I had a great lunch gathering today with some of the priests who have served the US Antarctica Summer programme in the world's southernmost continent. In January of...
john oconnor
Virtually Francis
A papal first a couple of hour ago when Pope Francis was interviewed in an interactive Audience / conversation with the people of the USA in preparation for his visit...
five years on…
Five years ago today, a couple of hours before dawn, the people of Christchurch and surrounding districts were jolted awake by a sharp and severe earthquake. In the...
diverse & friends
The annual Rimini meeting is in its 36th year of working to build "friendship among peoples." In recent years approx 800.000 people have taken part each year, attracted...
just intolerable
It is clear from gospel evidence that the presence of Jesus on earth two thousand years ago was not a comfortable presence for many of those who encountered him. While...
ChCh build plan
Bishop Barry Jones has issued a pastoral letter on the building plan for the Catholic diocese of Christchurch, a single plan involving the repair and strengthening of a...
to the hills
It is difficult to explain how a week with 300 people of all ages, sharing meals and conversations and social activity in one hotel, can be a vacation, but for the past...
life & style
You may have missed in today's Sunday Star Times a helpful insight into priesthood "when God comes calling."  I liked the way the article on God's calling to consider...
missing the point
Each day I receive by email and text message several commentaries on the scriptures of the day. Sometimes these inspirations and encouragements come from the saint of...
down-under saint
The feast of the first down-under (Australia / New Zealand) saint, Mary MacKillop is celebrated today (8 August), this year marking only the fifth feast-day of the...
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through the valley
The psalm from today’s liturgy is perhaps the best known of all of the 150 psalms. It is a text known by name, number and popular melody:Â
engaging reality
Let’s retreat from from “those false and superfluous certainties around which we have constructed our daily schedules…”
that sinking feeling
We are faithful disciples when we calmly keep our gaze fixed on Christ. It is this gaze that saves us
a little bit
What the boy brings seems so insignificant in the face of the problem: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?”Â
the potter
“Others do not create problems for us; Others make us aware of the problems we have.”Â