John O'Donohue Quotes

A collection of quotes by John O'Donohue.

John O'Donohue (1956-2008) was an Irish poet, philosopher, and avid explorer of Celtic spirituality. He was born in County Clare, Ireland, and studied philosophy and literature before being ordained as a Catholic priest. However, he left the priesthood to pursue his passion for writing and lecturing on topics such as beauty, nature, and the human condition. O'Donohue authored several acclaimed books, including "Anam Cara" and "To Bless the Space Between Us," which explored the depths of human connections and the power of the divine. His profound insights continue to inspire and touch the hearts of many.

If you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share that

If you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share that which is happy or good within you, it will all come back to you multiplied ten thousand times. In the kingdom of love there is no competition; there is no possessiveness or control. The more love you give away, the more love you will have.

Your beloved and your friends were once strangers. Somehow a

Your beloved and your friends were once strangers. Somehow at a particular time, they came from the distance toward your life. Their arrival seemed so accidental and contingent. Now your life is unimaginable without them. Similarly, your identity and vision are composed of a certain constellation of ideas and feelings that surfaced from the depths of the distance within you. To lose these now would be to lose yourself.

Love Friendship

What you encounter, recognize or discover depends to a large

What you encounter, recognize or discover depends to a large degree on the quality of your approach. Many of the ancient cultures practiced careful rituals of approach. An encounter of depth and spirit was preceded by careful preparation.When we approach with reverence, great things decide to approach us. Our real life comes to the surface and its light awakens the concealed beauty in things. When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us. The rushed heart and arrogant mind lack the gentleness and patience to enter that embrace.

Nature Patience Inspirational Reverence

No one else has access to the world you carry around within

No one else has access to the world you carry around within yourself; you are its custodian and entrance. No one else can see the world the way you see it. No one else can feel your life the way you feel it. Thus it is impossible to ever compare two people because each stands on such different ground. When you compare yourself to others, you are inviting envy into your consciousness; it can be a dangerous and destructive guest.

Life Perception

Every friendship travels at sometime through the black valle

Every friendship travels at sometime through the black valley of despair. This tests every aspect of your affection. You lose the attraction and the magic. Your sense of each other darkens and your presence is sore. If you can come through this time, it can purify with your love, and falsity and need will fall away. It will bring you onto new ground where affection can grow again.

Love Friendship

Behind your image, below your words, above your thoughts, th

Behind your image, below your words, above your thoughts, the silence of another world waits.

We live between the act of awakening and the act of surrende

We live between the act of awakening and the act of surrender. Each morning, we awaken to the light and the invitation to a new day in the world of time; each night, we surrender to the dark to be taken to play in the world of dreams where time is no more.

Play Awaken Each Night

The heart is the inner face of your life. The human journey

The heart is the inner face of your life. The human journey strives to make this inner face beautiful. It is here that love gathers within you. Love is absolutely vital for a human life. For love alone can awaken what is divine within you. In love, you grow and come home to your self. When you learn to love and let yourself be loved, you come home to the hearth of your own spirit. You are warm and sheltered.

When one flower blooms spring awakens everywhere

When one flower blooms spring awakens everywhere

Beauty is the illumination of your soul.

Beauty is the illumination of your soul.

Real intimacy is a sacred experience. It never exposes its s

Real intimacy is a sacred experience. It never exposes its secret trust and belonging to the voyeuristic eye of a neon culture. Real intimacy is of the soul, and the soul is reserved.

Love Inspirational Quotes Intimacy Celtic Spirituality