Queen Elizabeth and President Obama spoke heart warming, and encouraging words, to the people of Ireland during recent days. They prompted me to think, that God has a dream for each of us, and we have a part to play in the dream,.. making it happen. I AM with you always, Jesus is repeatedly telling us. It is difficult to be aware, especially during days when we feel bad, and nothing seems to go right. We feel hurt. We feel forgotten, that nobody cares. We are disappointed and worried. We feel revengeful, and sometimes overpowered with our own weaknesses. I like one spiritual writer. When he is in foul humour, when the traffic annoys him. When the queue in the Post Office or Supermarket irks him, he decides to talk to himself and says ‘’Cop On’. He takes three deep breaths, relaxes his shoulders and reflects. He begins to list the blessings around him ...the breath of life, the family and friends that surround his life, the fantastic display that Nature puts on this day to greet him, sunshine, sailing clouds, the variety of seasons that compliment ones own journey, the wonder of light, and its colours on screen ,TV. Ipod. I like the busy young mother that tells me that she goes to Mass to say Thanks to God for life, for family and friends. She asks God to take care of them and those in trouble. A lot of the rest goes over my head, she says.

Liam Hickey, St.Ciarans, Hartstown, Dublin 15.