I took this photo at Mount Usher Gardens, Ashford, Co.Wicklow (Irl)
This is the River Vartry flowing through the beautiful Mount Usher Gardens. The different cascades along with the gentle sounds of the water flowing makes these gardens special indeed.
On This Day
On October 3rd 1990 East and West Germany unite together, after four decades of Cold War division.
On October 3rd 1995 one of the most sensational trials in U.S. history ended as a jury found O.J. Simpson not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
On October 3rd 2021 Record rainfall in Europe fell, with 36 inches (925 mm) of rain falling in the northern Italian town of Rossiglione
Birthdays Today
Gwen Stefani (Singer) is 55
Chubby Checker (The Twist Singer) is 83
Saint For Today
Today October 3rd is the feast of Saint Candida
Significance Of Today
As we head towards the Feast of St Francis tomorrow, this week is called ‘Walk Your Dog Week’. Why not get out and about to give your best friend a walk, some freedom and a chance to get some exercise yourself too.
Interesting Quote for Today
“The happiest people in life are able to be themselves. But you cannot be yourself, until you accept yourself.” ~Jeff Moore
The Eiffel Tower gets taller in the summer. The massive iron structure is wind-resistant and will sway during a storm. The wind isn’t the only thing that can make the enormous tower move. The heat of the sun causes the iron to expand making the Tower grow a few centimeters during the summer months. It also leans an average of six inches away from the sun, as the one side facing the direct light heats up faster than the other three sides.
My Latest Video 🎥
This is my latest video and it is a prayer to Our Guardian Angel – to mark yesterdays feast day of ‘Our Guardian Angel’ (Oct 2nd)
This was the video I had up last week 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
Thought For The Week
The start of October began on Tuesday and it has a blend of some beautiful feast days, each one as special as the next. October 1st was 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. 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.
Yesterday Wednesday (Oct 2nd) we 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 tomorrow 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
