Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving. To celebrate this day of reflection and thankfulness here are some quotations from John O'Donohue (1956-2008), an Irish scholar, poet and philosopher, and expert on Celtic spirituality.
This selection of his beautiful words focuses upon gratitude and blessings.
Table of Contents
Each Day A Sacred Gift
May you experience each day as a sacred gift
woven around the heart of wonder."
~ John O'Donohue
Blessed Be The Gifts You Never Notice
"Blessed be the gifts you never notice,
your health, eyes to behold the world,
thoughts to countenance the unknown,
memory to harvest vanished days,
your heart to feel the world’s waves,
your breath to breathe the nourishment
of distance made intimate by earth."
~ John O'Donohue
“Take time to see the quiet miracles that seek no attention”
~ John O'Donohue
“Keep something beautiful in your heart
to survive difficult times and enjoy good times.”
~ John O'Donohue
Possibilities and Promises
"May dawn find you awake and alert,
approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises;
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled;
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected;
May your soul calm, console and renew you.”
~ John O'Donohue
Compassionate of Heart
"May I live this day
compassionate of heart,
clear in word,
gracious in awareness,
courageous in thought,
generous in love."
~ John O'Donohue
“So at the end of this day, we give thanks
For being betrothed to the unknown.”
~ John O'Donohue
I hope you enjoyed this selection of quotations all about giving thanks. You might like to read a little more about how the first Thanksgiving has roots in Ireland. Yes you read that correctly. Apparently the ship that brought supplies to the pilgrims left Europe from Ireland.
I hope you enjoy your day with family and friends and give thanks together for friendship, the gift of peacefulness and the ability to support one another in troubled times.
Happy Thanksgiving To All
Here are some more Thanksgiving ramblings you might enjoy.
Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes That Will Make Your Family Feast Extra Special
Easy And Delicious Stuffed Squash Recipes
Thanksgiving – The Irish Connection
Twice Baked Sweet Potato Casserole With Bacon And Pecans
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
Other posts you might enjoy ....
Irish Expressions Of Gratitude For Thanksgiving
How To Steam A Christmas Or Plum Pudding In A Crockpot
Brighid O'Sullivan
You always have the prettiest photos on your blog. I love the Irish quotes too. I actually incorporated some into my wedding ceremony. I gave 5 of my guests Irish blessings or quotes to read. It gave my wedding a Celtic flare. Great post.
Irish American Mom
Brighid - What a lovely idea for your wedding. I love old sayings from Ireland. John O'Donohue's books are just incredible. His Celtic wisdom and ideas are so beautiful and thought provoking.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Mairéad
Kay G.
I love these quotes. Keep something beautiful in your heart, that is something that I believe in!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Irish American Mom
Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Kay. Glad you enjoyed these quotes.
All the best,
Mairéad
Brian@irelandfavorites
Hi Mairead. My favorite Thanksgiving quote is as follows; "Pass the gravy"
Hope all enjoyed your culinary skills this Thanksgiving,
All the best,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Hi Brian - "Pass the gravy" - the most vital saying for a successful Thanksgiving dinner. Hope you had a lovely celebration with your family.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Cheryl Barker
Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Mairead. You know how I love quotes. I especially like the ones starting with "May dawn find you . . ." and "May I live this day . . ." Thanks for sharing!
Irish American Mom
Hope you too had a lovely Thanksgiving, Cheryl. Glad you enjoyed these thankfulness quotes.
All the best,
Mairéad