The real ‘work’ of prayer is to become silent and listen to the voice that says good things about me. The late Henri Nouwen was one of the twentieth century’s greatest spiritual writers, and this book brings together two of his most inspirational pastoral works. Life of the Beloved asks how one can live a spiritual life in a completely secular culture. The greatest challenge, concludes Nouwen, is to bridge the gap between secular and sacred within the human self as a human being beloved of God.Our Greatest Gift is a meditation on dying. Dying and death can often bring fear, but the experience of dying and caring for the dying can become the deepest experience of love. Nouwen encourages us to ask, ‘How can my death become fruitful in the lives of others?’ Ultimately, it is the greatest gift we have to offer.