March 2021 Prayer Page
MANAAKITANGA - HOSPITALITY
When I listened to an interview between John Campbell and City Missioner, Chris Farrelly, on the morning news, I thought this really expresses my experience of prayer. I think Chris Farrelly’s spirit of care really comes through when he speaks – so give yourself a treat of encountering the spirit and listen for yourselves.
Michelle Hogan cc (Cenacle companion)
Chris Farrelly speaks about the City missions experience of giving out food and gift parcels over Christmas to those in need and how in 2020 there was a shift in how the parcels were delivered this year that made a huge difference for people.
Instead of long queues of people overnight, there was collaboration between the City Mission, three marae — Papakura, MUMA's Ngā Whare Waatea and Manurewa — Eden Park and Vision West as distribution centres.
Chris said "What then began to happen is that people came in desperate, ashamed, embarrassed, disconnected, we were able to provide food and presents but... we also provided this other thing of being human, being connected. We also cared for and when those people left the marae they not only left with their food parcels and presents for the week, they left feeling good about themselves and feeling good about being in this country. That's where the magic started. When we did it in the old days with those long queues, people overnight, I don’t know if they came in and felt that good because they still felt shamed, people did not leave the marae’s this year feeling shame, manaaki just wrapped them up and they felt okay, I’m okay’.
Pray with:
Matthew 14:13-21 Feeding the Five Thousand
- Where are you in the story?
- Notice what do you feel, sense and do?
- Do you and Jesus talk about anything?
Suggestions for ongoing MANAAKITANGA – hospitality
- Bring a long-lasting food item to cenacle companion meetings to bless and take to St Vincent de Paul to be distributed to the wider community.
- To initiate worldwide family, friends, or Cenacle companions (Wellington, Auckland & Brisbane) zoom meetings to pray the rosary or listen to ‘Pray as you go’ and share news with each other.