From this decision has flowed a career of sparkling lectures and thought-provoking books. He has an audience that spans a huge range of human experience from ageing nuns to exuberant eco-warriors.

A call comes from within to wake up to explore new and unknown territories. Is it exciting? Is it frightening? Is it both exciting and frightening? Most of us as first years were daunted by the hallowed portals of the college, its long and high cloisters decorated by big oil paintings of grim-faced 19th century clerics. John found his natural habitat in the lecture halls and the library. I must confess I did not always understand him. The range of his thought and the intricacy of its expression sometimes baffled me. Wryly I comforted myself with Oscar Wilde's aphorism that "to be intelligible is to be found out".When I was in a high school, I read and loved a poem in my language Gujarati. I still remember the title of the poem- The anam cara perspective is sublime because it permits us to enter this unity of ancient belonging. While many of our ministers only conduct wedding ceremonies, others also conduct baptisms, funerals, baby blessings, and other meaningful rites. We are all called to respond in varying ways: professionals with skilled action, colleagues to boost morale, to be good neighbours and friends in looking out for one another, to be vigilant in our amplifying care and to tread softly with the varying emotional landscapes we find ourselves in, as the fear takes hold. We can always do something useful, worthy and kind. As an AMM Minister (or Reverend, Pastor, or Officiant, whatever title you choose), your right to conduct religious ceremonies of all forms is protected by the religious non-establishment clause of the first amendment.

May we let go of the life-holding past and embrace the the new day with hope, courage and gratitude! O’Donohue was a contemporary Irish priest, poet, author, and philosopher, who spent much of his life studying Celtic spirituality. His inspired words have brought comfort to many over the years. It's a blessing from O'Donohue's book, To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings , in which he writes: I love this poem so much that I made an art print out of it and displayed it on our tribute table, along with some other favorite quotes of ours, at the wedding.O’Donohue’s poem has helped shape my attitude as I entered this stage of my life -- my marriage to my now-husband which happened three weeks ago today -- a threshold to a new beginning, an occasion for a fresh perspective and fresh energy.

I will offer a prayer, a blessing, a gentle way of being with all of this. One that supports my nervous system, my heart and my soul, planetary consciousness and beyond. Blessing for Courage by John O’Donohue What wounds do you have that are especially painful right now? And how is the “grace of transfiguration” healing them? In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul-love; the old Gaelic term for this is anam cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend. So anam cara in the Celtic world was the “soul friend.” In the early Celtic church, a person who acted as a teacher, companion, or spiritual guide was called an anam cara. It originally referred to someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life. With the anam cara you could share your inner-most self, your mind and your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an anam cara, your friendship cut across all convention, morality, and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of your soul.” The Celtic understanding did not set limitations of space or time on the soul. There is no cage for the soul. The soul is a divine light that flows into you and into your Other. This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special companionship. Illustration by Maurice Sendak from Let’s Be Enemies by Janice May Udry Over the last few months I have very much been enjoying the writings and poetry of John O’Donohue. A writer of unique power to me (and many others), John captured a great sense of wonder of the natural world and a deep wisdom and kindness born from a life of studying philosophy and theology. He had also been a Catholic priest for 17 years and left that service to concentrate more on his writings. Reading it, I couldn't help but feel that it's as appropriate today as it's ever been, that it speaks to more than just marriage but to our relationships with one another on a grander, human scale.The kind of friendship one finds in an anam cara, O’Donohue argues, is a very special form of love — not the kind that leads us to pit the platonic against the romantic but something much larger and more transcendent: