Morena/Good morning to all our Passionist Family Group members and friends,

“Creating a People” by Richard Rohr

Father Richard emphasizes that to live the gospel, we need each other:

The Body of Christ, the spiritual family, is God’s strategy. It is both medium and message. It is both beginning and end: “May they all be one . . . so that the world may believe it was you who sent me . . . that they may be one as we are one, with me in them and you in me” (John 17:21–23).

There is no other form for the Christian life except a ‘common one’. This may even be a matter of culture, if culture refers to something which is shared and passed on. In this sense, I am wondering if there is any other kind of Christianity except “cultural Christianity,” for better and for worse.

Until and unless Christ is someone happening between people, the gospel remains largely an abstraction. Until Jesus Christ is passed on personally through faithfulness and forgiveness, through bonds of union, I doubt whether he is passed on at all.

We are now paying the price for centuries in which the Church was narrowed from a full vision of peoplehood to an almost total preoccupation with private persons and their devotional needs. But history has shown that individuals who are confirmed in their individualism by the very character of our evangelism will never create church, except after the model of a service station: they will use it as a commodity like everything else…..

Certainly, we must deal with individuals. But the very nature of our lifestyle and our church teaching must say from the beginning what the goal is—the communion of saints, a shared life together as family, the trinitarian life of God, the kingdom—here!

We still think that we can work with the world’s agenda, where career and individual fulfilment are the basic building blocks of society. And we believe that we can build church from those well-educated and well-saved blocks. But God needs “living stones making a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5).

For Jesus, such teachings as forgiveness, healing, and justice are not just a spiritual test or obstacle course. They are quite simply the necessary requirements for a basic shared life. Peacemaking and reconciliation are not some kind of box seat tickets to heaven. They are the price of peoplehood. They express the truth in the heart of God, the truth that has been shared with us in the Holy Spirit, the union in Jesus the Christ who is reconciling all people to God (see 2 Corinthians 5:18–19).

Happy New Year!  –  From National Coordinator

Need to do for PFG’s 2022:   The evidence is overwhelming that at some time we have to deal with and live with Omicron. I believe we have been through quite a bit but this variant is more transmissible. Therefore, I think we need to do some things in preparation. We must engage with one another with the end goal of creating and maintaining ‘connection’. We cannot lock ourselves away but we must be vigiliant, respectful and follow good positive safety measures. It’s a New Year so lets’ make a positive and consistent start.

  • Can we please encourage each group coordinator along with parish coordinators to meet before the Waitangi weekendand organise their functions for a minimum of six months.
  • At you first meeting also discuss what plans will be in place to ensure all members can be contacted and supported.
  • Be open and honest and have a discussion about how the group has performed in the past six to twelve months – what did we learn and what things can we do better.
  • Like any family we grow together and perform best when we accept, love and forgive one another.
  • We have got to this point throughout New Zealand which has been amazing. Sadly, when we look at other countries there has been much heartache and sorrow. The UK was the seventh country to have over 150,00 deaths. That’s incredibly sad and difficult for the families and friends of those people.
  • This is a time to support, reach other and be that “family for all” You have done this before and we encourage you to continue to do the same.
  • Parish coordinators can you please advise your Regional Coordinators or email passionistnz@gmail.com when your groups have met and organised functions.
  • I would like to encourage you to share this information so we can advertise and communicate this around Aotearoa for our Passionist Family Groups. It will encourage and support others.
  • If members have any stories of hope, encourage and support though the last couple of years please send to passionistnz@gmail.com – these can be shared.
  • Thank you for your efforts and support of one another it is so reassuring and provide inspiration for others.

God go with you, Paul

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C, 16 January 2022

Lectionary readings
First reading:
 Isaiah 62:1-5
Responsorial Psalm: 
Ps 95(96):1-3, 7-10
Second reading: 
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
Gospel: 
John 2:1-11
Link to readings click here

In the First Reading this week, Isaiah uses the beautiful imagery of a wedding to describe the ways in which the deep love of God for his people will transform our lives. God delights in us: ‘As the bridegroom rejoices in his bride so will your God rejoice in you’.

St Paul teaches the church in Corinth about how God works through the many different people in the church so that they (and we) can use their gifts in a variety of ways in his service, united by the one Spirit working through them all to transform the lives of others. (Second Reading)

Another wedding scene is described in today’s Gospel. At the beginning of his public life, Jesus’s love and care transform a wedding feast from disaster to joyous celebration by turning water into wine.

*************My brother ,Brian sent this out….let yourself go!! Dance! The guy who created this video is an absolute master. With the use of over 80 movies the timing of the dancing to the music is brilliant. Just click on the link.

 https://1funny.com/movie-stars-dancing-to-im-so-excited/?fbclid=IwAR14G1JvtOUti2XDpvbOwg1oZnegYs2xTzsH0RrrnI4OgdL3hG7ZdKdAnOg

Humour:

  • “I’m afraid for the calendar. Its days are numbered.”
  • “My wife said I should do lunges to stay in shape. That would be a big step forward.”
  • “Why do fathers take an extra pair of socks when they go golfing?” “In case they get a hole in one!”
  • “Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth. Then it’s a soap opera.”
  • “What do a tick and the Eiffel Tower have in common?” “They’re both Paris sites.”
  • “What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie?” “Sofishticated.”
  • “How do you follow Will Smith in the snow?” “You follow the fresh prints.”
  • “If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?” “Pilgrims.”
  • “I thought the dryer was shrinking my clothes. Turns out it was the refrigerator all along.”

Have a great week,

 

Best wishes and blessings,

 

Paul