St Constantine Cyril Patron of Europe

The fresco St Cyril, dating from the ninth century in the underground basilica of St Clement, Rome.

We Remember The Most Holy Trinity

The Most Holy Trinity, icon written by Monika Glass. It is to be seen in Ballintubber Abbey, Co. Mayo, Ireland.

The icon takes us back to the oaks at Mamre: Abraham and Sara the unseen old couple have visitors. Their visitors are the Divine Presence. At table the Three are One. The icon, commissioned for Ballintubber Abbey, reminds us that the Trinity was central to St Patrick's spirirtuality.
There's an echo of St John's gospel in this icon, with Jesus speaking so strikingly of the Father and the Holy Spirit; echoes, too, of St Paul's greetings in his letters to the young Christian communities, and a sense of the wonderful hymns of praise to the Lamb of God in the Book of Revelation (4-5)
The icon is profoundly eucharistic. It is liturgy in itself: table, altar, chalice, meal, all lead us towards prayer and song, inspire us to praise, to share. The icon's colours, in their harmony and density, accentuate this aspect of celebration.

St. Kieran (Ciaran) of Clonmacnoise,

St. Kieran (Ciaran) of Clonmacnoise, also known as St. Kieran the Younger, was born around 512 AD in Connacht, Ireland, a town located in the northern part of County Roscommon. The son of Beoit, a carpenter and chariot-builder, Kieran inherited a love of learning from his mother’s side of the family, as his maternal grandfather had been a bard, poet, and historian. Baptized by deacon Justus (“the righteous one”), who also served as his first tutor, the boy Kieran worked as a cattle herder. Even this early in his life, stories testifying to Kieran’s holiness are told. Some later believed that his work as a herdsman foreshadowed the care he would offer the many who sought his wisdom.

Kieran continued his education at the monastery of Clonard, which was led by St. Finnian. Yet another story, that of the “Dun-Cow of Kieran,” is associated with his move to this abbey. What is quite certain is that Kieran quickly gained the reputation of being the most learned monk at Clonard, and was asked to serve as tutor to the daughter of the King of Cuala, even as he continued his own studies. His friend and fellow student, Columcille of Iona, testified to Kieran’s brilliance by saying, “He was a lamp, blazing with the light of wisdom.” Besides being renowned for his brilliance, Kieran also had a great capacity for friendship with other leaders of the early Irish church. In addition to Justus, Columcille, and Finnian, Kieran counted Enda of the Aran Islands as his mentor, and both Senan of Scattery Island and Kevin of Glendalough as friends and colleagues. Kieran’s years of residence at Clonard were also marked by miraculous events that benefited the entire monastery.

After completing his studies under Finnian, Kieran left Clonard and moved to the monastery of Inishmore in the Aran Isles, which was directed by St. Enda. While a member of this monastic community, Kieran was blessed with the vision of a great tree, which anticipated his own foundation of a renowned monastery. From Inishmore, Kieran went to visit his religious brothers at Isel in central Ireland. His stay here was brief, as the other monks envied his fame as a scholar, and resented what they considered his excessive charity to the poor. Asked to leave Isel, Kieran was led by a stag to Inis Aingin, or Hare Island. While he lived here for 3 years and 3 months, brothers from all over Ireland came to study under Kieran, and more miracles attested to his holiness.

Old Postcard of the Ferry Hotel Windermere

I have in my possession a booklet of old postcards of the Ferry Hotel on Windermere Lake. They are in a 'Duplex' book of ten pictures all of the Ferry Hotel in its heigh day. The hotel is now a research base for The Freshwater Research Association. I will publish some of the other photographs soon.

The Ferry Hotel Windermere Lake

City Building

City Building  Listen to Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s work long enough and you may wish to kill yourself

The Folks of DUMBartonshire, are Dumb

West Dumbartonshire Council Boycott Israel Councillor Bollan

Doesn't this clown know one of these authors is an American? or does just not like Jews?
Who voted them in?

Writing?

Celia Celia by Adrian Mitchell | The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor

“I think all writing is a disease. You can't stop it.”

—William Carlos Williams

Fire & Music

Something sad and moving about this music and video
By the Fire

A Beauty?

Often folk say they object to the muslim covering of faces, but in this case I can assure you this lady is a real beauty

Alice - Per Elisa WOW WOW!!

Love Lives Beyond The Tomb

Love lives beyond
The tomb, the earth, which fades like dew-
I love the fond,
The faithful, and the true.
Love lies in sleep,
The happiness of healthy dreams,
Eve's dews may weep,
But love delightful seems.
'Tis seen in flowers,
And in the even's pearly dew
On earth's green hours,
And in the heaven's eternal blue.

'Tis heard in spring
When light and sunbeams, warm and kind,
On angels wing
Bring love and music to the wind.
And where is voice
So young, so beautiful, so sweet
As nature's choice,
Where spring and lovers meet?
Love lies beyond
The tomb, the earth, the flowers, and dew.
I love the fond,
The faithful, young, and true.

John Clare

Hot or Cold?

Cold words freeze people, and hot words scorch them,
and bitter words make them bitter, and wrathful words make them
wrathful.
Kind words also produce their own image on men's souls;
and a beautiful image it is. They soothe, quiet, and comfort the
hearer.
-- Blaise Pascal

I don’t go to Funerals says Simon Cowell

I know one he definitely go to!!!

Googlw Wave Invites

I have a number of 'Google Wave' invites. If you want one post a comment asking. First come first served.

mad world

Bad Karma

US balloon boy

US balloon boy case 'was a hoax'

A US sheriff has said the case of six-year-old Falcon Heene who was believed to be adrift in a hot air balloon, prompting a major alert, was a hoax.

Sheriff Jim Alderden said the parents of the boy were actors and had put on a "good show for us, and we bought it".

New Books in the Library

"Please Don't Hurt Me" by I. Bruce Easley

"The Proper Use of Sunscreens" by Justin Casey Burns

"Allegiance to the King" by Neil Downe

"Bad Falls" by Eileen Dover

"The State of General Motors" by Mitch Egan

"Karate and You" by Marsha Larts

"Cry Wolf" by Al Armist

"A History of the Tour de France" by Cy Kling

"Explaining Yourself" by Clara Fie

"The Lumberjack's Life" by Tim Burr

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | New Jersey fury at Gaddafi 'stay'

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | New Jersey fury at Gaddafi 'stay'
Where will he pitch his tent NOW!!

Lockerbie bomber freed from jail- "The Hero returns"

BBC NEWS | Scotland | South of Scotland | Lockerbie bomber freed from ja
Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, anyone who thinks this man's release is about compassion and not oil & politics is mad.
His son did not meet with Mandelson for nothing.