Pastoral Letter

Dear Friends,

Over the past month a highlight for me

has been my visit to Rome. Along with

my eldest son Ross I visited the Eternal

City and took in the sites. It is often called

the Eternal City because it has taken a

significant role in the history of Europe.

We visited the Colosseum where the

Gladiators fought, the Trevi fountain

which is named after the young girl who

supposedly took Agrippa’s thirsty soldiers

to its source. Trevi means three ways and

the fountain sits in a section where three

streets come together. We also visited the

Spanish steps one of the widest stair cases

in Europe. Our visit to the Hark Rock Cafe

was also memorable.

One morning, early, we visited St Peter’s

Basilica. It is a grand building. It is

claimed to have the largest interior of any

Christian Church in the world. It is Baroque

architecture in its highest form. Visiting the

Sistine Chapel brought so many pictures to

life and placed them in context.

The contrast between the teaching of Jesus,

and how the church throughout the ages

has attempted to express its faith seem

miles apart. From the Carpenter in Galilee

to the magnificent Church buildings that

pepper the sky line we must make a huger

leap. We have the buildings and they are

part of our history and heritage. However

on several occasions during our trip we

saw how the Church was attempting to

draw folks eyes upward to God. There were clearly places for personal

devotion, meditation and reflection. There were spiritual books to read,

pictures to see and music to listen to. It was important to make the

internal spiritual journey while soaking up the relics of a bye-gone age.

We were encouraged to look at the true treasure of our faith.

In our own daily journey it may not be the significant sites of an Eternal

City, it may not be years of history and preservation, but there may be

other things that distract us. It may be a preoccupation with a person or

event, it may be the pressure of work, money, time. There will be other

distractions that need to be put in their place, or left in their place, in

order that we may feed our soul.

Jesus said ‘Wherever your treasure is there will your heart be also’ -- what

do we really treasure -- the faith and the people around us.

Kindest Regards

Mark J