by “Extraordinary Misssion Year” Team
Topic for December: Family
Saint to contemplate: St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894-1941)

St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Catholic Priest from Poland.

The boy Kolbe was naughty kid. At 12, he had a vision of Mother Mary in 1906 that changed his life. He later described this incident:
“That night I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked me if I was willing to accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity and the red that I should become a martyr. I said that I would accept them both.”

In 1941, the Nazis imprisoned Father Maximilian in the Auschwitz death camp. He offered his life for another prisoner (a young husband and father) and was condemned to death. He was the last to die, enduring two weeks of starvation, thirst and neglect. This is why St Maximilian Kolbe is the patron saint of families, pro-life and prisoners. His feast day is August 14th. Continue reading “EMY – December: Praying for Families” →

by Ntombikayise H Dlamini

Jesus Christ was clear, His ministry would change the lives of the captive and oppressed. While He certainly meant this on a spiritual level (meaning that every person is in desperate need of freedom from sin and death) Jesus also cared about oppression in a physical and relational sense.

Spiritual oppression and captivity are conditions that all of us are born into, but we must not forget that these things are experienced by many at a relational level as well. The “captive and oppressed,” in our day must also include those who live in fear of abuse (physical and otherwise) in their homes or churches, those who are raped, assaulted, preyed upon as minors, widows and others like them. Continue reading “Justice and Peace in the context of Baptised and Sent” →