Warm Thoughts

I do miss the people of New Zealand. I was so delighted on Sunday when I celebrated my final Mass of my time there. I was so pleased with those who decided to show up, come back to Mass after a break, or were friends from other faith traditions who came to honor me. I was so touched. I was honored by the musicians who came forth to put together a special liturgy for me - complete with St. Ignatius's Suscipe (Take, Lord, receive), the Gloria, and other fine tuning. I will always pray with a warm heart for my friends in New Zealand.

My travel back to Sydney (Pymble) was uneventful and I am now trying to adapt to the new time schedule. I awake every morning at 5:15 because my body is on New Zealand time. It is very good to see my Jesuit confreres. We will only have three weeks left together. This makes me as sad as I am to leave New Zealand.

In a month, I will return to New England in the United States and I will become a director of retreats at Eastern Point Retreat House in Gloucester, Massachusetts. My time in New Zealand has prepared me well. I look forward to that ministry.

Anyways, day by day I just want to enjoy the presence of my Jesuit brothers. My heart aches when I meet good people and have to leave them.

Last Hours in Opunake

I am virtually all packed; the house is clean and restored to the way I found it. I just returned from lunch with Sister. We ate at the Headlands Restaurant, a trendy upscale restaurant in town. It was very nice. The church organist owns and runs the place. I may return there tonight as a priest friend is coming over for dinner.

I visited the Club Hotel last night to see parishioners. We later went to a bar with a Karaoke set up. Many folks did a nice job, but it was not on my docket to perform.

I wanted to say goodbye to the mountain today, but when I awoke it was dreary and threatened to rain, but now the storm is passing over and the tip of the mountain is emerging from the low-level cloud cover. The cows are still active in making noise. I feel so content, so happy that I came here. I would like to stay longer, but there is a time for every action in life, and this time has come to its end.

I will miss the people. I look forward to praying with them at Mass tomorrow morning.

I head back to Sydney!

Newborns

I visited a farm of friends is Pihama and was able to get an up-close and personal look at dairy farming. I am amazed at the technical sophistication that goes into such a profession. The standards were all at excellent levels and the precision was so exact on so many aspects of farm life. My friends were grateful for the warm sunny days because on days like this you can almost watch the grass grow.

New Zealand farms are industrious and ingenious. The provide the technical know-how for much of the world. (The other night I met a man who is restoring and rebuilding an old car, an Indian motorcycle, and doing some other smaller activities – all by hand. If he needs a stand, he won’t go to the market to buy one; he will make it himself.) I watched cows getting milked on a rotary platform that was very efficient. One cow that was new to the herd was anxious and scared. I had never before witness such power and determination in a cow. Most of them are rather sedentary. I always laugh when I see calves running around. It is hilarious because most images of cows are of slow-moving animals, but in my back yard when the owner’s truck comes around, a whole herd of cows come running for their feed. They are so buoyant, but awkward.

I saw newborn calves – just born today. Their umbilical cord was still attached and hadn’t yet dried up. They were able to hobble around and the hungry ones blurted out noises so loudly. At birth, they are close to 60 pounds. A cow has to be mighty durable to carry one of those to term. Their fur is so soft and they are adorable.

Anyways, I am fascinated by what I have learned. I also had a very nice dinner and friends with my friends.

These are my last few days in Taranki. I head back to Sydney on Sunday. I will miss the rhythm of life and the warm hospitality that I have experienced here.

Poem: The Sea Eagle by John Predmore, SJ

The grace of the sea eagle makes me think of you.
As I look up and see you are near.
How I wish to glide through life in the same way.
You are solitary, but your gaze is directed downwards.
To have my head in the clouds
and see you more nearly
is what I seek.
No, I want to fly alongside you
and frolic without limits.
Tumbling, swerving, stretching into new boundaries,
joining others who are lifted up -
just the breath of air to sustain us,
passing time through the brightness of day.
This is our moment.
Stay aloft over those frothy surfs.
Savor the thrill.
When day is done
just come and rest with me on the rocks
with our shadows left in the memory of the day
and feel the tickly of the splash upon our faces
knowing with a content heart how good it is.

Poem: I will not rush by by John Predmore, SJ

Too often I have rushed by you,
doing many things about you,
for you.
Meanwhile I’ve missed you
and searched for you,
but now
I know you are here.
You always were.
You’ve always wanted me.
You’ve tried to get to me,
But I passed by.
I am here
And so are you.
I won’t go
(Maybe I will –
sooner than I want.)
As I’m learning to stay by your side
without moving
without running away.
You overwhelm me though you try not to.
I’m frightened of who I might find inside myself,
but I’m in your great stillness.
You affirm me
and ask me to stay
and I feel the tingle in the tips of my toes
that makes me want to reach up to you,
but I’m just sitting
on a rock
in the sun
by the beach
beaming that you remain by my side.

Ranking of My Favorite Beatles Albums

My ranking of my top 18 US-released Beatles albums (1964-70)

1. Abbey Road
2. Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
3. Rubber Soul
4. The Beatles (The White Album)
5. Let it Be
6. Revolver
7. Magical Mystery Tour
8. Meet the Beatles
9. Help
10. A Hard Day’s Night
11. The Beatles Second Album
12. Yesterday and Today
13. Introducing…The Beatles
14. Hey Jude
15. Something New
16. Beatles 65
17. Beatles VI
18. Yellow Submarine

Photos: Wellington - A Capitol City

To see photos of the capitol city of Wellington, please click on the link below:

Pics of Wellington city