Only holiness will call people to listen now…. This is not about forging a relationship with a distant God but about the realization that we are already within God.
John O’Donohue
Only Holiness
Topic: Wisdom & Understanding
“Only holiness will call people to listen now. And the work of holiness is not about perfection or niceness; it is about belonging, that sense of being in the Presence and through the quality of that belonging, the mild magnetic of implicating others in the Presence…. This is not about forging a relationship with a distant God but about the realization that we are already within God.“
John O'Donohue, born on January 1, 1956, in County Clare, Ireland, was a poet and author recognized for his contemplative approach to spirituality and nature. His early years, surrounded by the stark beauty of the Irish landscape, had a profound impact on his life's work. He studied at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth, where he completed his Ph.D. focusing on the philosophy of Hegel. O'Donohue was fluent in Irish, a skill that connected him deeply with his cultural roots and the literary heritage of his homeland.
After his ordination and time spent serving as a priest, O'Donohue shifted his focus to writing and public speaking. His works, including "Anam Cara" and "Beauty," reflect his commitment to revealing the interplay between the spiritual and the tangible. O'Donohue's philosophical background informed his writing, allowing him to present complex ideas with clarity. His books, examining the nuances of human relationships and the natural world, garnered attention for their depth and insight.
O'Donohue passed away on January 4, 2008. His contributions to the fields of philosophy, spirituality, and literature remain valued for their introspection and wisdom. His understanding of Celtic traditions and his perspective on the human experience continue to be appreciated by readers looking for substance and reflection in their contemplative pursuits.
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Brown Brené. Braving the Wilderness: the Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone. Thorndike Press, a Part of Gale, a Cengage Company, 2018, p. 132 [John O'Donohue].
John O’Donohue
Resources
- Becoming Wise: An Inquiry Into the Mystery and Art of Living A New York Times bestselling book by Krista Tippett
- On Being with Krista Tippett John O'Donohue The Inner Landscape of Beauty
- Brené Brown, Braving The Wilderness July 18, 2017, brenebrown.com/blog
- The Brené Brown blog
- Chase Jarvis Creative Live Interview with Brené Brown
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Krista Tippett: John O’Donohue
The Irish poet, theologian, and philosopher insisted on beauty as a human calling. He had a very Celtic, lifelong fascination with the inner landscape of our lives and with what he called “the invisible world” that is constantly intertwining what we can know and see. This was one of the last interviews he gave before his unexpected death in 2008. But John O’Donohue’s voice and writings continue to bring ancient mystical wisdom to modern confusions and longings.
John O’Donohue was a poet, theologian, and philosopher. He authored several books, including Anam Ċara, Beauty, and To Bless the Space Between Us, a collection of blessings published posthumously. His newest book, Walking in Wonder: Eternal Wisdom for a Modern World, was published in November 2018. He died on January 4, 2008.
–Krista Tippett [On Being with Krista Tippett, John O’Donohue, The Inner Landscape of Beauty].
Additional John O’Donohue Quotes
“Where you belong should always be worthy of your dignity. You should belong first in your own interiority. If you belong there, and if you are in rhythm with yourself and connected to that deep, unique source within, then you will never be vulnerable when your outside belonging is qualified, relativized, or taken away.
You will be able to stand on your own ground, the ground of your soul, where you are not a tenant, where you are at home. Your interiority is the ground from which nobody can distance, exclude, or exile you. This is your treasure.”
–John O’Donohue [Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom]
“There is a kindness in beauty which can inform and bless a lesser force adjacent to it. It has been shown, for instance, that when there are two harps tuned to the same frequency in a room, one a large harp and the other smaller, if a chord is struck in the bigger harp it fills and infuses the little harp with the grandeur and beauty of its resonance and brings it into tuneful harmony. Then, the little harp sounds out its own tune in its own voice. This is one of the unnoticed ways in which a child learns to become herself. Perhaps the most powerful way parents rear children is through the quality of their presence and the atmosphere that pertains in the in-between times of each day. Unconsciously, the child absorbs this and hopefully parents send out enough tuneful spirit for the child to come into harmony with her own voice.”
–John O’Donohue
“The human soul is hungry for beauty; we seek it everywhere – in landscape, music, art, clothes, furniture, gardening, companionship, love, religion and in ourselves. No-one would desire not to be beautiful. When we experience the Beautiful, there is a sense of homecoming. Some of our most wonderful memories are of beautiful places where we felt immediately at home. We feel most alive in the presence of the Beautiful for it meets the needs of our soul.”
–John O’Donohue [Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace].
“Beauty cannot be forced. It alone decides when it will come and sometimes it is the last thing we expect and the very last thing to arrive. Creative artists know this well. Great skill and inspiration set the context or scene where beauty might emerge. But it is not the mind of the artist alone that can determine whether beauty will arrive or not.”
–John O’Donohue [Divine Beauty: The Invisible Embrace].
“I don’t believe that death comes at the end of a life. I believe your death was there at your birth with you. It was the unknown presence. Every step of the road of your life that you take, your death is beside you.”
–John O’Donohue [Walking in Wonder: Eternal Wisdom for a Modern World].