Today September 25th is the feast of St. Finbarr and he is the Patron Saint of Cork. He lived in Gougane Barra in the heart of West Cork and it is a place of pilgrimage for people from near and far. Our photo today shows the famous St Finbarr’s Oratory at Gougane Barra. An oratory is a small chapel for prayer and quietness and is not normally a parish church.
On This Day
On September 25th 1995 Virgin Records released David Bowie’s 20th studio album called ‘Outside’, with very few singing artists having achieved something similar.
On Septemer 25th 2008 The boom years of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ slided into recession right across the world.
Birthdays Today
Will Smith (Actor) is 55
Catherine Zeta Jones (Actress) is 54
Saint For Today
Today September 25th is the feast of Saint Finbarr
Significance Of Today
Today is World Dream Day. It does not matter where you come from, where you live, or how much money you have, one thing that we all have in common is dreams! We have to go and let our dreams become reality.
Interesting Quote for Today
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”~Eleanor Roosevelt
Did you know that most of your muscles become paralyzed during REM sleep to prevent you from acting out your dreams.
Video For The Week🎥
Thought For The Week
‘“The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them.” ~Anonymous
I went to the ploughing last Wednesday in Co. Laois. It was a great day out but I have never seen so much mud and it was everywhere! Despite the presence of a metal floor track to walk through the main sections, one would have been completely lost without a pair of wellies. It was just essential wear and once you had a pair you could simply walk through every pool of mud knowing you were dry. It reminds me of the gift of faith and the importance of believing in something. Like a pair of wellies it especially helps you when conditions are difficult. Our faith also helps us through good days but especially when life is difficult and challenging.
Today (September 25th) is the feast of St. Finbarr. He is the patron saint of Cork and has very close ties with Gougane Barra in West Cork. This year marks the 1,400th anniversary of the death of St. Finbarr making today a significant day. The world that Finbarr lived in was radically different to the one we live in now. The world back then was much less complicated, life was lived simply with fewer distractions. But they too had their challenges and difficulties. Finbarr believed strongly that God was the one who gave us hope and strength to get us through everything.
This was the message that he brought from Gougane Barra to the people of Cork and beyond. His message is still so relevant today. It is also lovely that the feast of Saint Finbarr occurs during the Season of Creation which always happens during September. The Season of Creation encourages us to get out and about to appreciate the beauty of creation and to sense God’s presence in the beauty of nature. We can of course do it anywhere but a beautiful place to do it is of course Gougane Barra.
The Thought For The Week is updated each Monday
