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Benedictus: A Book of Blessings
by
We have fallen out of belonging. Consequently, when we stand before crucial thresholds in our lives, we have no rituals to protect, encourage and guide us as we cross over into the unknown. For such crossings, we need to find new words. What is nearest to the heart is often farthest from the word. This book is an attempt to reach into that tenuous territory of change that
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Dominus vobiscum
‘There is a Quiet light that shines in every heart.
It is what illuminates our minds to see beauty,
Our desire to seek possibility and our hearts to love life…
This shy inner light is what enables us
to recognize and receive our very presence here
as a blessing.’
1. There is a kindness that dwells deep down within all things and often lingers in the unlikeliest of places..
2. Each new day is a path of wonder. Oftentimes, it may seem as though we have taken the longest voyage to ...more
‘There is a Quiet light that shines in every heart.
It is what illuminates our minds to see beauty,
Our desire to seek possibility and our hearts to love life…
This shy inner light is what enables us
to recognize and receive our very presence here
as a blessing.’
1. There is a kindness that dwells deep down within all things and often lingers in the unlikeliest of places..
2. Each new day is a path of wonder. Oftentimes, it may seem as though we have taken the longest voyage to ...more
This is a gift of a book. Written by John O'Donohue it is a book of blessings, as he calls them. For many they could be considered poetry. He captures the heart with these blessing because when reading them it is hard to imagine that he didn't write them especially for me. The moving ordinariness of his observations make them accessible to the confused or unsure believer. This book comforts and is not the kind that you read once and place on your bookshelf - this is a book that has a special
...more
A delightful selection of reflections for any circumstance you may encounter.
This is full of spiritual comfort and a gentle challenge to love and bless others. I am so glad I read it, and I'm sending a copy to someone I know who is on her way to becoming a bereavement counselor. It's got a blessing for just about every situation one can think of, and they're all just wonderful.
Absolutely loved this! It's a book I will treasure forever.
I consider John O’Donohue my self-selected patron saint. A poem/blessing of his, A Blessing for One Who Is Exhausted, was the last thing I posted on my blog after almost 10 years of posts. And his was the best “On Being” episode I’ve heard. I bought this book last summer in Ireland. It is the UK version of the book known in the USA as “To Bless the Space Between Us.”
It took more than a year to finish it, but I’ll miss picking it up and hearing his voice in my head. So many dog-earred pages. I ...more
It took more than a year to finish it, but I’ll miss picking it up and hearing his voice in my head. So many dog-earred pages. I ...more
Beautiful.
Uneven, but that may reflect where the reader is at. Last three chapters struck a chord. Great, great poem "For a Leader."
When you lose someone you love,
Your life becomes strange,
The ground beneath you becomes fragile,
Your thoughts make your eyes unsure;
And some dead echo drags your voice down
Where words have no confidence
Your heart has grown heavy with loss;
And though this loss has wounded others too,
No one knows what has been taken from you
When the silence of absence deepens.
Flickers of guilt kindle regret
For all that was left unsaid or undone.
There are days when you wake up happy;
Again inside the fullness of ...more
Your life becomes strange,
The ground beneath you becomes fragile,
Your thoughts make your eyes unsure;
And some dead echo drags your voice down
Where words have no confidence
Your heart has grown heavy with loss;
And though this loss has wounded others too,
No one knows what has been taken from you
When the silence of absence deepens.
Flickers of guilt kindle regret
For all that was left unsaid or undone.
There are days when you wake up happy;
Again inside the fullness of ...more
I've had a copy of this book for several years. The pages are dog-eared from reading and re-reading. In it you'll find profound and soulful blessings relative to nearly any situation written by a former priest and poetic philosopher, an Irishman from Connemara, John O'Donohue. I refer to it often for inspiration, calm and guidance, and as a reminder of the beauty and goodness of the world if only we keep our eyes open. It's a book I'll always keep at hand. (Note: after Mr. O'Donohue's passing,
...more
This is a great reference for blessings, useful in all sorts of situations, for marriage, for dying, for the artist at the start of the day, for the exhausted, for dozens of different situations. At the end of the book O'Donohue includes several brief essays on the art of blessing. So sad that we lost him so young. He gave us a great deal in his brief life.
A delightful book. I keep it by the couch and re-read sections regularly
Very beautiful pottery book with a poem for all needs.
A beautiful collection of blessings for many common, as well as less common, life challenges. Inspiring and encouraging, this is a book to refer to again and again when facing change or crises.
Aug 09, 2013
Norah
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
John Yates and Mary
Recommended to Norah by:
Suzanne Brown
A wonderful book to just dip into, which I do, so its not actually officially 'read' but is always at hand, and highly recommended!
John's book really are beautifully written and are food for the soul.
Most beautiful book I have ever read. Precious, priceless, gorgeous - I re-read often. The author was a gifted writer lost to the world well before his time.
One of those books, written from the heart & speaking to the heart.
A very special book, which has earned it's place on my shelves.
A very special book, which has earned it's place on my shelves.
Oct 22, 2016
Travel Writing
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Every single person in the world
This is a book you will return to again and again. For comfort, for succor, for those nights that sleep will not come easily.
John O"Donohue was a word master and a mystic.
John O"Donohue was a word master and a mystic.
A beautiful, insightful and inspiring collection. A book not to read, rather a resource for reflection and meditation.
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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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“The most subversive invitation you could ever accept is the invitation to awaken to who you are and where you have landed.”
—
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