Father Peter Fitzgibbon
Feast of Sacred Heart of Jesus Matthew 11.25-28, Luke 10.21-22 From his Sacred Heart in the hearing of those who would open their hearts to his, our Lord Jesus addresses these words to the Father: “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and […]
The Word of God is the opening to intimacy with God. It was handed down orally across many generations before ever being written as Sacred Scripture. Once written down the Word of God came to be the Holy Bible. I have before me texts printed in GOOD NEWS BIBLE, a study edition with essays which […]
Humans have spiritual interests. Growing together in communities across generations and locations, peoples developed ways to express their shared spiritual awareness. Spiritualities many and varied were attempts to respond to the desire to know where we have come from, what is our purpose in the here and now, and where we will be when all […]
We read, we pray, and we share the Word of God. It is also proclaimed. At Holy Eucharist and the other Sacraments, sacred books are proscribed for our use. “The Lectionary” and “The Rites” and “The Roman Missal” enrich worship with appropriate texts from Sacred Scripture. Readings, psalms, canticles, antiphons, prayers, and intercessions are presented […]
All who follow Christ today are comfortable with identifying as his disciples. They also know it was after a night spent in prayer, that from his first disciples Jesus chose twelve apostles. These became a group so gifted that on day one about three thousand people were baptised. Their first preacher subsequently framed a beautiful […]
From beginning to end of life, and all along the way, there are issues. At the beginning choosing to have a baby. Towards the end of life, choosing how to die. Questions they are of live and let live, and not new questions. They are questions that will persist. The New Zealand Parliament was presented […]
Domestic church is a home where there is worship, religious instruction, and community ministry. It is as old as the church itself. The Apostle Paul recommends the special wife and husband witness and ministry of Priscilla and Aquila, “my fellow workers in the service of Christ Jesus”. “I am grateful to them – not only […]
Various appliances and furniture kitsets to be assembled usually come with instructions. Often, we tend to push ahead with assembly without reference to the instructions. Liturgy has guidelines too, instructions for how celebrations are to be assembled and celebrated. The Roman Missal is used at Mass. It begins with ninety-two pages by way of introduction. […]
Someone knew my name before anyone else knew it, knows me, loves me, and knows and loves everyone else. At this stage let me refer to that ‘someone’ simply as One. At first, when I hear this One, I do not know who One is. Eventually however One reaches out to call me by name […]
The church in which I abide is described as a body, its members associated with a Head. One of its first members became an apostle, one who knows the Head so well that he is chosen to take the mentality of the Head and announce it authentically for others to follow. In his new life […]