February 22 will remain a memorial day for the city of Christchurch. Four years ago today, our city was devastated by earthquake. 185 people died tragically on the day,...
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Aesop, Noah & 2015
For my seventh birthday my Godmother gave me my first book without pictures. It was called simply “Aesop’s Fables,” a title made up of two words that I had never heard...
Traces for Feb
One of the highlights of my monthly reading is the Traces magazine of the new movement Communion & Liberation. A few months ago the decision was taken to no longer...
sign of hope
There is something about the rainbow that gives a boost of hope in the midst of a day's demands. The Bible account of Noah's ark is well known - and this is where the...
eat pancakes
The day before Ash Wednesday, is ‘shrove‘ or ‘pancake’ Tuesday. This day is more widely known as Mardi Gras (ie fat Tuesday), or ‘Carnival‘ (literally ‘goodbye meat’)....
follow the good
I'm thinking ahead a couple of days to Lent which begins this week on Ash Wednesday. I heard someone once say that Lent was a kind of "boot camp" for the Christian, a...
Cardinal John Dew
Just a few hours ago in Rome Pope Francis created a group of new cardinals from many of the geographical peripheries of the world including New Zealand and Tonga. This...
Happy Valentine
Yes, there was a Saint Valentine. In fact it seems there were many early Christian martyrs named Valentine. But people do not think of these saints when they celebrate...
powhiri
It is early in the morning here in Hamilton New Zealand, and I am appreciating the opportunity while in the city for Bishop Steve Lowe's ordination to stay with my...
living vocationally
Thirty-five years ago this morning (12 February 1980) I woke for the first time as a seminarian discerning a call to diocesan priesthood for the diocese of...
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lighting darkness
Returning to the way things were is the “recession” of which we should have the most fear.
gone fishing
Jesus asks them about fishing, something they knew about, their ordinary, everyday, practical human reality.
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.