funerals
death & life

death & life

I have often quoted the High School principal who when asked to name the specific reason for the existence of her school responded: “We exist to prepare our students for death.”

God’s kind keeping

God’s kind keeping

It is the evening of All Souls day. Always this day is, for me as for many others, a day filled with memories of those loved and loved by who have died. As we pray in...

funerals

funerals

In a rural parish, funerals are a significant gathering of friends and neighbours with family. This week in the Hurunui I have assisted with two funerals; Katie after a...

funerals, and hope

funerals, and hope

Last month I celebrated Mass on the anniversary of the death of my mother (9 February 2009) and father (10 February 2010). My father would often comment that we could...

Latest Posts

seeking & calling

seeking & calling

In every encounter, local and afar, with people of every age and at every stage of life, the struggles and joys of people are remarkably similar.

Assumption

Assumption

Humans too often make the fatal mistake of separating body and soul, yet our deep desire is for unity of body and soul.

ahead of grace ?

ahead of grace ?

Both readings are personal favourites and every time I hear them and ponder them these texts speak to me in new and powerful ways.

Mary MacKillop

Mary MacKillop

Too often we settle for an existence of lurching from one satisfaction to the next.

an inner peak

an inner peak

I know a few people, including several Food For Faith followers, who are nearing death. Some of these are elderly and accepting that their life on earth is naturally coming to an end. Others, well before their time, are struggling with poor health and living with diagnoses of terminal illness.