--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A growing community must integrate three…" description: "\"A growing community must integrate three elements: a life of silent prayer, a life of service and above all of listening to the poor, and a community l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jean-vanier-3367_community_a-growing-community-must-integrate-three_2387040.png" --- # A growing community must integrate three elements: a life… ![“A growing community must integrate three elements: a life of silent prayer, a life of service and above all of listening to the poor, and a community life through which all its members can grow in their own gift.” quote by Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jean-vanier-3367_community_a-growing-community-must-integrate-three_2387040.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jean-vanier-3367_community_a-growing-community-must-integrate-three_2387040.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jean-vanier-3367_community_a-growing-community-must-integrate-three_2387040.png) > “A growing community must integrate three elements: a life of silent prayer, a life of service and above all of listening to the poor, and a community life through which all its members can grow in their own gift.” [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A healthy community balances prayer, service, and listening to the needy while nurturing each member’s gifts. **In simple terms:** Community needs prayer, service, listening, and personal growth. Key Takeaway Cultivate listening and service together. Themes community service spirituality growth Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - church groups - nonprofits - faith gatherings - social work Key Concepts holistic development social justice Questions to Reflect On - How can we better listen to the poor? - What gifts can each member share? A Different Perspective May neglecting any element weaken the whole. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Silent prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silent-prayer/) ## Related quotes > [All human professions, institutions, and activities must be integral with the earth as the primary self-nourishing , self-governing and self-fulfilling community. 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It was an unexpected kind of free-falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-shaffir/the-biggest-thing-i-lost-when-i-left-religion-was-that-sense-of/) [Ari Shaffir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-shaffir/) ## More by Jean Vanier > [When we start helping the weak and the poor to rise everyone will begin to change. Those who have power and riches will start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/when-we-start-helping-the-weak-and-the-poor-to-rise-everyone-will/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [...Individualistic material progress and the desire to gain prestige by coming out on top have taken over from the sense of fellowship, compassion and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/individualistic-material-progress-and-the-desire-to-gain-prestige-by/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [To invite others to live with us is a sign that we aren't afraid, that we have a treasure of truth and of peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/to-invite-others-to-live-with-us-is-a-sign-that-we-aren-t-afraid-that/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [People are longing to rediscover true community. We have had enough of loneliness, independence and competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/people-are-longing-to-rediscover-true-community-we-have-had-enough-of/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [The person in misery does not need a look that judges and criticizes but a comforting presence that brings peace and hope and life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/the-person-in-misery-does-not-need-a-look-that-judges-and-criticizes/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [All of us have a secret desire to be seen as saints, heroes, martyrs. 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Human friendships can very quickly become a club of mediocrities, enclosed in mutual flattery and approval, preventing people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/sympathies-and-antipathies-human-friendships-can-very-quickly-become/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [A community is only a community when the majority of its members are making the transition from 'the community for myself' to 'myself for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/a-community-is-only-a-community-when-the-majority-of-its-members-are/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [Each person is sacred, no matter what his or her culture, religion, handicap, or fragility. Each person is created in God’s image; each one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/each-person-is-sacred-no-matter-what-his-or-her-culture-religion/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [But let us not put our sights too high. We do not have to be saviours of the world! We are simply human beings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/but-let-us-not-put-our-sights-too-high-we-do-not-have-to-be-saviours/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [Each human being, however small or weak, has something to bring to humanity. As we start to really get to know others, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/each-human-being-however-small-or-weak-has-something-to-bring-to/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [“Have patience . . . We are not the masters of our own feelings of attraction or revulsion; these come from places in ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/have-patience-we-are-not-the-masters-of-our-own-feelings-of/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [The people with the best sense of what is essential to a community, of what gives and maintains its spirit, are often doing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/the-people-with-the-best-sense-of-what-is-essential-to-a-community-of/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) [Explore all 132 Jean Vanier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-a-reich/) [Browse all 13,840 Community quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A growing community must integrate three elements: a life of silent prayer, a life of service and above all of listening to the poor, and a community life through which all its members can grow in their own gift.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean Vanier" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/a-growing-community-must-integrate-three-elements-a-life-of-silent/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Community" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/a-growing-community-must-integrate-three-elements-a-life-of-silent/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jean-vanier-3367_community_a-growing-community-must-integrate-three_2387040.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jean-vanier-3367_community_a-growing-community-must-integrate-three_2387040.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/17d/jean-vanier-3367_community_a-growing-community-must-integrate-three_2387040.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A growing community must integrate three elements: a life of silent prayer, a life of service and above all…” — Jean Vanier", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jean Vanier", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A growing community must integrate three...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/a-growing-community-must-integrate-three-elements-a-life-of-silent/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/a-growing-community-must-integrate-three-elements-a-life-of-silent/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```