During the weeks of October there was a spectacular show of autumn colours and slowly the leaves began to fall. But last week with heavy rain and strong winds at times, all the leaves came down so quickly. It was as if they almost sensed that we were in the first week of Novemer. Our photo today was taken while out for a walk on Drishane Road, Millstreet, Co.Cork. The horsechestnut conkers were resting easy on the bed of leaves that had nurtured them all spring and summer.

Over the next few days and into next week you will see new changes to the website. It will be ongoing for the next few days. The website was working on outdated software and it needed an upgrade and facelift to bring it up to the technology of 2022.

On This Day

On Nov 7th 1492  The famous Ensisheim stony meteorite fell into a wheat field outside the walled town of Ensisheim, France.  The meteorite can still be seen in Ensisheim’s museum and is the oldest European meteorite fall on record.

On Nov 7th 2000 Hilary Clinton made history on her election to the US Senate, by becoming the first lady to win elective office.

On Nov 7th 2016 the Canadian musician Leonard Cohen died at the age of 82

Birthdays Today

David de Gea (Man Utd goalkeeper) is 32

Lorde (Singer) is 26

Liam O Maonlai (Member of Hothouse Flowers Band) is 58

Tinnie Tempah (Rapper) is 34

Saint For Today

Saint Willibrord is the Saint for November 7th. He grew up in England and became a priest and a missionary. He was sent to the Netherlands, a land that was then called Frisia

Significance of Today

The Cop 27, Climate Conference continues in Egypt. The international forum attracts environmental groups, scientists, business leaders, celebrities, journalists and protesters demanding that governments speed up and act on their pledges to halt climate change and its impact on our world today.

Interesting Quote For Today

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every persons need, but not every person’s greed.”~Mahatma Gandhi

Did You Know

Did you know that the average sea level is expected to rise between .5 and 1.5 metres before the end of the century. Oceans continue to warm and expand which means land-based ice in Greenland, parts of the Antarctic, and mountain glaciers continue to melt and so sea levels will rise. This will have an impact in many countries across the world, especially low-lying areas with high risk of extensive flooding, including parts of Ireland.

Thought For The Week

‘When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.’ ~Author Unknown

 
C.S Lewis was a famous writer who wrote over thirty books in his lifetime. The most famous of his books is ‘The Chronicles of Naria’. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. His Christian faith really influenced his work and his writings. His wife’s name was Joy and she died from cancer at the very young age of forty five. It was a massive blow for C.S Lewis. In one of his books, ‘A Grief Observed’, he said: “The death of a beloved is an amputation.” You can feel the massive loss his wife Joy was to him. He had lost his soulmate.
Whether recently or going back the years we still miss our loved ones deeply. Yes we remember them at different times of the year and if we are honest they are always in our thoughts. But at the start of November we create our own sacred spaces and we remember in love our loved ones who have died.
Many people will visit a cemetery during this month of November. It is not an empty or meaningless task. It’s always good to remember those who have died. Our belief is that death is not an end but a beginning for the soul or spirit of the person who has died. Our belief is that our loved ones who have died are still near us but not physically with us. They now live in eternal light and love.
Trying to put this into words is never easy and all we can humbly do is to try. It is also a time of year to be kind and gentle to yourself too. Like C.S Lewis felt in losing his wife Joy, the loss of a loved one is hugely significant. It is lots of small steps as we try and adjust our lives around our loss. This can take a long time. It is so important that we are kind and gentle to ourselves and to other members of our family who are grieving. November may be a dreary month but it can also be a gentle month of healing especially as we remember those who have died.
The old Irish prayer seems most appropriate at this time: “Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, May perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.” Amen

The Thought For The Week is updated each Monday