identity.

"I very much believe that the core moment of Jesus' public life was the baptism in the Jordan, when Jesus heard the affirmation, "You are my beloved on whom my favor rests." That is the core experience of Jesus. He is reminded in a deep, deep way of who he is.

The temptations in the desert are temptations to move him away from that spiritual identity. He was tempted to believe he was someone else: You are the one who can turn stone into bread. You are the one who can jump from the temple. You are the one who can make others bow to your power.

Jesus said, "No, no, no. I am the Beloved from God." I think his whole life is continually claiming that identity in the midst of everything.

Prayer, then, is listening to that voice - to the one who calls you Beloved. It is to constantly go back to the truth of who we are and claim it for ourselves.

I'm not what I do. I'm not what people say about me. I'm not what I have. My life is rooted in my spiritual identity.

Whatever we do, we have to go back regularly to that core identity."

-henri nouwen.