I took this photo last week at Travelahawk Beach, located just below the ruins of the Black Castle in Wicklow Town, Co.Wicklow (Irl)
It is a lovely pebble beach and while out on a morning walk I saw a lovely photo opportunity. It was all about timing. The sea was particularly choppy after a stormy night and some clouds above the horizon created lovely beams of light as the sun rose through these clouds.
On This Day
On September 30th 2019 A 315 billion-tonne iceberg named D28 breaks away from Amery Ice Shelf, Antarctica
On September 30th 2021 Land, including the world’s oldest living rainforest, Daintree National Park (180 million yrs old) was returned to the Kuku Yalanji people in Far North Queensland, Australia
Birthdays Today
Max Verstappen (F1 Driver) is 27
Lacey Chabert (Movie Actress) is 42
Significance Of Today
Today September 30th is International Podcast Day to celebrate the incredible world of podcasting.
What is a podcast? Simply put, a podcast is an audio programme, just like Talk Radio, but you subscribe to it on your smartphone, computer, or any other suitable device, and listen to it whenever you like.
This day is not just for listening to your favorite shows but also for recognizing the hard work of podcast creators.
Interesting Quote for Today
“Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Walk beside me; just be my friend.” ~Albert Camus
Did you know that Sweden Is the top country in terms of Podcast Consumption. Sweden has a 25% podcast audience share and is followed by Ireland and Brazil.
Saint For Today
Saint for September 30 is Saint Jerome who was a priest, monk and Doctor of the Church, renowned for his extraordinary depth of learning and translations of the Bible
My Latest Video 🎥
This is my latest video and it is called – ‘Saying Goodbye To Our Swallows’. If you would like to see a selection of my other videos on Youtube you can click this link here. https://www.youtube.com/@JamesMcSweeneyFr/videos
This was my video for last week called ‘What can we learn from the monks especially all about balance’
Thought For The Week
The start of October begins tomorrow Tuesday and it has a blend of some beautiful feast days, each one as special as the next. October 1st is the feast of St Therese and she is one of the most popular saints of our time. Her huge appeal is not that she did extraordinary 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 attract interest and sometimes hype. Celebrities are always in the spotlight. But this was never a part of her life.
We may have many things planned for today and this weekend. The chances are that much of it is nothing extraordinary. It will not make headlines and most of it we have done so many times before. But the feast of St Therese reminds us that this is where life is meant to be. This is where life really matters. It is comforting to know that in the simple and ordinary events of our lives, we can be quite close to God. This is something we so often take for granted. Getting close to God is not reserved for the elite or the chosen few. It is always within our reach.
On Wednesday (Oct 2nd) we will have the feast day of our guardian angel. From an early age we have been taught that we have a guardian angel. But before we were even taught we just knew. We sensed that there was someone special watching over us. This is not just a childhood fantasy, it is something real and something that gives us great comfort as we journey through life. Like many things we take our Guardian Angel for granted. A fitting prayer 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”
Finally on Friday (Oct 4th) we have 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.
Thought For The Week is updated each Monday
