Good afternoon Passionist Family Group Members and friends,
Last week went well in Auckland with positive meetings with Helensvale and East Coast Bays Group coordinators and the following night with St Heliers, Howick and Pt Chev group coordinators. On the weekend, with the assistance of Lindsay Brand , Anthony and Jo Moorcroft, Brendan and Yvonne Wilson we had a good start to starting Passionist Family Groups in Orewa. I have to admit that there is still a bit of work to get everything off the ground. The response was very positive with 29 families(units) signing up. So, we have something to build on especially in an area that is growing very quickly.
I think that the ongoing thing I keep hearing and seeing is that there is still a great deal of reserve about going out and gathering. All very understandable and something we have to live with. However, what it does not stop is the ability to ‘connect’ with others. People are still being positioned that there is nothing I can do despite many people suggesting ideas for ‘connecting’. E.g. Zoom, phone call, notes, drop off a meal, morning & afternoon tea on Zoom, a quiz on Zoom; email and text messages. Send an invite meet for coffee at a café etc. What is essential in any relationship is connection and contact. Spiders have a way of connecting that we can learn from – creating a web – where a contact here points us to a contact over there – we can ‘stay with’ people rather than isolating them.
With ‘Spring’ comes new opportunities to reach out and engage – to blossom! The warmth around us promotes growth and with growth comes new learnings and forms the basis of hope through care, listening, engaging, reaching out, communicating, sharing in story and with laughter. Life can abound and we can ready ourselves to be the presence of God to others.
As the great Cardinal Newman said: “To live is to grow, to grow is to change,
to become perfect is to have changed often”
Have a great week – Paul
Happy Father’s Day
Scripture reflection: True discipleship: This Sunday’s Gospel gives us Jesus’ teaching on discipleship and the necessity of total commitment. Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 4 September 2022
Lectionary readings
First reading: Wisdom 9:13-18
Psalm: 89(90):3-6, 12-14
Second reading: Philemon 9-10, 12-17
Gospel: Luke 14:25-33
Link to readings – click here
Our readings this week lead us to contemplate Christ’s self-sacrificing love. We are asked to follow him, the Wisdom of God incarnate.
The First Reading states bluntly that we have enough difficulty grasping the world around us, so how can we understand the mind of God? Only through the gift of Wisdom might we begin to do so.
The Psalm expresses confidence in the Lord. Despite the transience of life, may God give us ‘wisdom of heart’. Paul, in his letter to Philemon, appeals to him to welcome back a runaway slave. May he do this in a real spirit of Christian brotherhood. (Second Reading) The Gospel gives us Jesus’ teaching on true discipleship. This requires total commitment and will affect our nearest and dearest.
Spring is happening – reconnecting, reconstructing
reinvigorating are all at play – look around!
Reminder: 5 Aims and Goals
- share & celebrate life & faith
- support one another (especially in need)
- reaching out to & include others
- build community/extended family
- show example to children
Life through a pandemic can feel like a winter within…we need to allow the warmth, support and caring of others to allow us to blossom. Nature teaches us this despite what disaster’s it confronts.
Pease remember in your thoughts and prayers
- Paul Darbyshire (Linda and family)
- Boyd Dunlop (Judith and family)
- Wilma Schimanski and family
- Ross Darbyshire and family
- Julie Neve her two children, family and friends.
- Your own intentions
- https://youtu.be/mq59iE3MhXM – Be Still my Soul- Kari Jobi
Humour:
- “How does the moon cut his hair?” “Eclipse it.”
- “What did one wall say to the other?” “I’ll meet you at the corner.”
- “What did the zero say to the eight?” “That belt looks good on you.”
- “A skeleton walks into a bar and says, ‘Hey, bartender. I’ll have one beer and a mop.'”
- “Where do fruits go on vacation?” “Pear-is!”
- “I asked my dog what’s two minus two. He said nothing.”
- “What did Baby Corn say to Mama Corn?” “Where’s Pop Corn?”
- “What’s the best thing about Switzerland?” “I don’t know, but the flag is a big plus.”
- “What does a sprinter eat before a race?” “Nothing, they fast!”
- “Where do you learn to make a banana split?” “Sundae school.”
“Human values are fundamental to human existence and span across cultures, religions, nationalities and classes. They are the positive, desirable qualities of character – such as honesty, integrity, tolerance, responsibility, compassion, altruism, justice and respect – inherent in all human beings.”