Posts by Neliswa Mdluli

Reflection for the third Sunday of Advent

by Fr Mark James OP

God will dance with shouts of joy for you 

Weddings are joyful occasions. It is no wonder that Jesus used the image of the wedding banquet as a sign for the coming reign of God. Weddings are occasions for joy and dancing. The wedding feast summed up for Jesus the God we worship. In his life and ministry, Jesus is the bringer of that joy, happiness and peace. He embodied good news. In the Gospel today, we see John the Baptist announcing the good news of the coming Messiah. John’s whole life was dedicated to preparing people for new life. John preached that it wasn’t enough just to belong to the people of Israel through the circumcision of the flesh but what was needed was circumcision of the heart too. People needed to undergo a personal change of heart and mind and a change in the way that they relate to other people if they were to experience the coming Messiah. For this reason, he emphasised repentance and conversion. Continue reading “Reflection for the third Sunday of Advent” →

Priests are chosen from among men

by Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI 

Samuel the Prophet of God
The story of the calling of Samuel by God is contrasted with the account of the sons of Eli who did not know God, who did not care about God. Eli’s sons are said to have been corrupt and greedy for they helped themselves to meat whilst it was cooking in the pot. (Corruption did not start in South Africa. It has a long history). Samuel on the other hand was called by God and he grew up in the presence of the Lord (2.22). God “let none of his words fall to the ground”. Every word he uttered became effective; every prophecy he made was fulfilled. This enhanced the status of Samuel as a prophet of God, as a man of God. Continue reading “Priests are chosen from among men” →

December 2018: In the Service of the Transmission of Faith

Small Group

by Fr Chris Chatteris SJ

Pope’s Intention, December 2018

In the Service of the Transmission of Faith.

That people, who are involved in the service and transmission of faith, may find, in their dialogue with culture, a language suited to the conditions of the present time.

‘In the beginning was the Word’. John the theologian has left us with a vision of God who is both love and logos, a God who is loving and intelligible and who desires to communicate with us. This is God’s nature – a loving, communicating Trinity of persons. That is why we human beings can make some sense of God. Because we are creatures of a loving self-communicating God, and we therefore reflect our Creator (though in an extremely limited fashion), God makes sense to us both on the emotional (loving) and intellectual (thinking) level. Continue reading “December 2018: In the Service of the Transmission of Faith” →

Deaf News – December 2018

by Fr Mark James OP

Seven Catholic Deaf from Eswatini join with Mariannhill celebrations

Seven Catholic Deaf members will join Mariannhill Catholic Deaf for their celebrations in Mariannhill from 8-10 December 2018.

This is the cementing of a long-established relationship between the two communities that goes back to the days when Fr John and his A-Team, including his brother Brian Turner and Debbie Eaton, used to come to Eswatini to say Mass. They did this for many years. Sadly, it ended with the death of Fr John on 17 June 2013. Continue reading “Deaf News – December 2018” →

Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent

by Fr Mark James OP

Second Sunday of Advent – “Prepare a way for the Lord” 

Last week I went to visit a Deaf family near Luve. Driving back, I was conscious of all the roadworks happening on the road from Manzini to the King Mswati III airport. I noticed that modern roadworks and design follow the Biblical injunctions that are present in today’s first reading and Gospel where Baruch (5:8) says that the day is coming when the Lord God will level the mountains and raise the valleys and make the ground level and the road smooth and straight for the people of Israel. Continue reading “Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent” →

“Keep the promise – Know your status”

by Nercha Executive director

On Friday 30 November 2018, Hope House commemorated the 2018 World AIDS day under the theme “live positively – Know your status”. The speeches reminded us where we are coming from and how much has been achieved. We remembered the suffering, the tears, the struggle to keep our hope alive, the funerals we attended. We pray daily to God, asking Him to keep us strong but also to help us stop so much suffering. God listened to our prayers. Though there is still no cure for Aids, it is no longer a death sentence.

Below is the full speech of NERCHA Executive Director

Continue reading ““Keep the promise – Know your status”” →