Thursday, August 29, 2019

SAINTS I LOVE

For my 21st Birthday I was gifted a copy of the Life of St. Catherine of Sienna.
My second name is Catherine, so I read about her and was impressed.
She was a princess and from childhood, had a special love for God.
She suffered a lot when her husband died, yet continued to trust and depend on God's love for her. So I learned from Catherine that suffering helps us to be close to God.
When I joined the Community I was given a book called 'The Story of a Soul'.
Such a wonderful introduction to the life of St. Therese of Lisieux.
Her life-story invites us to abandon ourselves to God; to simply believe in how much God loves us.
Therese's simple approach to the spiritual life is a great encouragement for me to follow her 'Little Way.'
Most of all I have a love for Mary, our Lady, the Mother of all Saints.


Saturday, August 24, 2019

WELCOME THE FUTURE!

The Future is always a mystery.  
We may think we know what's going to happen in the next hour / day / month / year etc., yet only God has a true awareness of the Future.
For that reason, we can be a winner if we learn to trust in God and pray to be guided by Him in regard to the future of our lives.
Wise people and saints advise us to value the present moment and live in the Now. Good advice if only we could.  
Often, our thoughts take us away from the present moment and we are filled with thoughts of what might or might not happen.
I believe that if we can learn to Welcome the Future, then we will be free to relax and allow the mystery of the Future to guide and inspire us.
When we truly believe that God loves us and also believe that God knows ALL, especially what is most good for us, then we are in a happy state and free to love. 

INISHEER

I've just returned from a trip to Inisheer, the smallest of the Aran Islands off the coast of Galway.
It was an adventure just to get there, coming from Wicklow town.
My journey began at 8am on the 133 bus from Wicklow into Dawson street, Dublin. Step off one bus and on to another, 145 bus to Hueston Railway station.
The train to Galway was at 11.25pm so I had a good hour to relax and replenish myself for the journey.
Travelling by train is a joy and especially with the modern models we now have here in Ireland.
I arrived around 2pm in Galway city and had time to meet up with a friend, Nuala for lunch and a good chat.
The Park Hotel provided a good venue and not expensive either.
Next stop was Kinlay Travel, Eyre Square, who organize trips to the Aran Islands.
They team up with Lally buses who connect people from Galway city to Rossaveal harbour where the boats sail from.
By 6.30pm I was sailing on the 'Queen of the Sea' to the islands.
My day trip ended at 8pm that evening where I was met by good friends, waiting on the Pier of Inisheer.
I quickly settled into the Hostel on the island, then off to a very welcome meal offered by another good friend.
God bless friends and my Pass!



Monday, August 5, 2019

GIVE ALL FOR ALL!

The good will to give ALL for ALL is found in a glad and happy heart.
therefore it's important to keep ourselves happy and learn to do all we can do with love.
It's always good to remember that God cannot be undone in generosity. 
We may think we are doing a lot for God and later learn that it is He who is doing ALL for us.
Even our good thoughts are guided by His loving interest in us.
When we fail at times, it can often be a blessing.
Our failures may well teach us more than our successes.
Perhaps, the whole idea of giving ALL for ALL is a personal invitation from God, inviting us to grow in awareness of His giving of ALL for us.