the hope our hearts seek

See how they flag,

whose soul is not at rights..."

Habakkuk 1:2-3,2:2-4

"O that today you would listen to his voice!

Harden not your hearts"

Psalm 94

"You have been trusted

to look after something precious"

2 Timothy 1:6-8,13-14

"We are merely servants:

we have done no more than our duty"

Luke 17:5-10

This Sunday (the 27th in Ordinary Time) is surrounded by significant feasts: Jerome 340-420AD (Sept. 30), Therese of the Child Jesus 1873-1897 (Friday 1 Oct), the Guardian Angels (Saturday 2nd) and Francis of Assisi 1181-1226 (Monday 4th).

Francis is perhaps the best known of the bunch. As a young man he realised that a human life could only reach its potential when lived in intimacy with God. A few hundred years later a young French woman, Therese Martin, knew the same reality. Fifteen hundred years earlier Jerome also had this knowledge. Jerome translated the scriptures into Latin (the language of the people), so that all could be fed by the Word of God.

Each of these heroes of faith, in their own unique way, with their own gifts and within their limitations, sought to live life fully. The power of God then carried their witness over the oceans and across the centuries.

These saints knew that human life was precious. They accepted the fact that human life always belongs to God. They knew this in their interaction with others. But most of all they each knew that they themselves were precious to God.

Their success in communicating God’s love to others could never have been accomplished using human ideas and methods. It was the fact that their own “souls were at rights” with God, that spilled over into words and actions to communicate divine life to those they met each day.

This week’s reminder of the all-too-often-forgotten Guardian Angels, presents something of the reality that sustained the saints. God does not call us to simply follow a code of conduct (Commandments and Beatitudes, with Catechism and Precepts). The primary call of God is to live in intimate personal relationship with Jesus. In our faltering attempts to hear His voice and follow His lead, we taste the relationship for which we were created.

Children who were taught that God has appointed an angel as their personal companion and guide, may have had a more lively sense of a personal God who accompanied and carried them in every moment?

The saints understood that life with Christ was not an optional add-on to human life. Instead, human life becomes possible only when lived in intimate communion with God. WIthout Christ we may be able to cope or exist, to survive or endure, but this is not really ‘life’.

To live without Christ is a constant effort of escapism. We are running from the relationship that is our default setting. As Augustine reminded us, we are created by God and for God. We can therefore find the peace we seek only in God. We “flag” when our “souls are not at rights with God”.

While we find this reality presented in the scriptures and the teachings of the Church, there is another way to hear the voice of God. If we acknowledge that our hearts are hardened by fear and compulsion, by suffering and sin, then we have reached a moment of great potential. Since we are only the servants of God our creator, we are powerless to provide for ourselves the hope our hearts seek. In the midst of the noises that surround us we struggle to hear His voice.

And so we wait.

We do not wait as travellers for the bus that may never arrive, but as the baby for the birth that is unavoidable and immanent. Much more than we desire to be found and rescued, God in Christ is actively seeking to satisfy all our longings.

We return to the great saints and the example they provide. It was not their own vision and energy that resulted in such remarkable lives. At the heart of each of their lives was stillness and silence, at times sitting in prayer, and in every moment a disposition of heart that consciously hungered for the divine.

In the week ahead you might like to set some moments each day to listen for His voice.

God will not miss any opportunity you offer.

Praise Be

Our Lady of Victories Church will host TVONE's Praise Be programme in November. The rehearsals and recording were to take place the week of the earthquake and were therefore postponed.

This is an ecumenical event with all Christians of the city and surrounding areas invited to join in.

Please let others know that the new dates are as follows:

Rehearsals (in Our Lady of Victories Church)

Thursday, 04 November 7.30pm – 9.30pm

Sunday, 06 November 2.00pm – 4.00pm

Recording (OLV Church)

Monday, 08 November 7.00pm – 10.00pm

The Praise Be programme will be aired on TVONE

Sunday, 28 November

stillness & silence

Today is the third day of retreat. In the midst of the silence, I have been thinking a lot about the silence.

Many priests and members of Religious communities spent long hours, days even, in silence. It was known that silence and stillness were essential if one was to grow in relationship with God. But very often people were not helped to see exactly why this was the case, or what do do or not do in and with the silence.

Perhaps our difficulty with silence has a lot to do with our difficulty with prayer.

We tend to think that prayer will help us to feel better. However this is not the initial and primary goal of prayer. Prayer is primarily about engagement with reality.

For most of us, much of the time, our reality is not simple peace and joy. We spend many days struggling to meet the demands that are made of us. At the end of the day, with many important tasks incomplete and issues unresolved, we fall into bed exhausted. Then the following day we get up to repeat the pattern.

If we take time to be still and silent in the midst of these struggles, we will initially become even more aware of our struggles. We will remember the people we find difficult or the important matters we completely forgot about. To add to this we may feel anger at the one who hurt us this morning, or twenty years ago. This is the initial stage of every prayer. We are becoming aware of our reality.

And a part of this reality is always our sin. Like St. Paul we find ourselves remember the things we should have done but did not do. And the things that we should not have done, but did do. In sin, we settle for things that fail to deliver the happiness they promise. We forget that only God is able to meet the needs of the human heart.

And the wonderful thing about this initial stage of every prayer, is that we know anew our need for God. We remember not just in our thoughts but in our bodies, that we need the strength and energy of God. We know again, not just in our words but in our desires, that we often feel alone. In our souls we know again the shame of our sin, And in our hearts we know anew that (with St. Augustine) we are created by God and for God. And our hearts are restless until God satisfies us.

Now God helps us to see that the happiness we seek is not our achievement. This is gift from God.

In this prayerful stillness and silence that began with struggle, we can relax and know that God is with us. We have nothing to fear. We remember that even the prayer that we offer is the work of God. And God does not miss an opportunity to work miracles in those who have the courage and generosity to wait in stillness and silence.

savouring silence

This afternoon I began a retreat with 38 members of a Religious community of brothers. Tonight, after dinner, we moved into the silence that will accompany us until the retreat concludes on Friday.

Later this evening I took time to savour the silence. Even for a priest and for Religious Brothers, as for most of the people I know, real silence is rare. Often there might be an absence of conversation, company or noise, but most of us, much of the time, fill this silence with noise.

How easy it is when lying awake at 2am to turn on the radio. How often do I drive without the car stereo or walk without an MP3?

The reason I reach for the radio in the car or turn on the TV when home alone in the evening, is that silence is not always comfortable. In moments of silence anything that I am not at peace about comes to consciousness. This is precisely why silence is such an important part of prayer.

When we relax into silence, we discover our present reality. This is important, since God is waiting to come to us in the joys, hopes, griefs and anxieties of every human life. If I am not aware of where and how I am, I may well miss the presence and action of God.

My human health and happiness comes not when I overcome my anxieties and griefs, but when I know that God is with me in the midst of these trials. There is no greater intimacy than the experience of the love of God carrying us through suffering.

Please keep the brothers and I in your prayer over these days.

And you might like to 'accompany us in spirit' by setting a few minutes each day to simply sit in silence, and to know that whatever feelings and worries come to your consciousness, you are not alone. God is with you.

Mercy Day Masses

The Sisters of Mercy are a significant presence in Our Lady of Victories Parish. In 1918 the sisters founded Villa Maria College. In 1956 Our Lady of Victories parish school was opened with a day one roll of around thirty pupils.

September 24 is celebrated as the feast of Our Lady of Mercy. This feast is known to us as "Mercy Day". It was a privilege to celebrate Mercy Day Masses this week with the staff and students of both OLV primary and Villa.

In these Masses, the students get a taste of the beauty and simplicity of the Liturgy. Their prayerfulness and their awareness of God's presence with them is evident.

I am grateful to all parents and school staffs who work with these young people to help them to appreciate the beauty of the Mass.

and again ... from the Press

I thought I had received my allotment of media inspiration for this week.

Monday's Press editorial was a great dose of hope for any person who yearns to hear truth and beauty presented clearly.

Then this morning, I was stalled on my way to the crossword, by Rosemary McLeod. Her Press Opinion piece follows many balanced, reflective and inspiring articles published in international papers on Pope Benedict's visit earlier this week to the UK.

You will find her article on the Press Opinion page.

media inspiration

One of my waking-up highlights each day is the thought of the newspaper with breakfast. Many mornings I read quickly, enticed on by the thought of the cryptic crossword following the news section. There are many other mornings when an article, or a picture, or a cartoon slows me down. I find that I am now looking out the window pondering the novel perspective or sound argument that is presented.

This morning the editorial had me reading and re-reading. And it was on my mind throughout the day. If you didn't see it, here it is:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/opinion/editorials/4144241/Editorial-Historic-visit

People (mostly within the Church) often comment that the media is tough on the Church. Some Church people think that the secular media has a pretty strong bias against the Church. I have never thought this to be the case. Very often I do not like what I read about the Church that I love. But, most often I have to admit that where there is smoke there is flame - and that while the press or TV and radio might not be presenting the full picture, there is some justification for the strong critique they often present.

My real concern is that while the media might not offer the complete picture, they have good reasons for a limited perspective: they are not practiced in the life of the Church and not ordained as preachers or presented as ministers. How could they know the full picture of the inner life of the Church?

But the people of the Catholic Church do not have good reason for presenting a limited perspective. Too often we reduce the life of faith to simple adherence to a moral code or obedience to figures of church and state authority. In this preoccupation we promote ourselves as moralistic and legalistic rather than adult Christians delighting in vibrant and living relationship with God.

So it really causes to me to ponder when the editor of a secular paper brings sound reason and balanced perspective to his piece on Pope Benedict's visit to the UK.

What do you think?

johncoconnor@me.com

Sunday evening ponderings

It is mid Sunday evening. I'm feeling a bit weary. Early this afternoon I arrived back in the parish after a full and satisfying weekend spent leading the annual retreat for students of the University of Canterbury.

I do wish that parishioners of OLV could have journeyed with me over the past month. In this month I have seen the Church alive and vibrant and young. This was my experience at the Rimini meeting and at the Spiritual Exercises gathering of Communion & Liberation in the Italian alps. This weekend I had the same experience of a young and vibrant Church with local university students.

There is a sense among many parishioners in NZ, that younger people are not engaged with faith as fully as their grandparents. My experiences over the past month have reminded me that this is not the reality. Around the world young people are living lives of energetic faith. It has been a great encouragement for me to be reminded of this reality.

And another great encouragement for me this weekend has been the pope's visit to the UK. News reports had led me to be a bit apprehensive over the past week. These media commentators had proclaimed that very few of the (free) tickets had been taken up and that very low attendances at the Masses and liturgies were expected.

But the media is now struggling to be negative about the pope's presence in the United Kingdom. Three days into the four day visit huge crowds have turned out to hear Pope Benedict proclaim a message that is refreshing in front of a tired world. It is remarkable to see the media coverage of young people who are most enthusiastic about the Christ-centered message of hope proclaimed by the pope.

The official Holy See (Vatican) coverage of Pope Benedict's visit to the UK is available at this link. Here you will find the texts of all his speeches and homilies.

or thepapalvisit.org.uk

a Galilee experience

an adventure that lasts a lifetime

In this morning’s mail I received news of the Galilee Experience ’10. Earlier in the year I spent several days around the Sea of Galilee so I paid more attention than usual to the green posters headed up: “Galilee”.

The Holy Land is a region of contrasts. Perhaps the most remarkable contrast is visible from the winding road along the hill above the city of Jerusalem.

Travelling west, everything to the left is desert. Bedouin shepherds spend each day guiding their few sheep or goats to sporadic bits of nourishment in the dry hills. Further south is the Dead Sea, surrounded by parched earth. These are the lands of the Old Testament. Here the Essenes lived (Jewish hermits). On the Eastern bank of the Dead Sea are the mountains that stretch north from Egypt. Moses led the people along the summits and valleys of this range to Mount Nebo from which they could see the land that offered promise.

Back to that ridge road above Jerusalem: The view to the right is a stark contrast to the desert. The Mount of Olives lies in the valley below with the walls of the Old Jerusalem city and Temple Mount on the far slope. Around Jerusalem the verdant vegetation of the northern half of Israel would have been a welcome relief for southern travellers.

An hour north of Jerusalem is the Sea of Galilee.

While Jesus was born and raised further south, his three years of public ministry began at Galilee. The river Jordan flows from the southern shore of the lake. It is thought that Jesus was baptised at this place. At every point around the lake there are Gospel accounts of what Jesus did and said here. Here Jesus lived fully and publically a life of intimacy with His Father. Here, on the shores of Galilee, we see and hear Christ the Priest.

The green 'Galilee' poster (see the Church notice board), is an invitation to young (and not so young) single men. Consider the possibility: “is God calling me to serve Him as a priest?”

We find our health and happiness in life when we live in harmony with what God has created us for. If we have the wisdom and courage to hear this call, and to respond, our life will become a rich Galilee experience. This does not mean that the next fifty years will be a relaxed reclining in green pastures. It was not that for Jesus. There will be suffering and persecution along with joy and hope. And in the midst of this adventure your life will have purpose and meaning.

We all know that there are fewer vocations to the priesthood in NZ than there were fifty years ago. There are a variety of reasons for this. I invite you to consider my own theory:

Fifty years ago most Catholic parents (and grandparents) prayed that one of their sons (and grandsons) would become a priest. Teachers in our Catholic High Schools promoted priesthood and Religious Life as a dignified calling. THese adults would speak openly about the calling to priesthood and religious life. Young Catholics were raised in homes, schools and parishes that were environments of positive vocational discernment. The question was not primarily 'what are you going to do when you grow up?' but rather 'what is God calling you to?', and 'what has God created you for?'

This is no longer the case. How long is it since you spoke to one of your sons (or grandsons or nephews or neighbours – aged five or fifteen or twenty-five), with positive encouragement, about the life of the priesthood? If the people of our parishes are not being pro-active in conversations with the young, about the beauty of priesthood and Religious Life, then the efforts that a diocese might make to promote vocations will bear limited fruit.

Someone asked me this morning, ‘how many of the students for priesthood in New Zealand at the moment were born in NZ?’ I had to answer ‘less than half’. It is significant that the majority of NZ seminarians this year are from countries where parents and communities actively encourage young men and women to consider priesthood and Religious Life.

I invite you to give this some thought, and then to take some action. Ponder your own attitude to priesthood. Why is it that you have not encouraged a young man to consider priesthood? You might like to talk to a priest about your hesitation.

Then, be active. I know several priests and seminarians who only considered priesthood to be a possibility for themselves, when someone (parishioner, parent, friend…) asked them out of the blue if they had considered priesthood.

You might consider the “Galilee Experience ‘10” invitation below as an opener in the conversation you have with young men you know. Email them the invitation. Call them and invite them to consider taking part in the weekend…

I guarantee that after taking part in the weekend, whatever they decide to do or not to do with their lives, will be the fruit of a more mature discernment. And I also have no doubt that they will thank you for having the courage to approach them.

both photos of the Sea of Galilee taken April 2010

Galilee Experience’10

An opportunity to consider a Vocation to the Priesthood or Religious Life

A chance for men and women to pray, reflect, and discern

Friday 8 October 5.00pm – Sunday 10 October 2.00pm

Contact Fr. John Adams 358 6611 j.adams@xtra.co.nz

Sr. Marietta Parsons 355 0959 sm_parsons@yahoo.com

a presence that disturbs

In the days since I arrived home many people have asked if I miss the people and places that I enjoyed while on sabbatical. My overwhelming feeling is that it is good to be back. At each of the three OLV weekend Masses I was grateful that I had a home such as this to return to. The welcome-home you have given me is heartening. Thank you!

I have made a point of allowing myself to savour the memories and encounters that surface from my time away. And there are many. In my blogs of late last month I shared my experiences and impressions of "The Rimini Meeting." Those were extraordinary days at a festival of sound Catholic faith. One of the people I met there was the columnist for The Irish Times, John Waters. You might like to read his article on the Meeting.

However in the face of the dignified, robust, real and deeply attractive reality of Catholicism that John presents in his article, many people couldn't help but react negatively. Note Waters' follow-up article a week later. You can make your own judgements regarding the reasons for the responses to his positive reflection on Rimini.

I have a few theories about what is going on.

It is ironic that the meeting of "friendship among peoples" which is such a tangible experience of friendship among those who attend (800.000 this year), draws such a reactionary criticism from some of those who were not there.

This is evidence of the reality of faith and friendship at the meeting - if nothing of any significance happened, no one would both wasting words to tear it down. Such friendship among so many strangers united by their need and hunger, is deeply disturbing to those who seek satisfaction in fleeting pleasures.

I suspect the same is true of Catholicism whenever and wherever it is fully lived. The fact that people (many good people and even Catholic people) react against an attractive, unambiguous and clear presentation of Catholic faith, is that before the evidence, they encounter a presence that disturbs them.

I know this for I all too often am the complacent and fearful one who hides from disturbance. What I forget in these moments is that it is my fear and complacency which is being disturbed, is not my "self". Only my masks and shells are being shaken. In this quaking my reality is emerging.

Thank God for those who disturb me.

 .......   And I have felt       

A presence that disturbs me with the joy       

Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime       

Of something far more deeply interfused,       

Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,       

And the round ocean and the living air,       

And the blue sky, and in the mind of man;       

A motion and a spirit, that impels                                    

All thinking things, all objects of all thought,       

And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still       

A lover of the meadows and the woods,       

And mountains; and of all that we behold      

 From this green earth; of all the mighty world       

Of eye, and ear,--both what they half create,       

And what perceive; well pleased to recognise       

In nature and the language of the sense,       

The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,       

The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul                        

Of all my moral being.

COMPOSED A FEW MILES ABOVE TINTERN ABBEY, ON REVISITING THE BANKS OF THE WYE DURING A TOUR. JULY 13, 1798
William Wordsworth

letter from the bishop

Bishop Barry has written a letter read at all Masses in the diocese today (12 September).

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

As the Holy Spirit brings us together once again for our Sunday celebration of the Holy Eucharist, I want to offer you my greetings. The recent earthquake and after shocks mean that all of us in Christchurch and its surrounding area have lived through a time of stress, fear and uncertainty.

While there has been significant damage to dwellings and property, no one has been killed. For this supreme blessing, we must be utterly thankful and praise God with sincere hearts.

As might be presumed, parish churches and school buildings have been damaged in various degrees.

I want to draw your attention to the the diocesan website which is updated regularly and carries accurate information and I recommend it to you.

(If you don’t have its address, search for Catholic Diocese of Christchurch).

Many bishops Catholic organisations and individuals, both locally and from overseas, have sent messages to us of prayers, solidarity, sympathy and support.

Yours sincerely,

+ Barry Jones

Bishop of Christchurch.

the Sunday after

It is evening on the Sunday after the week before. Today at the three OLV Masses people have many stories to share.

We reflected together on the effects of last weeks quake and the dozens of unsettling aftershocks. Then. during the homily of the 5pm Mass, another quake. It was a significant jolt and (from where I was standing) I saw the momentary uncertainty on the faces. What do we do? I knew at that point that the homily needed to finish. It would brave (or foolish) preacher who continued to speak after God had sent an earthquake!

When the brief (3-4 second) shake was over I asked the people if we should continue with Mass. The overwhelming response was "yes!" I'm not sure if they were saying "yes" 'it is good that we pray at a time like this', or "yes" 'get on with it so that we can get out of here!'

It has been a week of uncertainty. But at Masses here this weekend there was a strong sense of the power and presence of God with us in the midst of the anxiety we might feel.

Our thoughts and prayers today were very much with the people of our city and region who are suffering.

At the end of Mass people stayed around in the church much longer than usual. They were no hurry to get away from the tonnes of concrete above them. There is a confidence (based anew on our recent experience), that God is protecting us.

This afternoon staff and supporters of our parish school moved the school administration and staff room of the school into the Bishop Joyce Centre. The brick admin block (with connected classrooms) is off limits at the moment.

But this inconvenience we are experiencing here at OLV is minor compared to the suffering in many other parts of Canterbury. For these people, our prayers continue.

Praise Be

We continue to live in instability and uncertainty here in Christchurch. The after-shocks have continued throughout the day today. One especially strong shake just before 8 this morning reminded us that we are not through this challenge just yet.

On Tuesday evening a strong group gathered for the first Praise Be rehearsal in the Church. It was a good gathering led well and strongly by Barry Brinson. I heard several very positive comments afterwards.

However after the extra shakes last night, and the state of civil emergency being extended until next Wednesday, the decision has been made to postpone Praise Be until the first week of November.

I have no doubt that this is the right decision in the circumstances. However we now are trying to let everyone know before the rehearsal that was to be tomorrow (Thursday) evening.

If you know of someone who was here or who was thinking of coming for the second rehearsal, could you let them know that this event has been postponed until November.

Thank you!

the divine agent

Since arriving back on Sunday I have been very aware of the deep vulnerability that the people of our city feel because of the earthquake. On TV, radio and newspapers people speak of the unpredictable power of the quake that shakes its unwelcome way into our lives.

I have been surprised at the number of people (who usually profess no belief in God), speaking of the miracle that no one was killed in the earthquake. I typed the word "miracle" into a google search 'miracle definition'. The first definition that came up defined 'miracle' as: "a marvellous event manifesting a supernatural act of a divine agent".

Isn't it significant that so many people in these days are even (albeit without realising) acknowledging the existence of 'a divine agent' who safeguarded the people of Canterbury during the quake?

As Catholics we know that this is not simply "a" divine agent (as one among many), but "THE" divine agent. We know the name of this agent. And we know too that our God is not distant, but is with us. We are not alone. God is actively providing for us, guiding us and caring for us in every moment.

Once we realise this, we can relax a little. In fact we are no less secure in an earthquake than we are when resting on stable ground. This is because our human stability does not come from the fact that the ground is not moving, or from a secure relationship, a satisfying job or financial security. Our security is found in knowing that God is with us and loves us. God is caring for the family members we might be concerned about. We are not alone. We have nothing to fear.

My hope is that in these days when the newspapers acknowledge miracles, the people of our city might know anew that God is at work, and that He is on our side. God is caring for us more than we could ever care for ourselves.

We have nothing to fear!

48 hours later

It is 48 hours since the earthquake hit Christchurch. While the visible effects are noticeable with many buildings destroyed or damaged, there are other less obvious consequences of the quake.

In the twenty-four hours since my return, I have noticed a significant level of anxiety around the city. The regular aftershocks (there have been three in the last two hours) prevent us from forgetting what has happened. At Mass last night many people overlooked their own losses to express concern for those who live alone and for the elderly.

Several people have commented that we are very lucky to live in New Zealand. A smaller earthquake in a poorer country results in tens of thousands of deaths.

Most of all, in the midst of the sadness and uncertainty, I notice a deep gratitude that there was no loss of life. Many people in our city express this in simple terms of gratefulness. But many others are very specific about where our gratitude belongs.

As one 16 year old boy expressed it in this morning's Press: "Something was definitely protecting my Dad and I - the hand of God, definitely."

It is Monday morning as I write. In a few moments we will celebrate our Monday morning Mass. We will offer this Mass in gratitude to God for His care of us, an mostly that he safeguarded the lives of the citizens of Canterbury over these days.