Today’s poem, a beautiful one to reflect on as we draw to the close of the year, was written by Irish poet and author John O’Donohue who died in 2008. Do you see anything in your completed tree that you didn’t realize you were feeling? I had read Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, the 1997 book that made him deservedly famous. Over the last week, inspired by readings by Evelyn Underhill and John O’Donohue, I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about the love of God because I think that in this challenging season all of us need to know that we are loved and cared for. And how they became inlaid within In forgotten corners of old fields What comes to you as you hear John O’Donohue’s words about the seasons of the heart? IRELAND TOUR / SEPTEMBER 2020 - The Wellspring of Presence: John O'Donohue's West of Ireland Tour: SOLD OUT More info here. The Seasons of Recovery As with Life, we experience the seasons of recovery It's officially the beginning of summer, Memorial Day weekend. It is a time for harvesting the fruits of your experiences.” What fruits of your experiences are ready to be harvested? There is great lushness everywhere, a richness and depth of texture. the light of their gazing suffused with the seasons; the shadow of winter, the mind of spring, the blues of summer, and amber of harvest. Today’s poem, a beautiful one to reflect on as we draw to the close of the year, was written by Irish poet and author John O’Donohue who died in 2008. And the wave in the mind This poem is from my favorite of his books To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. May your heart be tranquil here, Blessed by peace the world cannot give. What might those challenges be? Where expectation seemed to have quenched. I don't think O'Donohue wrote this for Advent, but it fits -- at least for me. By lying low now, what can you give new life to in the future? And for the quiet way it brought us Posted in Pilgrimage ... I’m talking about threshold seasons, where we are called to depart from one way of being and enter another. Alas, happy New Year to you, dear one. THE JOHN O'DONOHUE SYMPOSIUM, April 24-26, 2020 in Co. Clare, Ireland: CANCELLED: see more info. John O’Donohue defines a blessing as, “A circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal, and strengthen them.” And so this year I offer this to you as a loving message from my heart to yours. It's a hot day. John O’Donohue, “This Is the Time to Be Slow.” From To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. This poem is from my favorite of his books To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. The darkened days that stopped At such times it is wise to follow the instinct of nature and withdraw into yourself … You have to lie low and shelter until this bleak, emptying time passes on.” In this time of social isolation, do you find yourself in a period of hibernation, withdrawing inward? “Spring is a youthful season; it comes forth in a rush of life and promise, hope and possibility … Copyright © Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center • 120 E Boyson Rd, Hiawatha, IA 52233 • 319-395-6700. Over the last few months I have very much been enjoying the writings and poetry of John O’Donohue. And the soul could see delight; ... — John O'Donohue (c) John O’Donohue To Bless The Space Between, And what a blessing indeed as we stand on the cusp of 2021. Winter is the oldest season; it has some quality of the absolute. Put your feet firmly on the floor, letting them feel like roots burrowing beneath you. Its beautiful poems and prayers provide a wonderful for contemplative reflection at all seasons of the day and year. For Loneliness. 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. Do you feel like you are clearly in one season or another? Then take a few deep breaths before reading on. When it is wintertime in your life, you are going through pain, difficulty or turbulence. The shape of a landscape is an ancient and silent form of consciousness. From the black heart of winter a miraculous, breathing plenitude of color emerges. A Meditation on love. John Eugene O'Donoghue (born October 7, 1939 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.He was signed by the Kansas City Athletics as an amateur free agent before the 1959 season and pitched for the Kansas City A's (1963–1965), Cleveland Indians (1966–1967), Baltimore Orioles (1968), Seattle Pilots (1969), Milwaukee Brewers (1970), and … Surprises that came awake A good day to cool off in the water. I have read through Romans 8:35-39 and other scriptures that refer to the love of God several times … When the light lessens, Causing colors to lose their courage, And your eyes fix on … O’Donohue suggests that “the autumn of our lives.” can be a time of rich harvest, where we can dig deep into our souls and uncover the lessons that are their to be learnt. “Spring is a youthful season; it comes forth in a rush of life and promise, hope and possibility … Consequently, springtime in your soul is a wonderful time to undertake some new adventure, some new project, or to make some important changes in your life … You are in the flow of your own growth and potential. Nearer to our invisible destination. All of John O'Donohue's books are like a deep submersion into beauty. You can take as many risks as you like, and you will always land on your feet. In the sheer exuberance of being here. Penguin Random House, 2008. I invite you to find a quiet place to sit, preferably where you can see the beauty of nature expressed in a tree. The eyes of Jesus gaze on us, stirring in the heart's clay the confidence of seasons that never lose their way to harvest. When you come home here, May all the weight of the world Fall from your shoulders. The Blessings of John O’Donohue. © 2021 - Godspacelight.com. To Bless The Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings. – John O’Donohue. Summertime is a time of light, growth, and arrival … Thus summertime in your soul is a time of great balance. Fall “is harvest, the homecoming of the seeds’ long and lonely journey through darkness and silence under the earth’s surface … Correspondingly, when it is autumn in your life, the things that happened in the past, or the experiences that were sown in … your heart, almost unknown to you, now yield their fruit. Yet beneath the surface of winter, the miracle of spring is already in preparation; the cold is relenting; seeds are wakening up. If you, like me, feel closest to the Creator when creating, consider drawing or painting a tree to represent the season of your heart. As you listen to John O’Donohue’s words, I encourage you to try to determine what season your heart is currently in. Colors are … With complete attention, landscape celebrates the liturgy of the seasons, giving itself unreservedly to the passion of the goddess. All Right Reserved. The threshold is that moment of stepping over, and into, a new region, a new landscape; it is that moment of tension between goodbye and welcome. We may think of the seasons of our life only in connection with our age—for example, I am middle aged, so I may see myself in summer, in the flow of a balanced, textured life. POETRY: For A New Home, by John O’Donohue. I knew John O'Donohue very slightly. And from the granite of some secret sorrow See more ideas about quotes, words, inspirational quotes. EcoSpirit@prairiewoods.org. How is it possible to put so much profound thought onto pages such as O'Donohue does? John Quinn closes his book of essays, Walking in Wonder with this poem. John F. O'Donohue may not be as well known as Dennis Farina, Eddie Egan, or Barney Martin -- three police officers who became television stars -- but he's in the running. Only bleakness meets the eye; everything seems severe and edged. We give thanks for the gifts it brought by Neal | Oct 16, 2012 | General, Poetry. Much love to you and Tom ❣️. With light from beyond themselves; Envoi. September is truly a month of new beginnings and for me there is no better way to welcome this time than with some words from the great theologian, philosopher and poet JohnO’Donohue from his book To Bless the Space Between Us. Posted on December 12, 2012. School starts, autumn starts, football starts, and the new TV season starts. Pierced every sore with salt. There is enough shelter and depth of texture around you to completely ground, balance and mind you.” How are you feeling fully supported by the balance and security found in summer? For a long time it has watched your desire, Rivers and streams offer voice; they are the tears of the earths joy and despair. If my writing ever comes even a single percentage close to the beauty of John O'Donohue's then I will consider my life's dream done. THE JOHN O'DONOHUE SYMPOSIUM, April 24-26, 2020 in Co. Clare, Ireland: CANCELLED: see more info. Friendship is … However, we can also be in various seasons throughout our life, regardless of our age. December 30, 2018. A stream of buried tears loosened. Click HERE to learn more about all of our upcoming programs and retreats and to register for those you’d like to attend. A gaze that is perfect sister to the kindness the dwells in his beautiful hands. -From John O’Donohue’s Benedictus, A Book of Blessings. by Christine Sine. We bless this year for all we learned, Blessing For A New Position...from To Bless the Space Between Us by John O'Donohue. Poet and mystic John O’Donohue died in 2008 and this stanza was penned by Quinn after the celebration of his life. A tree loses all its leaves and retires inward. These are the seasons of the heart. Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center. If this is your first or hundredth time visiting this space, I am thankful you’ve hopped over to soak some of it up. "Read" is wrong. These are the seasons of the heart. Reflection on Chinese New Year by a Diaspora... FreerangeFriday: Follow the Star into 2020. The days when the veil lifted Nov 28, 2019 - Explore Zoe Dean-Smith's board "John O'Donohue quotes" on Pinterest. Here is a Celtic blessing for anyone who is beginning their journey with a new position… – John O’Donohue. - John O'Donohue Sometimes A voice is sent To calm our deepest fears. Jul 5, 2018 | Eating Disorders, Love, Therapy. May this home be a … Where neither time nor tide can touch them. John O'Donohue was one of the most talented writers, thinkers and lecturers of our time, a kind of modern-day Meister Eckhart, the Henri Nouwen and Thomas Merton of Europe. Its beautiful poems and prayers provide a wonderful for contemplative reflection at all seasons of the day and year. For all we loved and lost For a New Beginning John O’Donohue In out-of-the-way places of the heart, Where your thoughts never think to wander, This beginning has been quietly forming, Waiting until you were ready to emerge. NEW BOOK RELEASE: WALKING IN WONDER: ETERNAL WISDOM FOR A MODERN WORLD More info here. In his book Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom, John O’Donohue writes about the four seasons of the heart. When a quiver caressed the heart Within the grip of winter, it is almost impossible to imagine the spring. Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom. –John O’Donohue– The Seasons of Recovery. He was a native Irish speaker, and as an author is best known for popularising Celtic spirituality. Lean Towards the Light Advent Retreat Online. What do you need to do to harvest them? Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center is a sacred space where people of all faiths and cultures are invited to explore and nurture their relationships with the Source of all Being, Earth, Self and Others, within an expanding understanding of the Universe Story. —Andi Lewis, Prairiewoods marketing coordinator, sponsored by Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, (319) 395-6700 “These are the four seasons of the heart.”, —John O’Donohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom. Sometimes A hearty laugh Will banish all our tears. IRELAND TOUR / SEPTEMBER 2020 - The Wellspring of Presence: John O'Donohue's West of Ireland Tour: SOLD OUT More info here. When the imagination is alive, the life remains youthful. The slow, brooding times Are you ready to take on new challenges? Prairiewoods is a Franciscan ecospirituality retreat and conference center located in Hiawatha, Iowa. Suggested to the Humanities Institute by Professor Kristie Loescher, McCombs School of Business, UT Austin. “Real friendship or love is not manufactured or achieved by an act of will or intention. ... With complete attention, landscape celebrates that liturgy of the seasons, giving itself unreservedly to the passion of the goddess. Days when beloved faces shone brighter John O'Donohue (1 January 1956 – 4 January 2008) was an Irish poet, author, priest, and Hegelian philosopher. Beauty: The Invisible Embrace (Divine Beauty in Europe). In his book Anam Cara, John O’Donohue has a section called “The Mystery of Approach,” in which he writes, ... And so we, too, are called in this season: to attend to and prepare our inner terrain so that we may welcome Christ in our lives and in our world. As a visual person, I am constantly moved by those who can create powerful imagery with words and John O’Donohue does so beautifully. May this house shelter your life. Autumn-time in a person’s life can be a time of great gathering. In today’s PanDeepening, let’s slow down, quiet our minds and listen to the words of a gifted Celtic writer, John O’Donohue. “In wintertime, nature withdraws. As this year draws to its end, Springtime in the soul can be beautiful, hopeful, and strengthening.” Take a moment to think about the ways in which you are in the flow of your own potential. You are in the flow of your own nature. Please fill out the form below and we will be in touch soon. M y wife Cathy has taken a new position with Seasons Hospice.She is blessed to contribute to such an important and needed service. Then, imperceptibly, somewhere one bud opens and the symphony of renewal is no longer reversible. Mountains are huge contemplatives. Take the time to simply be in that season, to create from a position of acceptance and understanding rather than resistance. “In summertime, nature is bedecked with color. However, we can also be in various seasons throughout our life, regardless of our age. NEW BOOK RELEASE: WALKING IN WONDER: ETERNAL WISDOM FOR A MODERN WORLD More info here. The confidence of the dawn. When all was awkward As you listen to John O’Donohue’s words, I encourage you to try to determine what season your heart is currently in. As we at Prairiewoods focus on shifting our attention from the pandemic to #PanDeepening, we are looking at meditations, readings and activities that help us go deeper and get more centered within ourselves and in our God.