Daily Reading for August 19

Men and women do not make this journey alone. They turn for help and support to their anamchara, a spiritual friend or soul-friend, one who offers anamachairdeas or spiritual direction. This, which is peculiar to Celtic spirituality, is, as so often in the Irish Church, something that had existed before the arrival of Christianity. Every Celtic chief had his counselor or druid at court, whose guidance he followed. The legends of St. Patrick represent him as replacing Dubthach the pagan adviser to the high king Laoghaire and becoming in his place anamchara to the king. That well-known aphorism that anyone without a soul-friend is like a body without a head is attributed both to St. Brigit and to St. Comgall. So important indeed was the role of the anamchara in monastic life that it was said that following the guidance of one's soul-friend was of more importance than subjection to a Rule.

This was not, however, something confined to courtly or even to monastic circles. It was quite common for lay men and women to be soul-friends. The relationships might well be between a man and a woman, between clerical and lay.

"As the members of the body diligently help one another,
So let each show a special sign of love
For his fellow who is in pain of soul."

From Every Earthly Blessing: Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition by Esther de Waal. Copyright © 1991. Used by permission of Morehouse Publishing, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. www.morehousepublishing.com