Have you ever sat down and documented your personal faith history? I’m not talking about Church teaching; but what that teaching has meant to you alongside your own life experience. Looking back, you will see a pattern of spiritual growth that is universal and yet uniquely you. My own journey has been like this: When Read more
We can read Scripture in different ways and for different reasons. Usually the Gospels come to us in chunks that fit the seasons of our Faith. Sometimes, I like to read one of the Gospels right through from beginning to end. If you haven’t done this, I suggest you try it. It can bring some Read more
She was at the supermarket check-out again today, the woman with the God-smile. You know the sort of smile I mean. Not simply a twitch of the lips, but a light from within that changes a face, making the eyes glow, and turning a mouth into a speechless shape of love. When we see a Read more
Sunday March 13 at Sacred Heart Cathedral Wellington, there was a full choral mass. The music, like incense, filled the sunlit space above the packed pews, and the gospel reading, as always for this Sunday in Lent, was the story of Lazarus raised from the dead. Inspiring? Yes. Absolutely beautiful. But there was something extra Read more
The phrase “Kingdom of God” means enlightenment, say students of ancient Aramaic. And the Kingdom is not a place but a state of being, filled with the light of God’s grace. Many of Jesus’ parables are introduced with, “The Kingdom of God is like…” and this Lent I’ve been reflecting on Jesus’ story of the Read more
If we believe that everything on this earth is a teacher, then we’ll probably acknowledge that some of the most beautiful lessons come from children who are still close to heaven. We, who have grown away from that clear-sighted state, are sometimes surprised back to it, by a simple comment from a child. My son Read more
In a suburban Wellington dining room 10 people sit silently. Condiments pass across the table at the raising of an eyebrow or flick of a finger. One diner sees a neighbouring table’s empty water jug and rises quietly to fill it. A mix of religious and non-religious, the group had never met until a month Read more
Joy Cowley’s book “Notes to a Friend” has been named as a finalist in the Ashton Wylie Book Awards. “Notes to a Friend” is a group of short letters around nine Christian themes and joins four other finalists in the “New mind, body, spirit” category. Ms Cowley’s motivation for writing the book came by way of her conducting retreats. She noticed that while most Read more
Pilgrimages have greatly advanced in popularity in recent years throughout the world. Who would have thought that thousands of people, young and old, would queue to walk the 800+ km of the Pilgrimage to Compostela in Spain, recently popularized by the film “The Way”, at present screening in New Zealand cinemas! The film is well Read more
A Wairarapa priest has collaborated with New Zealand author and part-time Featherston resident Joy Cowley to make the story of Easter more accessible for children.
Father Donald Morrison, the parish priest for St Teresa’s in Featherston and St Anthony’s in Martinborough, was asked to illustrate the book after Joy Cowley approached St Teresa’s school with the idea for The Easter Story.
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