The fruit of a communal life

We are constantly made to believe that everything we think, say or do is our personal accomplishment, deserving individual attention. But as people who belong to the communion of saints, we know that anything of spiritual value is not the result of individual accomplishment but the fruit of a communal life.

Whatever we know about God and God's love...it is not the invention of our minds asking for an award. It is the knowledge that has come to us through the ages from the people of Israel and the prophets, from Jesus and the saints, and from all who have played roles in the formation of our hearts.

True spiritual knowledge belongs to the communion of saints.

—Henri Nouwen

In the archives:
The Great Cloud of Witnesses
Koinonia, a deeper connectedness

Note: The latest issue of The Olive Branch is now online and goes into the mail today.