The front line of the Church’s work is the Christian people whose lives are leaven in the dough of all the ordinary circumstances of ordinary life. The purpose of ministries within the Church is to provide nurture and formation for that mission. It is the mission that matters. Part I – Ministries For some years Read more
An image has been occurring to me of boats that have become unmoored. They end up on the rocks, or colliding with one another. There are features of our Western world’s culture that seem to fit the image. Important aspects of our lives seem to have become disconnected from what gives them meaning. If this Read more
I write in support of Imam Gamal Foude’s comments on the need for love and respect in combatting violence. With all due respect to French leaders, I think they could start by reviewing the implications of laïcité. At this time, they have much to say about “Islamic terrorism”. Worse, some of the language they are Read more
Bishop Peter Cullinane recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of his episcopal ordination. “How did I celebrate under lockdown? – Jesus and I did it quietly together; we are hoping to celebrate with others later. He is in my bubble,” he told NZ Catholic. The anniversary on April 23 occurred when New Zeland was under Level Read more
A 2017 Unicef Report showed New Zealand has the highest rate of adolescent suicide of any country. What a record to have! If we are living in the real world, we are going to want to know why. Much commentary on suicide rates and suicide prevention recites statistics and demographics, trying to identify the risk Read more
Perhaps someone very dear to you has already died, and you know the pain of losing them. Our Christian faith teaches that through our dying, “life is changed, not ended”. Not only that: it teaches that “… all the good fruits of human nature, and all the good fruits of human enterprise, we shall find Read more
On this journey of becoming we have not been left to ourselves. We belong to a community of saints and sinners who share the journey and support one another. Our relationship with Christ is personal, but not private. It is in and through and with the community of his disciples. What Jesus did for us Read more
In his own time people loved being in Jesus’ company, and sometimes spent days on end with him, even going hungry. How they felt about him gives us a window on the kind of Person he was – and a window on how we would have felt if we had been there! That’s why we Read more
There are going to be some very special moments in your life. They will be the kind of experiences that point beyond themselves to something more. For example, something wonderful in nature that leaves you feeling you are part of something much bigger than your own life-time. Or, the sudden feeling that even the good Read more
One of the big challenges of our time is to not let ourselves by drowned in bits and pieces of information. Information is very important. But on its own information is not wisdom. It isn’t even knowledge until it is properly sifted and researched. Wisdom is the ability to discern and judge how knowledge applies Read more