Photo was taken yesterday at Gougane Barra, West Cork (Irl)

The weather forecast was for snow showers yesterday. I am sure there were a few eyes raised when we decided to go ahead with a Retreat Day for a 5th Year Class from Col√°iste Choilm, Ballincollig. It turned out to be one of those memorable days. It may have been cold but we were well wrapped up. The sun came out in between the showers and there was so much fun along with time for reflection! People pay hundreds of Euros to go to the Alps to see some snow. We had it all to ourselves at Gougane Barra yesterday!!

Thought on Wednesday – January – 14/01/2015

‘The Lord is my strength, my song, he became my saviour. Give thanks to the Lord, give praise to his name. Make his mighty deeds known to the peoples. Declare the greatness of his name.’ ~Isaiah 12:2-4

Last Sunday was the feast of the Baptism of Jesus. The above piece from Isaiah was part of the psalm that was used to mark the day. It is full of confidence, positivity, praise and a great sense of gratefulness. Such a feast day is an opportunity for us to reflect on our own baptism and its significance. For many of us its not high on our list of priorities and something that happened somewhere in the past with little impact on our everyday lives. But our Baptism was probably the most significant spiritual moment of our lives. The fingerprint of God touched our soul/spirit. There are no words to fully describe the significance of this sacred moment. But it does mean that we can say with confidence that we are cherished and loved by God every single moment of our lives. Nothing can or will ever change this truth. It is like our DNA. It defines who we are. It gives our lives meaning, hope and direction. It helps us to maximise and make the most of today.

Our Baptism means every day is a fresh start. It is the small bits and pieces of our everyday lives that matter the most. When we’re looking for little and small we will find plenty. Our Baptism can be the inspiration to help us become the person God created us to be. Our Baptism is not a historical event. It is all about today. It is about you and how precious and special you are in God’s eyes.