Photo was taken at Tooreenbawn, Millstreet, Co.Cork (Irl)

A tree came crashing down during a recent storm, only to land on top of another tree, making it even harder to remove and get the road safe again.

Thought on Sunday – February – 07/02/2010

The following reflection is by Fr.Tom Cahill

When it comes to energy and matter we’re in the dark. Satellite images of leftover energy from the Big Bang show things as they were 400,000 years after the Bang. To put that into perspective: it means seeing something as it was 13 billion years ago. Analysing their findings, scientists have discovered that only 4.6 percent of the total universe is made of stuff we can see. The rest, in the form of dark matter and dark energy, is invisible and mystifying. Dark matter holds our galaxies together; dark energy drives them apart. Their interaction means that while there won’t be more matter in the universe there will be more space ‚Äì lots more. So much more that neighbouring galaxies will disappear into the void. We’ll find ourselves even more cosmically isolated than we already are. Something to look forward to!

Better to look forward to what God’s word promises. God’s image in today’s First Reading (Isa 6:1-8) shows God as majestic and transcendent. Yet God cares for people by sending Isaiah on a mission to them. This mighty God, for whom our Big Bang was neither big nor a bang, cares for his creation. A cold and lonely universe is not part of God’s plan for us. Couldn’t be since he sends his son to us later. As the seraphs cover their faces before the majesty of God in that First Reading so too does Peter as he falls before Jesus’ knees in awe in the Gospel reading. (Luke 5:1-11)
Take your pick: dark matter, dark future; glorious God, glorious future.