The crocus flower is always a flower of hope. No matter what the weather, frosts, snow, storms, heavy rain or sunshine, it will always flower in February. It comes in many colours and is very easy to grow in any garden.
I have just uploaded my new weekly video. Next Sunday is World Day for sick people and prayers for healing will be said in every church. I have made a short video which is a gentle meditation for healing in our lives. Enjoy the gentle time out that it is
On This Day
On February 8th 2020 in the Irish General Election no party wins a majority, Sinn Fein 37 seats, Fianna Fail 38 seats and Fine Gael only 35 seats. Eventually a new coalition government was formed between Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and The Greens.
On Febraury 8th 2022 In the Brits music awards Adele won the best artist, song and album of the year
On February 8th 2022 The Horn of Africa with 13 million people faces a humanitarian crisis amid drought where the rainy season has failed three years in a row, according to UN World Food Programme
Birthdays Today
John Grisham (Author) is 69
Nick Nolte (Actor) is 83
Saint For Today
Today is the feast day of Saint Josephine Bakhita, a slave from the Darfur region of Sudan. As a young woman she was bought, sold and given away over a dozen times. Pope Francis today has called for action in the fight against human trafficking and has appealed to government leaders to be strong in the fight against the scourge of human trafficking.
Significance Of Today
Today is a day to pause and look for a sign of spring. It can be a crocus, a snowdrop, a daffodil peeping up or maybe you have noticed a stretch in the evenings or the birds singing more strongly in the mornings. Whatever you notice or no matter how small, it is a sign of hope.
Interesting Quote For Today
“Love is not to be purchased, and affection has no price.” ~Saint Jerome
Did You Know
Did you know that crocuses are found all over the world. Crocus is at home in meadows, forests, and on mountain peaks. It thrives in Southern Europe, Central Asia, China, Middle East and Africa. There are 80 different crocus species that originate in all different parts of the world.
Video for the Week 🎥
This is the new video called ‘A short meditation for healing’
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
