I took this photo recently at Mount Usher Gardens, Ashford, Co.Wicklow (Irl)
The beautiful Maple tree always looks spectacular at this time of year with its beautiful autumnal colours
On This Day
On October 6th 1993 the famous basketball player Michael Jordan retired from professional basketball, saying “I don’t have anything else to prove,” only to return in March 1995.
On October 6th 2021 the World Health Organisation recommended the world’s first Malaria vaccine (Mosquirix) for children after a pilot program was effective in Africa. It has since been described as life changing.
Birthdays Today
Niall Quinn (Former Irish Footballer) is 58
Theo Hernandez (Soccer Player) is 27
Saint For Today
Today October 6th is the feast of Saint Bruno. It is told he gave his students the gift of prayers, wisdom and humilty.
Significance Of Today
Last Friday Oct 4th was World Smile Day. Sometimes all it takes to make the day better is a smile, whether someone gives it to you, or one you share with someone else. Little acts of kindness can also bring a smile to someone who has otherwise had a bad day and it can change everything that follows.
Whether it’s just a simple compliment, a cheery hello, or a gift of something small to help brighten their day, World Smile Day encourages you to take action to bring a few more smiles that of course no money can buy.
Also today Oct 6th is World Cerebral Palsy Day. Cerebral Palsy is a condition that’s sadly very common among people. No matter the conditions that cause it, Cerebral Palsy can be challenging to live with and can affect not only the person who has it but the loved ones that surround them. World Cerebral Palsy Day gives these families the ability to find better ways of handling it and helps spread awareness about the facts that come with Cerebral Palsy.
Interesting Quote for Today
“Use your smile to change the world but don’t let the world change your smile.” ~Author Unknown
Did you know that people can recognize a smile from up to 300 feet away, making it the most easily recognizable facial expression. And since smiling is a universal sign of happiness, it’s an easy way to communicate across cultures — more than handshakes, hugs, or bows which can have different meanings for different traditions.
My Latest Video 🎥
This is my latest video and it is a prayer to Our Guardian Angel – to mark the 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.
On 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”
Last Friday (Oct 4th) we had 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
