh)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.catholic
Subject: Jean Vanier
Date: 17 Nov 92 23:29:27 GMT
Organization: The American University
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU

On Mon, 16 Nov 1992 23:42:35 GMT Alexander Pruss said:
>The whole thing is very orthodox as far as I can tell, very much deeply
>based on the Gospels (with lots of biblical quotes), and it is all really
>very wonderful stuff.  Whether it is spirituality strcitly speaking is
>another question, but it is certainly very worthwhile to read.

I can't recommend Jean Vanier's work highly enough. I was lucky enough to
attend a five-day retreat led by Jean Vanier, and found it to be a very
special time. I must admit I went into it with a much different mindset
than I have now. I had the basic yuppie attitude of the 80's (not
surprizingly, since I was one) that everything was going just fine.

The very first words out of Jean's mouth, as the retreat started, was
that the world was full of pain and sorrow. This was such a shock to this
young, white, rich man. During the retreat I slowly learned about the
people with whom Jean lives day in and day out, those with severe mental
and physical handicaps.

As he talked about caring for people who suffer from deep mental and
physical problems, specifically as he talked about bathing one man who
was born blind, deaf and severely retarded... who was ignored by the
nurses at the hospitals where he was placed during his childhood and
adolescence... who's only means of communications with another human
being was touch... I, for the first time, understood Matthew 25 and saw
that, for Jean, this man was Christ. As Jean bathed the body of this
broken man, he was bathing the body of the crucified Lord.

As the retreat developed, Jean moved the discussion from those who have
their handicaps on the outside to those of us who have our handicaps on
the inside. I came away with the realization that we are all wounded
people, and that when the Gospels call for us to see Christ in the the
wounded around us it is more than the sick and the hungry. Each of us has
vulnerable areas, and these areas are to be celebrated since that is
where Christ is located. It's difficult to sum it all up in just a few
words. Read the book! :-)

I do know that the retreat was a gift for me, a time to open my eyes
about my religion and what it meant in my life. It was there that I first
met the Catholic Workers, a wonderful group of people with whom I have
remained in close contact, and people from the Church of the Savour, who
operated the shelter that I ended up running for a year. Before the
retreat I would be embarrassed when encoutering someone with severe
physical or mental handicaps. I would try to avoid contact. Now, I look
forward to it. These people are indeed special people.

Sorry to take so long with this response. I highly recommend Jean's
books. If you ever get a chance to hear him talk, go. If there's a
L'Arche community in your area, visit it. I warn you, though, you may
end of spending *years* of your life trying to get closer to the wounded
of our world.

Jim McIntosh, SFO (jim@american.edu)
The American University
Washington DC 20016-8019 USA

PS- As to other books Jean has written, our online catalog shows these:

       VANIER JEAN 1928
    1   BE NOT AFRAID <1975>  (CU)
    2   BROKEN BODY <1988>  (CU)
    3   CHALLENGE OF LARCHE <1981>  (CU)
    4   COMMUNITY AND GROWTH <1989>  (CU)
    5   COMMUNITY GROWTH OUR PILGRIMAGE TOGETHER <1979>  (CU)
    6   I MEET JESUS HE TELLS ME I LOVE YOU STORY OF <1987>  (CU)
    7   I WALK WITH JESUS <1985>  (CU)
    8   IN WEAKNESS STRENGTH THE SPIRITUAL SOURCES O <1969>  (CU)
    9   MAN AND WOMAN HE MADE THEM <1985>  (CU)
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU