Homily Studio

Weekly discussion on the Catholic readings. Join us each week as we reflect on the upcoming Sunday’s Scriptures.

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Homily Studio – Sunday 2 April 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 2 April 2023
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John Cynthia Piper, Triona Doocey and Catherine Gibbs in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for Palm Sunday.

Read the Palm Sunday readings at this link.

John mentions the Holy Saturday Office of Readings of reflection from an ancient homily. Listen at this link.

Palm Sunday – by Joy Cowley

No donkey this time
But a borrowed Honda 550.
Jesus riding into town
with a black leather jacket,
jeans frayed at the knees,
and L-O-V-E tattooed
on the knuckles of his right hand.
Those who saw him
said his smile was like the sun,
warming shadowed corners
and causing the way to blossom
unexpectedly.
Those who saw him told
of all the light left over
to be taken home and set
in eyes, in hearts
and at windows for strangers.
It was like a miracle,
they said.

The rest of us missed it.
We were in another part of the city,
waiting for the Messiah.

from Aotearoa Psalms – Prayers of a new People

Homily Studio – Sunday 26 March 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 26 March 2023
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Join Kath Petrie & Chris Duthie-Jung in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the Fifth Sunday in Lent.

Read the scriptures for this Sunday at this link.

Homily Studio – Sunday 19 March 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 19 March 2023
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Join Maya Bernado, Lucienne Hensel & Colin MacLeod in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the Fourth Sunday of Lent.

Read the scriptures for this Sunday at this link.

Homily Studio – Sunday 12 March 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 12 March 2023
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Join Rocio Figueroa, John Kinder & Rory Paterson in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the Third Sunday of Lent.

Read the scriptures for this Sunday at this link.

Homily Studio – Sunday 5 March 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 5 March 2023
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Join Lucienne Hensel & Triona Doocey in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the Second Sunday in Lent.

Read these scriptures at this link.

Triona mentions the Surrender Novena. Thanks to the Catholic Parish of Selwyn for making it available at this link.

Homily Studio – Sunday 26 February 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 26 February 2023
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Join Kath Petrie, Catherine Gibbs & Kate Kearins in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the First Sunday of Lent.

Read the scriptures for the First Sunday of Lent at this link.

Catherine quoted Pope Francis’ Fasting Prayer – find it at this link.

John mentioned the Christchurch interview with the Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno. Listen at this link.

Sign up to receive daily email reflections from Food For Faith at this link.

Homily Studio – Sunday 19 February 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 19 February 2023
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John Kate Kearins, Rory Paterson & Jason McTague in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Read the scriptures for this Sunday at this link.

Rory mentioned Pope Benedict’s Inauguration homily (April 2005): “Each of us is loved…”   This section can be found at the end of the third to last paragraph at this link.

Photos of places where the Homily Studio is listened to. Send your pic to john@fff.org.nz

Listening in Paddock 43 Auchenbrae Farm, Rotherham.

 

Homily Studio – Sunday 12 February 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 12 February 2023
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Join Colin McLeod, David Moxon & John Kinder in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.  Apologies for the lateness of this podcast.

Read the scriptures for this Sunday at this link.

Homily Studio – Sunday 5 February 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 5 February 2023
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Join Rosalie Connors, Chris Duthie-Jung & Triona Doocey in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary time.

Read the scriptures for this Sunday at this link.

Chris mentions Richard Rohr’s book The Universal Christ. You can find it at this link.

John mentions a lecture by Joseph Ratzinger in 1958: “Therefore, the modern person today, when he meets someone else anywhere, can assume with some certainty that they have a baptismal certificate, but not that he has a Christian frame of mind.” Read the article at this link.  And the 1969 interview in which Joseph Ratzinger reflects on the church “growing small” at this link.

 

Homily Studio – Sunday 29 January 2023

Homily Studio
Homily Studio
Homily Studio - Sunday 29 January 2023
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John Kath Petrie, Lucienne Hensel and Kate Kearins in conversation with John O’Connor reflecting on the scriptures for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Read the scriptures for this Sunday at this link.

This week’s podcast refers to the song Earthen Vessels (John Foley SJ) which you can find at this link.

Kate refers to the 2023 Columban Calendar art image for January. Check it out at this link.

Richard Rohr – speaking on first half, second half of life at this link.

Latest Blog Posts

I AM

I AM

I try not to repeat these daily Lenten posts year to year but there are times when the same scriptures pop up annually and I realise that I can’t write it better than I did last year. Today is one such day, not only because of the thought I share but even more in the comments that are added by FFF readers. Today I have left some of last year’s comments helping us to appreciate the power of today’s readings.

my word your home

my word your home

The heart of the home in years past was the hearth.
It was at the hearth that the family gathered for the warmth and light of the flame and the food that was prepared there.
The fire was treated with respect since the same flame which provided energy for the home could just as easily destroy it.

stand up look up

stand up look up

The Israelites in their forty years in the desert were journeying from captivity to freedom, but the struggle of their desert years made them vulnerable to attack from every temptation as today’s first reading continues

confident in God

confident in God

I’m not sure if children today are told the great story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, but if not let’s make sure that the parable is taught at all schools of higher learning.

the teenagers

the teenagers

A few years ago I discovered the wonderful way that God uses my imagination in my prayer.
Such openness to imagination when seeking God does not take us away from reality into fantasy but instead brings me into what is most real and inescapably personal and intimate.