Nouwen spent his life helping people respond to the universal "yearning for love, unity and communion that doesn't go away." He probed deeply at the meaning of living a spiritual life that embraces pain and suffering in ourselves and in the world, yet nevertheless gives us freedom to love deeply wherever we are.
More than a prayer book, Henri Nouwen: A Book of Hours, if followed faithfully, helps structure our daily routine with prayer; thus, not only sanctifying our relationship with God, but also sanctifying the minutes and hours of each day.