Take a moment to consider this Sunday's first reading (Isaiah 49) in its entirety: Zion said “The LORD has forsaken me; my LORD has forgotten me.” Can a mother forget...
john oconnor
sermon podcast
On this Food For Faith website I will soon be offering regular podcasts which you will be able to subscribe to and listen to on your phone while driving to work. I have...
one year ago
It was one year ago today that Pope Benedict's resignation took effect. This event opened the way for the conclave that elected Pope Francis. You can watch many of the...
birth & death
Take a moment to appreciate this Millet masterpiece. Even if you have never seen the image before, you will guess that these peasants are praying. When the one who...
bridging the gap
Most of us, much of the time, feel a distance between ourselves and God. It is commonly understood that the task of the human is to climb to to God, to ascend to...
Feb 22 earthquake
February 22 will remain a memorial day for the city of Christchurch. Three years ago today, our city was devastated by earthquake. 185 people died tragically on the...
pope’s iphone vid
This is a remarkable video clip. Bishop Tony Palmer is an Anglican Evangelical Bishop, who (after spending a morning with Pope Francis), brings an iphone video greeting...
skype & sun & rain
Many readers will remember Pope John Paul’s visit to New Zealand in November 1986. I had been ordained as a priest just twelve months earlier, and because our...
friendship in faith
Some readers are curious to know more of Luigi Giussani, and his charism reflected in the movement Communion & Liberation. Every month around the world there are...
Luigi Giussani
Over the next couple of days, many thousands of communities around the world will celebrate Masses to mark the ninth anniversary of the death of Fr. Luigi Giussani. In...
Latest Posts
a new harmony
There is always a temptation to build “nests”, to cling to our little group, to the things and people we like, to resist all contamination. It is only a small step from a nest to a sect
Pentecost prep
It’s Pentecost this weekend. The presence of the Holy Spirit with us in every breath gives us hope in every daily decision
how to lose power
"The real question is not about how to gain power, but how to lose power" says Jean Vanier in this 3.5 minute clip. Then take note too what he says about meetings...
the wellbeing retreat
“Use your church for precisely what it is for, not as one more secular town venue among many, but as a sacred place, a prime place of encounter with Jesus Christ”
a good start
it is possible for an intelligent man, representing the people, to integrate faith and life in twenty-first century New Zealand