Many of the illnesses we have are diagnosed as sicknesses of the body, the spirit or the mind. But the the life of the soul, our relationship with Christ, is at the heart of human health. If my relationship with Christ is vibrant and healthy many of my daily struggles can be resolved, or at […]
As we make our way through Advent we are not alone. Not only are several hundred of us making this daily Food For Faith pilgrimage, but we are preparing for Christmas as a part of the praying church, that is united with those for whom the Hours of the Church’s liturgy are the stuff of […]
It’s the weekend at the end of what has probably been a busy week. Do you ever find that you long for a break from the busyness of life, the weekend comes and goes, and on Monday you wake with the feeling that you need another weekend? This might have something to do with us […]
This week the End of Life Choice bill has been debated in the New Zealand parliament resulting in the decision to send the bill to Select Committee and consult citizens in a referendum. The most reliable measure of a civilised society is the degree of care provided for those citizens who are most vulnerable and needy. […]
Humans are made for freedom which is why we react so strongly against anything that appears to limit our liberty. However our understanding of freedom is often very impoverished. Freedom is not about being able to do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it. This is a definition of anarchy. Freedom […]
In our first Advent reflections I offered an encouragement to take time during these Advent days to be still and silent perhaps a couple of times each day and to know the presence of God. I also emphasised that it doesn’t matter too much what happens during these two or three or five or minutes: […]
In his video reflection on Sunday Christchurch Bishop-elect Paul Martin encouraged us to use the daily scriptures to guide us through Advent. These daily readings are available at this link. Today’s scriptures remind us that God is not just another good human person, or even one being among many similar beings, but God is God, […]
This weekend I informed parishioners that after six years as the Parish Priest of the people of the Hurunui I will early next year take up new appointments based in Christchurch city. I have no doubt that this change will be good for the parish of the Good Shepherd Hurunui who are fortunate to be […]
On this Second Sunday of Advent Food For Faith gives the floor to Christchurch Bishop-elect Paul Martin on this first Sunday after the announcement of his appointment. In this clip he encourages us to use the daily readings as a guide to keep us focussed on the heart of Christmas. Take a moment to watch […]
Perhaps the most common daily ailment in citizens of the western world is stress. Hopefully the weekend brings us a bit of breathing space and an opportunity to step back and reflect on how we live for the rest of the week. Most mornings many of us wake with the sense that the things we […]
Many of you will read this on Friday morning 8 December, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. I am sitting down to write late in the evening of the 7th, the feast of Ambrose, and the 32nd anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. It’s been a full day. This morning I flew to Auckland […]
Today’s reflection gives new Christchurch bishop-elect Paul Martin a good mention, but the post is not about him. There’s also a mention of children counting the sleeps until Christmas, but the reflection is not about them either. You might take a moment now to watch this brief clip and be reminded of the every-moment-of-every-day-and-night presence […]
It is with great joy that we learn this morning that Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Paul Martin SM as the tenth bishop of Christchurch. Bishop-elect Paul comments on his appointment: “I’d like to express what a privilege it is to be chosen to serve in the Diocese of Christchurch as Bishop, following in the […]
Make sure there are no children reading over your shoulder before I tell you that a couple of years ago I visited the grave of Santa Claus. I was in Bari in southern Italy with a family who live in that city and the part of their hometown they were most excited to show me […]
Have you ever thought of prayer as child-like playfulness. There are some similarities and today’s gospel in which Jesus encourages us to be childlike gives us an opportunity to consider these…
