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In recent years I have been invited to lead sessions for the parents of children preparing for First Communion local parishes. I love working with these parents. Many have had little contact with Sunday worship for a decade or two or more. Yet their growing faith leads them to ask for a Sacrament of the Church. While our (church) response is always well-intentioned it’s usually pretty unhelpful when it focusses on Mass attendance and parish activity as the ultimate and immediate measure of faith.

I’m writing this reflection at Wellington airport after a day with an inspiring group, reflecting together on Pope Francis’ liturgy letter Desiderio Desideravi published in June of last year. It’s my role with the National Liturgy Office that leads me, along with the NLO co-director Catherine Gibbs, to offer these formation sessions across the country.

Fasting has become fashionable.

While many religions promote fasting as a hard but necessary practice, fasting has never really taken off as an attractive and life-giving movement. Until now maybe?

Yesterday morning I was at Nazareth House, a Christchurch retirement community, for Ash Wednesday Mass. This Wednesday Mass is a weekly appointment for me and I look forward to it and the conversations with the residents before and after Mass.

While the visible and external world of healthy religion is inspiring, a maturing faith requires an openness to the inner life. The external practices and precepts of religion are signs that point us towards a deeper reality, a world where integrity is found, becoming ourselves in relationship with the divine.