in case you missed it, the Queen's Christmas Message 2012 "What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; if I were a wise man, I would...
john oconnor
room at the inn
from Pope Benedict's Christmas Homily:"I am also repeatedly struck by the Gospel writer’s almost casual remark that there was no room for them at the inn. Inevitably...
…as a child
"Again and again the beauty of this Gospel touches our hearts: a beauty that is the splendour of truth. Again and again it astonishes us that God makes himself a child...
when God was born
The children of St. Paul's Auckland do a great job of telling the story. Their earlier video (they won't be expecting that) is also available below.Link to: They won't...
nothing more beautiful
We can no longer assume that New Zealanders know the meaning of Christmas. A child recently asked about Christmas replied: “it is when Santa Claus was born.”The child...
what time is midnight Mass?
Every year people call the priest to ask "what time is midnight Mass?" The answer is easy. In Amberley it is at 5pm. At Culverden it is at 7. And in Hanmer Springs...
an App for the Angelus
Listen carefully to the Collect at Mass this weekend. You may recognise this prayer, prayed by the priest as the opening prayer of the Mass for this Fourth Sunday of...
projectors and liturgy
a newsletter from the Liturgical Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch is worth reading at this link.guidelines for the use ofProjectors & Screensduring...
world’s end?
One of my responsibilities in the diocese is to respond to all emails sent to the "contact" on the Christchurch Diocese website. You can imagine the variety of...
they won’t be expecting that
An unexpected Christmas. You will be pleased you took five minutes to watch this.
Latest Posts
in great company
It was a delight to spend time last night with five of our six seminarians for the diocese of Christchurch at Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland, and later in the evening for a catch-up in a local bar. From left in the pic above beside me, Huong, Glen, Connor, Jose and...
now & not yet
When we hear about the Kingdom of God most of us think of a future reality, the eternal life we are invited to share with God when our earthly life is complete. This life of the Kingdom of God is a central fact of our faith. The death that we experience at the end of...
light & dark
I had today's post pretty much prepared when I went to Mass last night and heard a priest give an inspiring little homily. When I thanked him for his words after Mass I added that I intended to steal his thought for my reflection today. He began with today's psalm...
rest
Do you ever find that you long for a break from the busyness of life, the weekend comes and goes, and on Monday you wake with the feeling that you need another weekend? This might have something to do with us having un-learned the art of rest. In an age when we are...
God first
"Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. Gospel, 9 March...