Author: wmc

A Lenten retreat at Kaitoke Prison in Whanganui became so popular with prison inmates that the number of retreatants doubled by the end of the weekend.

Marriage is an amazing life force, it is endlessly fascinating. Science has rolled back many frontiers but the one thing that is untestable and remains a marvellous mystery is married love. Its chemistry defies armies of counsellors. Generation after generation are energised by it. No two marriages are the same.

My relationship with Paul has not been easy. The restrictions on women which begin to appear in the Acts of the Apostles are alienating but I do understand that Paul is not necessarily the author of all the writings attributed to him and I do identify with the way he tried to shepherd the early Christian communities that he cared for so passionately’once he’d stopped persecuting them!

For New Zealanders of every hue, it seems Anzac day brings an opportunity to focus on national identity and perhaps on the futility of waging war to achieve peace.

As our life unfolds, the Lord invites us to reflect on our lives whether our vocation is to be lived out through marriage, the single life, religious life, priesthood or some other form of consecrated life. Our vocation is always in the context of the faith community.

Today, the fourth Sunday of Easter, is traditionally the day when the church highlights the need for authentic leaders.

There is a substantial contribution from Bishop Pompallier and his companions about their experiences with Māori as they lived and worked among them in New Zealand.

Unlike the 1987 and 2000 coups which were carried out in the name of ‘indigenous Fijian rights’, the Bainimarama coup aimed to promote multiculturalism.