It's Sunday night and after giving the homily four times at Masses around the Hurunui (this weekend Hanmer Springs, Amberley, Hawarden & Waiau) I think I have...
john oconnor
fear OR love?
I suspect there are few people for whom a Godmother has been as significant as my Godmother has been for me. When my parents died (2009 & 2010) I reminded Kay that...
found not seeking
While the feast of the Epiphany was celebrated in many parts of the world last Sunday, the traditional date for the solemnity is today January 6, the date that began...
the colour red
The news that Archbishop John Dew of Wellington has been appointed a cardinal by Pope Francis, while a most welcome appointment for the Catholics of New Zealand,...
Epiphany light
These have been days of festival as we have celebrated the feasts of Christmas, the Holy Family, Mary the Mother of God, now we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany....
gratitude
A few hours ago Pope Francis concluded the celebration of the last Vespers (Evening Prayer of the Church) for 2014, and the first Vespers for today's New Year feast of...
2015
A few seconds ago the calendar in New Zealand turned to a new year. Some of us greeted this new beginning with friends and fireworks. Crowds in city centres counted out...
resolutions
It's the last day of the year that was itself a year ago new, and tomorrow begins another. These hours are traditionally a time of making resolutions, and most often...
NZ and land
While driving even greater distances than usual these Advent / Christmas days to celebrate the sacraments around the Hurunui I have had plenty of time to listen to...
family life
It was Fr. Robert Barron who set my homily thinking off this week in preparation for this Sunday's feast of the Holy Family. In his Word on Fire homily for the feast...
Latest Posts
living the storm
The storm exposes our vulnerability and uncovers those false and superfluous certainties around which we have constructed our daily schedules, our projects, our habits, and priorities.
indulging
I’m a great fan of indulgence and I know that in these lockdown days the temptation is to over-indulge in one or many of the good options available.
hidden things
I’m writing this at the end of the first NZ lockdown day and I can already see that my life could become dangerously undisciplined
counting blessings
In these weeks we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn to live without the compulsive busyness and idol-worship that usually fills our days
survive or thrive
The reality of living in lockdown hits home for New Zealander’s today and we accept this because we are willing to do everything we can in order to stop the spread of this terrible virus.