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To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Invocations and Blessings
From the author of the bestselling Anam Cara comes a beautiful collection of blessings to help readers through both the everyday and the extraordinary events of their lives.
John O’Donohue, Irish teacher and poet, has been widely praised for his gift of drawing on Celtic spiritual traditions to create words of inspiration and wisdom for today. In To Bless the Space Between
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published
March 4th 2008
by Doubleday
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This is a book of blessing-poems, and I suppose the simplest way to express its impact on me is to say that I was blessed when my friend put this book into my hands. Over the course of a summer away from home, I read it cover to cover, and the experience was like being a stone that fell into a creek - gradually, gently, each page worked to wear away some rough edges, leaving a new smoothness of spirit behind. I can't really point to a particular piece that sticks out in my mind - it isn't that...more
This is the last book from Irish poet and spiritual teacher John O'Donohue, one of the most lyrical writers of our times, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in January 2008.
A blessing breaks down the barriers between people and is the ultimate form of intimacy. It changes the environment around us and opens new possibilities of connection, healing, and transformation. O'Donohue laments that in the West we have "no rituals to protect, encourage, and guide us as we cross over into...more
A blessing breaks down the barriers between people and is the ultimate form of intimacy. It changes the environment around us and opens new possibilities of connection, healing, and transformation. O'Donohue laments that in the West we have "no rituals to protect, encourage, and guide us as we cross over into...more
I want to give every one I know a copy of this book. A series of blessings for seasons of life, states of being, and so much more. John O'Donohue has captured the beauty and power of invocation and the ritual of blessing one another. An incredibly powerful way to mark changes, rituals, and the advent of important events in life...this book can be devoured from cover-to-cover or simply picked through for portions that are appropriate for the moment you find yourself in.
O'Donohue is a v...more
O'Donohue is a v...more
Pam
is currently reading it
This beautiful gift of words reflects the essence of Celtic spirituality, especially reminding us that life itself, in all its joys and sorrows, is blessing. We are reminded to look for and recognize blessings in day to day living. We are reminded to offer and to be a blessing in our world, because blessing as a way of life is how the world is transformed. When my heart is too full or too empty for words to come easily, I find encouragement , comfort, insight, and healing in these pages. The...more
Absolutely gorgeous poetic words of blessing for everyday events in life: birth, illness, breaking up, entering adulthood, meeting a stranger, so many others.
John o'Donohue's voice is sacred and whimsical and wise and dearly missed,
I would rate this book 7 stars on a scale from 1 to 5. It is that beautiful.
For a fantastic interview of O'Donohue, see Krista Tippett's podcast On Being, at http://being.publicradio.org/programs/20... completed just prior yonhis untimel...more
John o'Donohue's voice is sacred and whimsical and wise and dearly missed,
I would rate this book 7 stars on a scale from 1 to 5. It is that beautiful.
For a fantastic interview of O'Donohue, see Krista Tippett's podcast On Being, at http://being.publicradio.org/programs/20... completed just prior yonhis untimel...more
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I wanted this book to be a place where I could find blessings to include with cards that would help me express deep-felt sentiments without sounding sappy. It didn't. Basically it had a blessing specifically for all kinds of moments...passing a graveyard, losing a loved one, etc.
However, this book did have some really shining moments likening a blessing to a prayer and saying that people have the power to bless and really change others lives. That I believe. Some of it sounded li...more
However, this book did have some really shining moments likening a blessing to a prayer and saying that people have the power to bless and really change others lives. That I believe. Some of it sounded li...more
I met John O'Donohue on a recent weekly "Speaking of Faith" email - such a lovely Irish guy (no longer living). Why I love this book: the text is in blue, titles in gold. And who doesn't need a book of blessings for all occasions - blessings 'For Light', 'For the Artist at the Start of the Day','For a New Home', 'For a Prisoner', 'For Solitude', 'For Loneliness', 'For Wildness'. Medicine for my heart this week.....
This is a beautiful collection of blessings by John O'Donohue, that has come out just month's after his untimely death. His celtic poems and voice are eloquent. His blessings are absolutely beautiful. Listening to him read them, with his Irish dialect, is captivating. At the end of the book, he writes about retrieving the lost art of blessings. "Something deep in the human soul seems to depend on the presence of kindness; something instinctive in us expects it, and once we sense it we are a...more
A lovely book of "blessings" for different occasions...it's inspired me to write my own for our own special occasions. In particular, to give you an example of its contents, I love A Blessing for the New Year, For a New Beginning, For a New Home, For a New Position, For Love in Tine of Conflict, For Longing, For Courage, For Solitude. So many more too.
The poet John O'Donohue has written a book of blessings, they are (as he says) NOT poems but blessings & they are some of the most amazing ones I have ever read. I recommend this book to anyone with a soul. I got this book from the library & I will be buying one to own very soon. It is worth having & using forever.
I was working on a sermon on "covenant" for this past Sunday, and found this book very helpful for why we human beings need ritual, blessing, ceremony, verbal acknowledgment of transition and "crossings" in our lives. It's a beautiful collection of Blessings for almost every occasion you can imagine.
I read a passage every other morning, and I read the blessings to my yoga classes in the morning. The blessings offer me a chance to bring myself into a more intimate relationship with my own existence, with others, and with the divine.
O'Donohue finds tender and effective ways to bless people in many quite different and sometimes painful situations. There's a lovely blessing for the parents of a young person who is headed for prison, for example; in doing so, of course, he has blessed us all.
This is one of those rare books that you want all of your friends and family to read, but you can't part with it yourself, as you're sure to be reading it over and over. Powerful, tender, compassionate, resonating.
A lovely book of blessings from a wonderful author, who is now gone. I know that some people thought this book had a new agey feel to it, and maybe that is so, but it does not detract from its simplicity or beauty.
Beautiful blessings written by a beautiful spirit. I loved reading this book of blessings for the transition spaces in our lives and I found it inspiring me to write blessings of my own for myself, friends and family.
Original, and an absolutely gorgeous physical book. Poetic blessings like nothing I have ever read. John O'Donohue was an extraordinary man.
Blessing is an art of grace we give to one another and it is possible to
bless someone even if they do not bless you back.
bless someone even if they do not bless you back.
i love John O'Donohue, so i love this book. I will never be finished reading it. It's by my bedside and in my office.
Blessings are an oft forgotten segment of life that modernity needs more of. Some very gracious prose to live by.
Get this book of blessings & you'll be blessed, this kind of changed my perspective on everything good, bad & lovely.
What a wonderful, soothing book of short poems- blessings. Something for every significant occasion. A joy to read!
I am not sure if I am spiritual. But I finds many of his poem speaks to me. They are beautiful written for sure.
O'Donohue's non-fiction books, while containing gleaming nuggets of insight and wisdom, tend to reflect a playful poetic imagination that often loops in on itself -- thus making it a little difficult for the reader to stay engaged. This delicious book, though, allows his poetic nature to flow freely into an assortment of beautifully phrased blessings for people and for situations. Though I copied a couple into my journal for further meditation, I think this would be a good "reference"...more
Drjfkennedy
added it
Absolutely wonderful. Find a blessing for yourself everyday.
Lovely little book of blessings/poems. If you need to speak in front of an audience at a rite-of-passage of any kind, get this book!
i love this book! i will read it over and over again!
Book of Celtic prayers.
John O'Donohue is the bomb.
Alex
added it
Just beautiful.
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John O'Donohue, Ph.D., was born in County Clare in 1956. He spoke Irish as his native language and lived in a remote cottage in the west of Ireland until his untimely death in January 2008. A highly respected poet and philosopher, he lectured throughout Europe and America and wrote a number of popular books, including Anam Cara and To Bless the Space Between Us.
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“For Equilibrium, a Blessing:
Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,
May the relief of laughter rinse through your soul.
As the wind loves to call things to dance,
May your gravity by lightened by grace.
Like the dignity of moonlight restoring the earth,
May your thoughts incline with reverence and respect.
As water takes whatever shape it is in,
So free may you be about who you become.
As silence smiles on the other side of what's said,
May your sense of irony bring perspective.
As time remains free of all that it frames,
May your mind stay clear of all it names.
May your prayer of listening deepen enough
to hear in the depths the laughter of god.”
—
79 people liked it
More quotes…
Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,
May the relief of laughter rinse through your soul.
As the wind loves to call things to dance,
May your gravity by lightened by grace.
Like the dignity of moonlight restoring the earth,
May your thoughts incline with reverence and respect.
As water takes whatever shape it is in,
So free may you be about who you become.
As silence smiles on the other side of what's said,
May your sense of irony bring perspective.
As time remains free of all that it frames,
May your mind stay clear of all it names.
May your prayer of listening deepen enough
to hear in the depths the laughter of god.”
