Photo was taken at the western entrance to Ballincollig Regional Park, Ballincollig, Co.Cork (Irl)

With the clocks going back an hour over the weekend light is particularly precious at this time of year. A low setting sun casts its last rays on a watchtower that dates back to 1816.

Thought on Monday – November – 01/11/2010

‘A saint is a person who gives of themself without asking for anything in return. That’s how simple it is to be a saint. Try it! Try being a saint.’ ~Edward James Olmos

Today is the feast of All Saints. It always follows the day after Halloween. The origins of Halloween go back to the days when it was a pagan Celtic feast. They believed that after sunset on Samhain, which we now called Halloween, the spirits of the dead and evil spirits roamed the skies seeking to harm humans, especially if the dead had been harmed by them. To protect themselves people disguised themselves by dressing up in costumes and carried lights inside in turnips. In order to turn a pagan feast into a Christian feast, the Church placed the feast of All Saints on November 1st, to coincide with the pagan celebration. It would be a mistake to think today is about famous or celebrity Saints. Today is all about our own loved ones gone on before us who lived decent, honest, simple and down to earth lives. They may not have been famous, they may not have made headlines but in God’s eyes they are now celebrities. Today we call them saints and we thank them for all the love they have shown us down through the years.