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

The Tour De France may be in full swing but another race, which was part of the Gathering Festival, took place last Sunday in Millstreet. There was a huge turnout of cyclists who deserve full credit for racing in really high temperatures.

Thought on Friday – July – 12/07/2013

Nothing is so inconsistent with the life of any Christian as overindulgence.’ ~St Benedict

Yesterday we celebrated the feast of St Benedict. He is the patron saint of Europe and fittingly much of Europe is basking in glorious sunshine at the moment! He is often called the founder of western monasticism and is famous for ‘the rule of Benedict’. This rule provided many guidelines for monks but as time went on his rule was adapted by millions of people all over the world. It has provided invaluable guidance for anyone who is searching for God in the world we live in today. At the very heart of his rule is the call for balance and moderation in all we do. This applies especially to our work, time given to rest and play and time given to our spiritual lives. We are all guilty of going to extremes with different things especially work and we simply forget all the other essential aspects of our lives. Benedict called on people to find the balance. In finding the balance we find ourselves closer to God and much more at ease and at peace with ourselves.