“The hand of a stranger is the hand of God.” -John O’ Donohue

Whenever St Patrick’s Day rolls around I am mindful of my Irish heritage and the passionate writings of the late John O’ Donohue. His stirring reflections on the Celtic tradition of soul love is one that transforms your way of being in the world. O’ Donohue describes the Celtic imagination in terms of a love of circles. Life flows with a natural rhythm that is attuned to nature amid the seasons of our lives.

The Celts hold dear the mysterious notion of an “Anam Cara” or soul friend, which reveals a friendship that is not “wounded by the limits of separation or distance.” When the confines of ego and persona have melted away, one is able to see beyond the material world. This friendship, O’ Donohue states, “Is an act of recognition and belonging. When a friendship recognizes itself as a gift, it will remain open to its own ground of blessing.”

Love is an expression of affection, connection and affirmation of another’s sacred beauty. Love is a prayer, or as O’ Donohue so eloquently describes “the threshold where divine and human presence” intertwine. There are times when we may feel separate from one another, yet if we reach out our hand we may find there is no longer any stranger, only God. 

Contributed by Liz Sorensen Wessel

Mandala by ~liz