Jesus asks them about fishing, something they knew about, their ordinary, everyday, practical human reality.
john oconnor
getting physical
We have filled the space left by the lack of availability of the sacraments with live-streamed liturgies. But because we humans are physical creatures a virtual connection is always inadequate
talking together
Many of us began 2020 with hope-filled goals for the year. Perhaps we were still tracking well through February into early March but then the virus threat became lockdown
with new minds
You might have heard the story of the Mexican fisherman who every morning rose early and fished for a couple of hours to catch enough to feed his family and to maintain his simple peaceful lifestyle.
stay safe
“All will be well”, clinging to the beauty of our humanity and allowing words of encouragement to rise up from our hearts.
without fear
This path involves accepting the fact that I am not locked down, I have instead allowed my fears and anxieties to lock me up.
Good Friday
Anyone who really wanted to get rid of suffering would have to get rid of love before anything else, because there can be no love without suffering,
Holy Thursday
In our roles with the National Liturgy Office Catherine Gibbs and I are co-ordinating a Good Friday online liturgy with people throughout New Zealand leading us in prayer.
to listen
Listen for the silence. Then stand within that space. For often, it is only within that silence that we can truly hear.
turning tables
We loved the informality and simplicity of that weekly meal, often cheese on toast (for some reason called “mousetraps”) – in the lounge in the winter and often outdoors in the summer.
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the rich earth
Over the years I have celebrated hundreds of funerals, many well prepared with family and friends gathering to celebrate the life of the one they love. There are efficient funeral directors, beautiful flowers, glossy brochures, photographs and video presentations, eulogies and even artificial grass and sterilised sand at the graveside.
Patrick’s day
Most people who celebrate on St. Patrick’s day today think of wearing green and enjoying good Irish music, Guinness and perhaps dancing at an Irish pub. But it’s easy to forget that Patrick was a robust disciple of Jesus Christ who brought the Good News of the ultimate and eternal liberation through Jesus Christ to the people of Ireland.
good sense
Christian faith makes sense.
And therefore living in relationship with Jesus Christ is the most sensible life of all.
This is why a spiritually mature person will be both aware of and sensitive to their environment, in touch with what they see, taste, hear, smell and touch.
an authentic life
I spent spent most of yesterday on the road to the small South Canterbury town of Albury where the community had gathered to mark the closure of their 120 year old church. While i have never served as Parish Priest of the Mackenzie region I was driver for my 93-year-old uncle Jack who was priest for the Fairlie and Albury (and later Twizel) communities both in the 1970’s and the 1990’s.
well being
I was interested to see what I have posted for this Sunday in recent years. On this third Sunday of Lent in 2011 Elizabeth Taylor had just died and I noted a link between today’s Gospel encounter with Jesus at a well and Elizabeth Taylor. While both women had been married many times that’s not the link I’m thinking of.