It was a delight to spend time last night with five of our six seminarians for the diocese of Christchurch at Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland, and later in the evening...
Desire
mud pies
After the Good Shepherd Parish Masses yesterday morning I drove down to Christchurch for a couple of meetings. The latter meeting was with the Vocations Team, the group...
hope in suffering
Over the weekend I was a bit preoccupied by the many ways in which those I love, (friends, family and parishioners), suffer. It was yesterday's first reading from the...
cure for dis-ease
One of the disadvantages of living just west of the international dateline is that priests' and popes' (I'm enjoying shifting that apostrophe while we can) blogs don't...
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living in colour
A few years ago I picked up a John August Swanson work – only a print unfortunately, but still full of power, and colour.
So much colour.
Today’s post-resurrection encounter with Jesus reminds me of this great Swanson work “The Big Catch.”
These fishermen previously endured a mere existence in black and white, getting through each day, their regular routines dictated by the demands and fears of friends and foes.
let’s get physical
Note the physicality of today’s gospel reading.
Physical features (hearts, hands, feet, mouth, eyes) abound and emotional realities are strong (peace, alarm, fright, agitation, doubt).
resurrection energy
I had planned to continue the daily reflections through this Easter Week but I’ve already missed Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday and now it’s early morning on Easter Wednesday. Thank you to those who emailed with “where are you”, “what happened” and “I haven’t had a FFF email this week.” Thank you for your enthusiasm and for keeping me on my toes.
Easter people ?
There is a great old Easter greeting: “We are an Easter people” to which hearers respond “and Alleluia is our song!” I love this, and if I see you in this Easter Week, this Octave of Easter Sundays, you are welcome to greet me in this way. The reason I need to be reminded that we are an Easter people is that I too often reduce the Easter life we are offered to ideas and categories, words and formulas, customary ways of thinking and acting.
experiencing
Consider the range of emotions that the disciples of Jesus moved through over the days of his final suffering and his crucifixion and resurrection. Such extremes of feeling cannot be imagined or pondered with disinterest. They must be experienced.