--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am convinced that in the present time…" description: "\"“I am convinced that in the present time, in spite of the difficulties man has to meet another in a state of oblation, communion and gift of self, ther..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/jean-vanier-3367_christian-family_i-am-convinced-that-in-the-present-time_886466.png" --- # I am convinced that in the present time, in spite of the… ![“I am convinced that in the present time, in spite of the difficulties man has to meet another in a state of oblation, communion and gift of self, there are latent hidden forces in him which can be awakened in order to enable him to discover and live this reality of love and fidelity. In order to…” quote by Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/jean-vanier-3367_christian-family_i-am-convinced-that-in-the-present-time_886466.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/jean-vanier-3367_christian-family_i-am-convinced-that-in-the-present-time_886466.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/032/jean-vanier-3367_christian-family_i-am-convinced-that-in-the-present-time_886466.png) > ““I am convinced that in the present time, in spite of the difficulties man has to meet another in a state of oblation, communion and gift of self, there are latent hidden forces in him which can be awakened in order to enable him to discover and live this reality of love and fidelity. In order to really penetrate into this mystery of the union of the couple, it is essential that each one acquire an interior maturity, a maturity that is perhaps rare. I would add that in order to be truly united and to remain truly faithful to one another, the couple must listen and be open to the Spirit of God who has reserved for Himself the science of the heart. The heart of man is satisfied only by the Infinite and to discover this Infinite in union he must open himself to the Spirit of God, a spirit of giving, of receiving. The union between the two spouses can thus deepen to such an extent that they enter in a mystical manner into the very life of God Himself.”” [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. True intimacy requires inner maturity and openness to divine love, allowing couples to awaken hidden capacities for self‑giving and receive God’s presence. **In simple terms:** Deep love needs personal growth and spiritual openness. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner maturity and spiritual openness. Themes love spirituality marriage personal growth Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - spiritual retreats - personal development - relationship building Key Concepts mystical union divine love inner maturity Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster inner maturity in your relationship? - What practices open you to divine love? A Different Perspective Requires both partners to actively pursue spiritual growth, which may be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-family/) [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Holy spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-spirit/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Present time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present-time/) [Spirit of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit-of-god/) [Spouses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spouses/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Yours is a model union, and a couple never looked so natural and harmonious, a marriage made in heaven!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yours-is-a-model-union-and-a-couple-never-looked-so-natural-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As the church watches from the sidelines, the ungodly elect atheists and homosexuals to school boards and legislatures to enact policies and laws that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-simonds/as-the-church-watches-from-the-sidelines-the-ungodly-elect-atheists/) Robert Simonds > [“Nevertheless, attending Mount Washington Female College likely offered more spacious living than Boyd had enjoyed at home. The circular explained, “All the apartments are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/nevertheless-attending-mount-washington-female-college-likely-offered/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [ “Many religious leaders don't want it \[unity\]. they talk about unity and dabble in it, and feign attempts at oneness, but deep down they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-girzone/many-religious-leaders-don-t-want-it-unity-they-talk-about-unity-and/) [Joseph Girzone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-girzone/) > [My family is a praying family, a Christian family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/my-family-is-a-praying-family-a-christian-family/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [Does being born into a Christian family make one a Christian? No! God has no grandchildren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/does-being-born-into-a-christian-family-make-one-a-christian-no-god/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [Christian families are under attack in America! The Communists, Masons, Atheists, Humanists, Evolutionists, and other Godless sickos want to destroy the family. Parents beware;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-roloff/christian-families-are-under-attack-in-america-the-communists-masons/) [Lester Roloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-roloff/) > [“God does not have grandchildren, and so it does not matter if you were—or weren’t—born into a Christian family! The fact that your parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-okoro/god-does-not-have-grandchildren-and-so-it-does-not-matter-if-you-were/) [Pedro Okoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-okoro/) > [The Christian family is missionary: it announces the love of God to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-christian-family-is-missionary-it-announces-the-love-of-god-to/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [The Eucharist is the link that binds the Christian family together. Take away the Eucharist and you have no brotherliness left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-julian-eymard/the-eucharist-is-the-link-that-binds-the-christian-family-together/) [Peter Julian Eymard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-julian-eymard/) > [A man ought to live so that everybody knows he is a Christian... and most of all, his family ought to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/a-man-ought-to-live-so-that-everybody-knows-he-is-a-christian-and/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [That the religious right completely took over the word Christian is a given. At one time, phrases such as Christian charity and Christian tolerance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/that-the-religious-right-completely-took-over-the-word-christian-is-a/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by his rules. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/every-christian-family-ought-to-be-as-it-were-a-little-church/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [“It is hard for us to recognize it now, but Peter and Paul were introducing the first Christian family to an entirely new community,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/it-is-hard-for-us-to-recognize-it-now-but-peter-and-paul-were/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [If every Christian family brought in a child who needed a family we would put the foster care system out of business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/if-every-christian-family-brought-in-a-child-who-needed-a-family-we/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) ## 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. We are afraid to be children, to be ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/all-of-us-have-a-secret-desire-to-be-seen-as-saints-heroes-martyrs-we/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [To be free is to put justice, truth and service to others over and above our personal gain or our need for recognition, power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/to-be-free-is-to-put-justice-truth-and-service-to-others-over-and/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [If we love (the poor) people, we want to identify with them and share with them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-vanier/if-we-love-the-poor-people-we-want-to-identify-with-them-and-share/) [Jean Vanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-vanier/) > [“Sympathies and antipathies . . . 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 Christian family quotes > [As the church watches from the sidelines, the ungodly elect atheists and homosexuals to school boards and legislatures to enact policies and laws that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-simonds/as-the-church-watches-from-the-sidelines-the-ungodly-elect-atheists/) Robert Simonds > [“It is hard for us to recognize it now, but Peter and Paul were introducing the first Christian family to an entirely new community,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/it-is-hard-for-us-to-recognize-it-now-but-peter-and-paul-were/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“Every Christian family ought to be as it were a little church, consecrated to Christ, and wholly influenced and governed by his rules. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/every-christian-family-ought-to-be-as-it-were-a-little-church/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [That the religious right completely took over the word Christian is a given. At one time, phrases such as Christian charity and Christian tolerance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/that-the-religious-right-completely-took-over-the-word-christian-is-a/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [A man ought to live so that everybody knows he is a Christian... and most of all, his family ought to know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/a-man-ought-to-live-so-that-everybody-knows-he-is-a-christian-and/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [The Eucharist is the link that binds the Christian family together. Take away the Eucharist and you have no brotherliness left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-julian-eymard/the-eucharist-is-the-link-that-binds-the-christian-family-together/) [Peter Julian Eymard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-julian-eymard/) > [The Christian family is missionary: it announces the love of God to the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/the-christian-family-is-missionary-it-announces-the-love-of-god-to/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“God does not have grandchildren, and so it does not matter if you were—or weren’t—born into a Christian family! The fact that your parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pedro-okoro/god-does-not-have-grandchildren-and-so-it-does-not-matter-if-you-were/) [Pedro Okoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pedro-okoro/) > [Christian families are under attack in America! The Communists, Masons, Atheists, Humanists, Evolutionists, and other Godless sickos want to destroy the family. Parents beware;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-roloff/christian-families-are-under-attack-in-america-the-communists-masons/) [Lester Roloff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-roloff/) > [Does being born into a Christian family make one a Christian? No! God has no grandchildren.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrie-ten-boom/does-being-born-into-a-christian-family-make-one-a-christian-no-god/) [Corrie Ten Boom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrie-ten-boom/) > [My family is a praying family, a Christian family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/my-family-is-a-praying-family-a-christian-family/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [ “Many religious leaders don't want it \[unity\]. they talk about unity and dabble in it, and feign attempts at oneness, but deep down they… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-girzone/many-religious-leaders-don-t-want-it-unity-they-talk-about-unity-and/) [Joseph Girzone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-girzone/) > [“Nevertheless, attending Mount Washington Female College likely offered more spacious living than Boyd had enjoyed at home. The circular explained, “All the apartments are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/nevertheless-attending-mount-washington-female-college-likely-offered/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) > [If every Christian family brought in a child who needed a family we would put the foster care system out of business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/if-every-christian-family-brought-in-a-child-who-needed-a-family-we/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Christian's family lived under the shadow cast by his parents. They had purposely become Striogi, trading thier magic and mortality to become immortal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/christian-s-family-lived-under-the-shadow-cast-by-his-parents-they/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) [Browse all 36 Christian family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-family/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I am convinced that in the present time, in spite of the difficulties man has to meet another in a state of oblation, communion and gift of self, there are latent hidden forces in him which can be awakened in order to enable him to discover and live this reality of love and fidelity. In order to really penetrate into this mystery of the union of the couple, it is essential that each one acquire an interior maturity, a maturity that is perhaps rare. I would add that in order to be truly united and to remain truly faithful to one another, the couple must listen and be open to the Spirit of God who has reserved for Himself the science of the heart. The heart of man is satisfied only by the Infinite and to discover this Infinite in union he must open himself to the Spirit of God, a spirit of giving, of receiving. 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