Photo was taken at Carrigafooka, Macroom, Co.Cork (Irl)

It was a great year for blackberries with a bumper crop. There is nothing like the taste of fresh blackberries or fresh blackberry jam.

Thought on Sunday – September – 10/09/2017

Thought For Today is by Triona Doherty called ‘Community Living’


No community is without its problems. Wherever two or three are gathered, there will be two or three different opinions! Today’s gospel has a valuable message about community. When we think of our own parish or church community, we might feel uncomfortable with the advice on how to deal with sin. But this passage is just as relevant now as it was to the early Church. First of all, it acknowledges that the Church is not perfect; it is made up of sinners, who will go astray and disagree at different times.

It emphasises the importance of dialogue – if a brother (or sister) sins, the first step is to discuss it with them, and then to enlist the help of the community if necessary. Presumably the other members will do the same for you, if and when you need it. We all have a responsibility, as members of the Church, to help those who are struggling or lost.


If you have a spare few minutes, read the passages that come immediately before and after this one in Matthew’s Gospel. Before, the parable of the lost sheep tells us that God rejoices when one who has gone astray is found. After, Jesus tells us we should forgive each other as many as seventy-seven times. The context is God’s generous love and forgiveness, on which we are expected to model our Church. Jesus is present where two or three meet in his name – even with our human struggles and disagreements and sins. We have a responsibility to be present to each other, and to forgive one another. That’s what it means to be Christ’s Church.