Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith

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