One of the most tender images is the human person at prayer. When the body gathers itself before the Divine, a stillness deepens… for a while [people at prayer] have become unmoored from the grip of society, work, and role.

Prayer is an ancient longing; it has special light, hunger, and energy… For the ancients, prayer was an attempt to enter into harmony with the deeper rhythm of life.  …It is not to be reduced to the intermittent moments when we say prayers in words. Prayer is a deeper and more ancient conversation within us…

Prayer is the activity of the soul. The nature of each soul is different. The eternal is related to each of us in a unique way.

Your true longing is to belong to the eternal that echoes continually in everything that happens to you…

The sense of wonder is one of the key sources of prayer… wonder can also help you to recognize and appreciate the mystery of your own life…

Prayer is the voice of longing; it reaches outwards and inwards to unearth our ancient belonging.  Prayer is the bridge between longing and belonging.

The above are excerpts on prayer from John O’Donohue’s chapter entitled “Prayer: A Bridge between Longing and Belonging” from his book, Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections on Our Yearning to Belong (Reprint edition 2000).

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John O’Donohue (1956-2008) was an Irish poet and Catholic scholar who lived much of his life in both Connamara, County Galway, and his birthplace, County Clare. He received his PhD in philosophical theology from the University of Tübingen, and through his bestselling books and recordings, introduced the living essence of Celtic wisdom to millions. See johnodonohue.com.