Matariki season is upon us, with the public holiday falling on Thursday, 20 June this year. The season begins on 19th June, marking the reappearance of the Matariki star cluster (Pleiades) on the north-eastern horizon just before dawn. This celestial event signals the Māori New Year—a time rich with meaning and tradition.
Matariki invites us into a rhythm of remembrance, gratitude, and visioning. We remember those who have passed, celebrate the present with thankful hearts, and look ahead with hope and intention. These themes resonate deeply with the principles of integral ecology, reminding us that all things are connected—people, place, and planet. Values of aroha, whanaungatanga, and kaitiakitanga echo our own Mercy values, grounding us in compassion, relationship, and care for creation.
As winter settles over Aotearoa, we are offered a sacred pause, a traditional time of rest and restoration. It is an opportunity to reflect on our whānau connections, both personal and professional. Where might we embody aroha and whanaungatanga more fully? How are we drawing people together? What does that look like for us as individuals and as part of a wider collective?
At the heart of Mercy is the call to respond to unmet needs, to go where others do not. During this season, we are invited to ask:
- Where is the need in our Ministry today?
- How are we listening to the voices of those we serve?
- Is there a voice calling from outside our tent?
Matariki also calls us to action for the environment. It is a time to live out our value of kaitiakitanga, to be faithful stewards of our resources and protectors of our common home. Where in our Ministries are we being invited to care more deeply for creation? How are we showing gratitude for the graces we already hold?
Ultimately, Matariki is an invitation for us as people of Mercy to pause, reflect, and renew. It is a time to set intentions, strengthen relationships, and recommit to our shared mission.
As R. Kerr-Bell (2018) reminds us:
“The strength of whānau is tikanga. Tikanga challenges us with clarity of our Mercy ‘why’. It emboldens us to be unconventional, counter-cultural and creative in meeting the poorest and most vulnerable, and fearless in carrying God’s Mercy to the world. Tikanga Mercy encapsulates a Mercy ethos and philosophy. Embedded within our cultural practices are the values and beliefs of ngā tūpuna Mercy, our ancestors in Mercy.”