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Cardinal John Dew has given Pope Francis the first copy of a home-grown book that reflects the spiritual dimension to family living in Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Flowing from the writings of Pope Francis on family relationships, There is a time for… contains prayers and reflections by New Zealanders of all ages.
“When presenting it to the Holy Father, I said it was inspired by his reflection on families, Pope Francis responded with delight and gratitude that such a publication had been produced in our own local context,” Dew said.
The idea for the prayer book came from Dew when he returned from the Family Synod in Rome last November. He remarked that it would be great to have a book that encouraged family prayer, especially one that also demonstrated the “ordinariness” of prayer.
The prayer book, edited by Wellington priest, Fr James Lyons, takes its theme from Ecclesiasticus, chapter three, There is a time for everything under heaven. It draws on real life family experiences from Beginning to Ending, and the things that happen in between, such as Hurting, Celebrating, Forgiving, Loving and Blessing.
“Starting school, grieving the loss of a pet, sibling rivalry, enjoying success and companionship, feeling your age, giving thanks for Mum and Dad, celebrating goodness as well as disappointment, many of the realities of family life – these situations and much more are covered in the book,” said Lyons.
“Over 40 contributors have shared their creative writing and equally creative photography, to capture the moods, hopes and delights of family life in Aotearoa-New Zealand.”
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