.

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘Do not imagine that I have come
to abolish the Law or the Prophets.
I have come not to abolish
but to complete them.
Mt 5

On Saturday morning I flew to Sydney where I spent the rest of the day then Sunday with a couple of different groups, first for a book presentation where I had been asked to be part of a panel presenting a new edition of a key Luigi GIussani book “At the Origin of the Christian Claim”

Then on Saturday evening there was Mass and dinner, a great night’s sleep, and Sunday morning Mass followed by a session with very receptive and focussed parents of children who are preparing for First Communion.

Each of my weekend sessions had a similar theme.

Many people think that the struggle that they might have with faith is largely due to their difficulties with doctrine.

In my experience they have a good point, but their struggle is most often not actually with sound doctrine but with the way it has been presented, tragically reducing the beauty of faith to rules and regulations packaged as other worldly with little real relevance for people like us who are doing our best to live happily and healthily in Australia and New Zealand in 2026.

It is natural therefore that many people think it is time for the church to change, to update, to modernise and to present faith in new and relevant ways.

On the whole I agree with these people and their perspective – but I would add that in my experience it is not the doctrine or teaching or rituals of the church that need to change, but our method of communicating.

I meet so many people who while maturing in faith find themselves feeling distant from the Church as it has been communicated to them.

Note the nuance there – the Church “as it has been communicated to them”.

It is not difficult to present faith in a new and fresh way, with an approach which leaves people puzzling “how come no-one ever told us this?”

Perhaps that’s the part of my ministry that I love most – presenting sound Catholic Christian faith in a way that doesn’t discard sound doctrine but which fulfils it.

So thank you to the people I met over the weekend in Sydney both at the book presentation and the parents group, as well as last night’s parish retreat gathering in Kaiapoi.

To all of you, your presence and openness is a powerful witness to me.

Gratefully, In Christ,

+++

Cafe Gatherings

Take an initiative – send me your first name with a cafe location, date and time, turn up and with whoever else turns up chat about your experience of Christ in your life. Write FFF on a serviette and place in the centre of the table so others can find you. Send your initiative to john@fff.org.nz

TODAY Wednesday 11 March 2026 10.00am
Stumble Inn, 200 Mangorei Road, New Plymouth
Joan

Monday 16 March 2026 10.00am
Moko Cafe, Bush Inn Centre
Waimairi Road Upper Riccarton Christchurch
Trish