Photo was taken up in the mountains near Lios Póil on the Dingle Peninsula, Co.Kerry (Irl)

The artic weather conditions continue to grip Ireland and Europe with no let up. This dramatic photo taken by Órla Ní Chathasaigh captures the severity of the weather conditions. The poor sheep in our photo got caught in a snow storm and literally was covered in snow. Thankfully the girls were able to dig the sheep out of its trap to safety.

Thought on Saturday – January – 09/01/2010

A man drove through a car park for several minutes trying to find a parking space. Exasperated, he finally decided to ask God for help. ‚ÄúGod‚Äù, he prayed, ‚ÄúI’m really late for an important meeting. If you’ll just help me find a parking space, I promise to attend Mass each day for a month.‚Äù Just then, a car began to back out of a nearby space. ‚ÄúNever mind, God‚Äù said the man, ‚ÄúI just found one!!‚Äù

We sometimes put God in impossible situations. We ask, we bargain, we beg, we demand and we ask sometimes for the impossible. We become experts at bargaining. If our request is answered we promise to pay back the favour. But such a relationship with God is false and shallow. All that God ever wants from any of us is a bit of honesty. Any prayer that is open, sincere and honest comes from the heart. Such honesty recognises that God is firmly on our side. It’s an honesty that recognises that we and life have limits. But even in our limitations God is still with us and near us.