Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day in Cork and as I was passing Rocky Bay beach I pulled in for visit. I had the whole place to myself and it is located in the Parish of Tracton and is about 15km from Carrigaline and about 30km from Cork
On This Day
On February 10th 2019 Insect populations are collapsing worldwide threatening a “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems” according to a global review saying 40% declining and 30% are endangered
On February 10th 2020 More than 30 bushfires were put out by the heaviest rainfall for 30 years in New South Wales, Australia, helping end one of the worst bushfire seasons ever, 46 million acres burnt, over 1 billion animals killed and 34 people dead
Birthday’s Today
Roberta Flack (Singer) is 86
Holly Willoughby (TV Presenter) is 42
Greg Norman (Golfer) is 68
Richard Corrigan (Chef) is 59
Saint For Today: Saint Scholastica who was the twin sister of Saint Benedict the founder of monasticism
Significance Of Today
All eyes of the world remain on Turkey and Syria with the death toll from the deadly earthquakes going past 20,000 people. When words fail to sum up such a devastating tragedy, prayer allows us to find some words, to express our sorrow and solidarity and to express our hope that help and aid will get to those who so badly need it. Even at local level there are already plans being put in place to get essentials collected such as warm clothing, hats, jumpers, coats, shoes and so much more. People are just so good and generous during a crisis like this.
Interesting Quote for Today
“The person who can bring the spirit of laughter into a room is indeed blessed. ” ~Bennett Cerf
Did You Know
Did you know that cats are not able to taste anything that is sweet.
Thought For The Week
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by people.” ~Matthew 5:13
Salt is something we take so much for granted and yet all life depends on its chemical properties to survive. Its chemical formula is NaCl and is made up of sodium and chloride. Salt has been used by humans for thousands of years. The ability of salt to preserve food has been the main contributor to the development of civilization.
Salt made it possible to transport food over long distances and also helped to store food when it would be out of season. But salt was often difficult to source and so it was a highly valued trade item. Our bodies also need salt for survival. If we completely cut out salt from our diet we would become unwell in a short period of time. Our muscles would become weak and begin to cramp up. We would suffer from heat exhaustion and our whole body system would start to fail.
It is well known that we consume more salt than we need today. Lots of salt is added to food to increase its taste. A bag of chips from our local chipper tastes so much nicer when it is sprinkled with salt. Too much salt leads to high blood pressure and too little means we can’t survive. The key word with salt is balance and to use it as part of a balanced diet.
It is little wonder that Jesus was so in touch with the image of salt. Jesus beautifully says we are the salt of the earth. Like salt we are essential, precious and unique. Like salt we have a crucial role to play as part of God’s family. We too can contribute in ways that are unique to us. We can use our gifts and talents in a way that works for us. It is about getting the balance right. If we don’t spread our salt, it is no good and if we spread too much salt it is also no good. How do we find the balance?
Pope Francis puts it beautifully when he says: “Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm, that delightful and comforting joy of spreading good news.” Every time you generate some good news and share good news with someone else it is like spreading salt in balance. We desperately need more good news in our world and in our communities. You are the source of this good news. You are the salt. Without it we have absolutely nothing.
The Thought For The Week is updated each Monday
