The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has focused on ''the power of one'' as a major part of its efforts towards energy saving and efficiency. The site states that ''if each of us becomes aware of our own power . . . and use it properly, we can collectively make a big difference. The site also talks about taking individual responsibilty and changing our behavour in small ways. It sums up by stating that ''all we have to do is recognise our power and use it. That's what the Power of One is all about''.

This simple statement can be applied in a much more meaningful way to the practice of our Catholic faith and to how each of us, even in very small, simple ways, could make a difference.

It's not the time to feel weighed down or discouraged. It's not surprising that we feel that way, but I always tell my children that simple, well known story about the little girl walking along the beach tossing starfishes, stranded by the tide, back into the sea.

Make a difference

A puzzled passer-by asks the child why she is taking such action. There are thousands of starfishes and miles of beach-how could the girl possibly make a difference. The child pauses for a moment, pondering the question, but quickly stoops down, scooping up another starfish and throwing it carefully back into the sea. With a tone of gentle defiance she faces the observer saying, ''you're probably right, but I made a difference for that one''.

The story often ends there, but in the original version, The Star Thrower by Loren C. Eiseley, the bystander is inspired by the action of the child and joins in the task of rescuing the stranded creatures. There's a great moral in the story that centres on the power of perseverance against all the odds and in the face of cynicism and adversity. We can't give up and accept defeat; we have the power to change the circumstances of a situation, to influence a mind-set, to even change a life for the better. The words of the Robert Frost poem, The Road not Taken say it all:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.''

What we do can indeed make a very big difference.

My two sons recently attended the annual Summer Youth Festival in Clonmacnois, August 12-15. There was a huge attendence of well over a thousand people. My husband and I headed down on the Saturday to check out the action and were overwhelmed with the throngs of youth, the sense of devotion and, in an era when we're led to believe that our younger people have lost interest in the practice of the Faith, the queues for confession were phenomenal.

After the long weekend, one of my sons spoke of being inspired by one of the speakers who emphasised the importance of making a difference and being a force for change in society. As Catholics, we're all members of the Mystical Body of Christ; as members of the Church, we are united by supernatural bonds with one another and with Christ as our head. We don't act alone, we act as members of a family, a community, a parish and ultimately as part of society.

Strength

Many committed Catholics are involved in various Catholic organisations and get great strength from the support of the other members, the spiritual guidance, prayer and evangelical spirit. Within our various organisations, we can feel somewhat protected from the attacks on our faith which are predictable in their regularity. However, to make a difference, we have to call on the power of one which is the individual, unique contribution that only we can make. The group effort is vital, but we can't view our activities in our various organisations as the end of the story .

The message of Jesus always involved going out, stepping into the unknown and facing up to the challenges-stepping outside our comfort zones. The dynamic speaker, who impressed my son in Clonmacnois, spoke of the pressing need for Catholics to get actively involved, not to be the ones who wait helplessly while the secular agenda decides the direction our society takes.

On a www.boards.ie discussion several months ago, one poster which was critical of the Church claimed that the only thing that would break the Church is apathy, and, in a way, he had a point. There can be a bit of a trend among loyal Catholics to bemoan our fate as if we have no control over the future.

The Gandhis and Mother Teresas of this world didn't suceed by sitting in a state of inaction. We should always be people of action-we need to get involved in local and national politics, let our voices be heard; every time there's a discussion on the radio, are we on the phone giving the Catholic view and defending the misrepresentation of our faith; how often do we write letters to the papers or jump into a heated online debate to defend the very positive influence of Catholicism.

Courage

We can't afford to be afraid or lacking in courage. I was asked to appear on a chat show a few months ago on a controversial issue of great relevance to Catholics. Unable to participate myself, I was asked to suggest other possible speakers who'd be willing to represent the Catholic viewpoint.

In the end, I couldn't get anyone at short notice-among those contacted there was an understandable fear of being outnumbered or verbally harassed. However, if as good Catholics. we leave the field clear for our opponents, we can't complain bitterly about the lack of balance in our media.

Getting back to the starfish story, the power to change things should be a powerful motivator. Acts of idealism, even symbolic ones, have the power to encourage others to act, sometimes in numbers large enough to have a very real impact. In the words of the famous Irish statesman, Edmund Burke: ''Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.''

It's worth pondering on the how this could apply to our faith and how our little could make such a difference.