John O'Donohue, an ex-priest in the West of Ireland, was a philosopher and poet for our times. Sadly and too soon, he passed away recently. His memorial serevice was held today at noon in the Galway cathedral. He will be sorely missed by those who love the inspired written word and thought provoking poetry.
I appreciate - love the written word. One of my other poet - heroes was Sister Mary Faith Schuster, a Benedictine from Atcheson Kansas. I think that Sister Faith and John would have been great friends. I hope that their paths crossed at some time. I met and spent time with Sister at a retreat while I was in college. We spent the night in a high school chapel praying and just talking. But it was like talking to God Himself. Quiet, mostly dark, we sat on the marble floor talking while the candle flames flickered on the wall. We said the rosary, but it was slow, with some life affirming banter in between each decade. She was such an artist. She moved me back to the center that I had moved from, gently, calmly, using a whispered voice. What a gift she was. I miss her. Lots of people miss her. She had this affect on everyone she encountered.
John O'Donohue speaks the same way to me now, although I never got to meet him. I am reading his book, Anam Cara right now. I was afraid to tackle it. John is an academic, and I don't have a lot of patience (or intelligence) to read anything deeper than the newspaper. But his whole life's work has been the examination of the need for inclusion in this world that we live in. It is increasingly hard to belong to anything or to form much af an attachment to anything anymore, sadly. John says that it's because we've lost track of who owe are and where we are in this life. He provides some fantastic illustrations to help the reader recognize their place.
I'm going to try to include something from John in my blogs, and hope to help spread the word about this wonderfully brilliant, and spiritual Irishman.
Slan for now.
Chuck
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