The start of October sees a collection of important feast days. Last Sunday (Oct 1st) was the feast day of St Therese and she is one of the most popular saints of our time. Her huge appeal is not that she did extra ordinary things but that she did the little things extraordinary well. She found that she was closest to God when she was doing the simplest and most mundane tasks. The spectacular and sensational always attracts interest and sometimes hype. Celebrities are always in the spotlight. But this was never a part of her life.



Her message has great relevance for the world we live in today. The need to focus on quality rather than drifting aimlessly through hype and sensationalism is important. The good news is that there is so much quality to be found in the small and ordinary moments of our everyday lives. The feast day of St Therese reminds us to celebrate our quality moments. We don’t have to live up to the many shallow moments that the world sometimes encourages us to follow. We need to be proud of our quality and to know that no other person has the unique qualities that you have. The rose and the lily’s of this world are important but the little violet’s play a crucial part too.

Yesterday Monday (Oct 2nd) we had the feast day of our Guardian Angel. Angels have never been as popular as they are today and so many sense or feel their guidance and protection. There are so many references to angels throughout scripture and our tradition has nurtured great devotion to our guardian angel. A guardian angel isn’t fantasy or some form of magic. They are real, active and can best be described as God’s protective love very near and close to us. A fitting prayer each day might be: “O Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here. Ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen”

Tomorrow Wednesday (Oct 4th) is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. He is one of those rare saints who has managed to capture the attention and admiration of the entire world. His life has inspired people of all ages and the appeal of this saint, cuts across national boundaries and religious differences. He is most famous for his respect towards God, his simple life and his tender love and attention to all creation. Francis had little time for excess, waste and greed. The life of Francis still challenges all of us today. The invitation is to sort through our lives and discard the unnecessary and useless. There is great freedom in doing with less and using it to our advantage. St Francis did it so well and has inspired so many more to do the same.