“Walking into a living universe”

A reflection from the late John O’Donohue

For the First Day of the Season of Creation 2026

Also our first experience of the Feast Day of Creation in the calendar of the Christian Church

Listen to John’s beautiful reflection here

Video transcript:

I’m John O’Donohue. I’m a writer. I live here in the west of Ireland. I love this landscape. When you bring your body out into the landscape, you’re bringing your body home to where it belongs. Because, with all due respect, human bodies weren’t really made for offices, for streets and corners and tight places. In the Irish psyche, landscape has a unique presence. One of the wonderful insights of the Celtic imagination was that landscape is alive. I think that it makes a huge difference in one’s life when you leave your house, whether you believe you’re walking out into location, which is simply dead space that you’re crossing to get to where you need to go, or whether you believe you’re actually walking into a living universe. If you believe the second, then your walk becomes a different thing.

Blessings to all on this beautiful day.

For more inspiration from John go here

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