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St. Martin shared his heavy cloak with the beggar in need of some warmth. And thus was born the tradition of children and Christians carrying beggars' lanterns around on the feast of the saint in honor of this noble deed. Most of the web sites I looked at for this make paper lanterns, but I wanted something that I could put outside this evening that wouldn't get easily blown about in the Ohio wind.  So we opted for autumn lanterns made from glass Ball jars. We started with fall colored tissue paper torn into different sizes and shapes. Then we used Mod Podge to glue the papers to the jars. I used rafia to tie around the tops of the jars in a decorative bow. Twine was tied on each side of the jar to the rafia for a handle.   A votive candle is fastened inside the jar with a bit of wax - and voila! Lanterns suitable for hanging, setting on the table or placed outside.

A friend sent me the link to this video some months ago but I've only got round to looking at it. Possibly I'm the last person on the planet to have watched it. Nevertheless, I think it is worth sharing. The account Choi Sung-Bong gives of his life on Korea's Got Talent has been verified . It is an inspiring one. Like Susan Boyle, Choi Sung-Bong has been on the margins, though in a different way from the Scottish singer. As a Columban I have a special interest in Korea as we have been working there since 1933 and shared the hardships of World War II and the Korean War with the people there. Columban priests died violently there. I have visited the country three times and have Korean friends, Columban priests, seminarians, lay missionaries and religious who have come to the Philippines as missionaries. The song is Nella Fantasia , is based on Gabriel's Oboe , composed by Enrico Morricone for The Mission , that wonderful film based on the missionary work of the Jesui

"If we only knew how God regards this Sacrifice, we would risk our lives to be present at a single Mass." St. Pio of Pietrelcina Padre Pio Devotions My friend shared this with me the other day. It may me ashamed that even though I attend Mass daily, sometimes I am there physically but my mind and heart are somewhere else. Instead of thanking God with all my heart for the ultimate sacrifice He made for a sinner like me, I am worried about some trivial matter or I am rehashing past hurts. I often pray to Padre Pio that I could cry when meditating on Jesus' Passion just like he did when he celebrated Holy Mass. I pray that I never take for granted this awesome privilege we have in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

I have a profile on CafeMom and I came across a post from a mom whose profile name is: allsolittle. Her question on the Let's Talk forum was:   Are You Happy? Stay At Home Moms Especially. Her post read: I have been a stay at home mom for almost 7 years, I always did pretty great with it until lately. How do you stay happy always doing things for those you love and never yourself? I mean, I take a bath every week or so, but everyone still bugs me the whole time. I never get alone time. I have 4 kids, aged 6,4,3, and 4 mo. I guess i'm just wondering if anybody feels like this or has felt like this? I'm not happy, I do the exact same thing everyday and it is really wearing on me. I don't want to get out of bed. I haven't been caring lately if anything around here is done. I do the bare minimum of dishes, vaccuming, everything. I am depressed, I KNOW THAT. I'd prefer not to get on meds, been there before. Anyway, if you have been here, h

Women are very good multitaskers. We’re planning supper while juggling laundry and making notes for Friday’s big presentation. Being able to do more than one thing at a time makes us capable of handling the many demands of a modern woman’s daily life. Have we become too good at doing too much? Are we ticking off our to do lists, or are we really living each day? Are we fully alive, or are we merely getting by? Days can become years without us noticing. Have you ever asked, ”Where has the time gone?” or commented to your friends how quickly your children are growing up? “Before you know it, they’ll be gone,” you say. And indeed, you could find yourself looking back, regretting not pay8ing more attention to the toddler or teenager; not taking a paycut to pursue the job of your dreams; not learning Latin American Ballroom before sciatica and bunions made it too painful to contemplate. Paying attention is not my strong suit. Efficiency is the name of my game: no dawdling, just get t

The Holy Family with a Bird , Murillo, painted 1650. I was in our parish church in Dublin this afternoon praying when I saw a young man of about 19 come in, kneel in the front pew for a couple of minutess, light a candle in front of the latar of the Blessed Virgin and then leave. I was thinking that it was a hopeful sign to see a young person do this. Indeed, yesterday at Sunday Mass, while the congregation at the Mass at 11am wasn't great, there were some young people present. A few minutes latr thee young man came, approached me and told me his dog was sick. I wouldn't describe him as distressed but he was upset. I asked hiim how old his dog was and he said 'three'. He also gave me the dog's name, 'Sam'. I asked him if he had taken Sam to the vet. 'He's with him right now', he told me. I mentioned two saints to the young man, whose name I asked but won't mention here, who had the gift of healing animals, St Francis and St Martin de Porr

I shall be somewhere near here - some miles away in fact - next weekend, helping to give a retreat on the theme of the "Tender Father" (a TLIG retreat). I am leaving tomorrow to go south to stay at a friend's house in preparation for the flight from Heathrow on Wednesday. I am taking my laptop but I don't know if I will be able to blog from the hotel in Canada. I will not see any of the sights until the retreat is over, then I have two days to relax before I fly back.