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A few chatty updates today:
The cafe gatherings are again a great success. Note the pick above from yesterday’s Hutt Valley gathering. In these full pre-Christmas days an hour’s chat about what is important might be just what you and others in your area need. Take the initiative and send a date, time and place as below.
I appreciated the opportunity to celebrate Mass for the people of the Kaiapoi community on Sunday. A few commented as they arrived that they had already read my homily on Sunday morning’s FFF reflection. I told them that they were free to duck out for coffee during the homily, but i think most stayed for the repeat.
Some of you will have noticed that the weekly Homily Studio podcast is taking a break. It has been a bit difficult to maintain these weekly recordings over the December / January period. At this stage I’m hoping to start recordings again for February, but in the meantime please offer your own comments on its usefulness, is it worth continuing, length, style etc – either in the comments section below or to me at john@fff.org.nz
I’m delighted with the response to the Fifth Gospel Living collection. If you are in Christchurch you can pick up a copy from St. Augustine’s Bookstore at Christ the King Church, open from 11.00am – 2.00pm Wed – Saturday each week. $35.00.
Of course those who have seen the collection and speak about it to others are our best promoters. I attach below the review that was published in the recent Welcom magazine, and the CathNews review is at this link. You can order from The CopyPress at this link, or if you want a few copies let me know directly john@fff.org.nz
A number of people have commented that they had planned to write for Fifth Gospel Living but either didn’t get around to it or were uncertain about which experience of God to write about. Others have mentioned that they know someone they could encourage to write. SO the second edition of Fifth Gospel Living will be published next year and I am inviting you to write, sharing one experience of God in up to 400 words. I think you will find the exercises of writing very helpful, and a number who contributed to the first edition commented that seeing their experience in print has given their experience greater value and power in their lives. Wonderful.
SO please write. Deadline Friday 31 January 2025. Make it your holiday project. Encourage others to write. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Take an initiative and send me a date time and place for a FFF cafe-catchups john@fff.org.nz. I’ll advertise these on each morning’s post throughout Advent.
TODAY Wednesday 18th December at 10.00am with Liz
Milk and Honey Cafe, Kamo,
Whangarei
Thursday 19 December 10.00am with Joan
Stumble Inn, 200 Mangorei Road
Merrilands, New Plymouth
Sunday 22 December 2024 at 11.00am with Noreen
Topiary Cafe, Wals Nursery Bush Road,
Mosgiel, Otago
I heartily endorse the Fifth Gospel Living. Having read it from cover to cover, and now dipping back into the Faith in life stories recorded within, I recommend this as a source of thought, reflection and growth. The many experiences remind me that God works in many and varied ways in lives that are open to faith, or needing to be opened to allow the goodness ( Godness) to flow.
The photo above shows eight of us at Catherine’s table, new friends and longtime friends gathered in faith and friendship, united in faith, brought through Food for Faith, hopefully moving forward together……..
I find the photograph somewhat depressing, noting the predominance of grey hair and only one male.
I guess the grey hair could be explained by these meetings occurring mainly during working hours, but I doubt it. The group I go to at times also consists of older people and I have never seen another man there. I note this at Mass, most of the ministries are filled by women though mass attendance is probably about 50/50 with a good sprinkling of younger people (mainly immigrants) and a glaring absence of schoolchildren from the parish school. What are we missing?