I took this photo yesterday afternoon at Laharn, Kilcorney, Co.Cork
It is the Aubane river flowing under a bridge but what caught my eye was all the debris that had built up from a recent flood. There was clearly one big tree trunk that got stuck and all the other debris started building up around this. There is also a spiritual message too. As we begin to move towards the new year, it is an ideal time to start letting go off debris that we don’t need to be carrying with us into 2025. Some of this we definitely don’t need to carry with us. By clearing away or letting go of such debris, it clears the clutter in our lives, allows the energy to flow and overall we feel so much better too. I hope you have a lovely relaxed build up to our new year
Video for the week🎥
As we approach 2025 this video is simply called ‘A Prayer for a Happy New Year’
The next video below is the one that I had up in the days around Christmas called ‘Why every Christmas Crib is different’
The video below is a recent video and it is called ‘One Snow Story’. An unexpected snowfall made sure I got out and about, to create the story with a few reflective thoughts. 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
Spiritual Thought For The Week
“It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.” ~ Saint Mother Teresa
Last Saturday was the shortest day of the year and is the winter solstice. As light is so scarce at this time of year we are naturally drawn to light. The Christmas tree in our homes always gives us a lift with their display of light. Candles also add a lovely touch. We often talk about Jesus as that special light born into our world to make a difference. This difference is not just some days but every single day.
I was watching an interesting documentary on the Christmas tree and the crib at Saint Peter’s Square in Rome. The tradition of donating a tree to the Vatican began back in 1982 under the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. The Christmas tree is a symbol of generosity, hope and community. Each year, a different area, province or country donates the tree. This Christmas, the tree comes from the Valle di Ledro in the Trentino region of Northern Italy. It is no ordinary tree. It is 29 meters tall, weighing approximately 5 tons and was chosen for its grandeur and beauty.
The crib each year in the Vatican is also different. The crib figures represent a different part of the world. It is of course the same beautiful story being recreated but every crib in every church is uniquely different. There will never be any two the same. It is the same with all our stories. All our stories are different but it is the same loving God who holds all our stories together.
This is the Christmas message. Everyone needs light, hope, meaning, connection, support and love in our lives. It is our heartfelt belief that Jesus born in a stable, is a guarantee that these blessings can be ours too. Just as there are so many different Christmas Cribs, is also a recognition of our own unique story. But it is Jesus who brings meaning to our story, makes it personal, makes the connection and gives us hope in a sometimes hopeless world.
