God-willing I will again this year make it to the Rimini Meeting for friendship among peoples. It is difficult to describe the gathering which annually draws around 700.000 visitors over a week in August each year. Simply, I…

At dinner last night, the conversation at our table turned to the movies that each of us would place on our personal list of top-ten films. The prompting for the movie chat was the need to choose a movie…

A powerful Pentecost image of peace (Pentecost Sunday evening Rome time) when, at the invitation of Pope Francis, the Palestinian and Israeli presidents met in the Vatican. Each leader met separately with the pope for a few minutes before warmly…

A New Zealand bishop (among others) is receiving some criticism for his promotion of this 38 minute video especially for those who are gay and Catholic. I wanted to today upload a link to this movie so that you can…

At his early morning Mass (for Vatican workers & others) Pope Francis often uses vivid images in his preaching. Here’s an example from his encouragement yesterday morning’s reflection for married couples: “You can go explore the world, go…

This weekend in New Zealand, and in many other parts of the world, we celebrate the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. In some other places the feast is still marked as Ascension Thursday. Whatever day, this is a…

Today is the last day of Pope Francis’ weekend pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His reflections in these days give us solid food for faith. The Rome Reports website gives daily brief video summaries of the pope’s inspirations.  You…

“This is the night that even now, throughout the world, sets Christian believers apart from worldly vices and from the gloom of sin, leading them to grace and joining them to his holy ones. This is the night, when Christ…

If you are living with anxiety or worry, here is a week for you. If you feel let down or even abandoned by people you love, this week is for you. If you know your need for healing, don’t…

A few years ago I was inspired by a little book by Fr. Anthony Gittins, The Presence that Disturbs. The title refers to the great 1798 Wordsworth  poem on Tintern Abbey: …And I have felt A presence that disturbs me…

Perhaps the best known artistic representation of today’s feast of the Annunciation is the fifteenth century Fra Angelico fresco from the Convent of San Marco in Florence. The image above is not the one you see today in Florence…

“God if you are up there, please do something, I just can’t go on” CDW Clarissa Dickson Wright died this week. She was well known as one of TV’s cooking show Two Fat Ladies, and she, along with…

I am often inspired by the clarity, attractiveness and depth of Fr. Robert Barron’s reflections. This weekend  (13-16 March) he was a keynote speaker at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. I guarantee that you won…

It is Lent and, at least here in New Zealand, it is also Autumn. It is different in the northern hemisphere where it is springtime, but I like our southern match. You might find this brief video clip a helpful…

This week with Ash Wednesday we begin the Season of Lent. In these forty days we allow ourselves to become aware of our deepest desire, that is, our attraction to Christ and the life Christ enables in us. The method…