Photo from the archive was taken at Grace Dieu Retreat House, near Tramore, Co.Waterford

A huge oak tree laps up some beautiful spring sunshine as trees, flowers and shrubs begin to burst into life with every passing day.
As we begin our journey through Holy Week 2021 I hope it will be a blessed and special week for you.

Thought on Monday – April – 29/03/2021

‘Everybody needs encouragement. None of us achieves anything without help. The great achievers in history became all that they were because of great people in their lives.’ ~Bob Gass

It was Mark Twain who once said that a compliment would keep him going for a whole month. What if we got a compliment every day? What a difference it would make to our lives and to our world. Throughout scripture there is a clear pattern of encouragement and compliments. In the book of Proverbs we are told that pleasant words are like a honeycomb, they are sweetness to the soul and health to our bodies.

The impact of a compliment to a child or young person can be life changing. The impact of an encouraging word in a moment of crisis or difficulty can be a huge turning point. We all know the negativity that is part of the current pandemic and restrictions. It is clearly a very challenging time.

We desperately need to support each other, particularly with words of encouragement and getting people to believe in themselves again. Every word of encouragement is priceless and its value and impact go way beyond what we might ever expect. As we begin our journey through Holy Week I include the following prayer of thanks that you may find helpful.

Dear God, today I ask for nothing.

All I want to do is just say thank you.

Thank you for today, thank you for journeying with me, thank you for listening to me and for carrying me through difficulties.

Thank you for healing me, for forgiving me and for giving me a sense of hope.

Thank you for putting up with me, for accepting me as I am and for allowing me to just be.

Thank you for my family, my friends and for the people who care in my life.

Thank you for being my light during the darker days.

Thank you for giving me a reason why.
Thank you for the opportunities that come my way even if I don’t see them as opportunities at the start.

Above all thank you for loving me. Your love means the world to me.

All I want to say today is Thank You!

Amen