Posts by Neliswa Mdluli

Reflection on the Second Sunday of Easter

Behind a locked door. Post ressurection, John 20:19-31, Jesus shows his hands to the disciples.

By Fr. Rocco Marra, IMC

We are celebrating the Second Sunday of Easter, the eighth day of the Octave of Easter. This particular day was called with different names during the History of the Church: 1- It is called “White Sunday” because on this day the new members of the church use to lay aside the white dress which they received on Easter Vigil, during the celebration of their baptism. 2- It is called “Low Sunday” because it closes the celebration of the eight days, the Octave of Easter; considering the High Sunday, the Easter Sunday itself, the first day of the Octave. 3- Recently we call it “Divine Mercy Sunday” so that forgiveness and tenderness are proclaimed and the world hears a different message than one of emptiness or hate and is shown a path to reconciliation and peace. We are redeemed trough the Mercy of God.

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Pope’s Prayer Intention April 2018

by Pope  Francis

For Those who have Responsibility in Economic Matters. That economists may have the courage to reject any economy of exclusion and know how to open new paths.

It’s important to know what things are for, especially if we dedicate our lives to them. Today economists are being asked what the economy is for. The astounding thing is that in their training few were asked to ponder this question.

Kate Raworth, the proposer of the ecologically and socially sensitive ‘doughnut economics’ theory admits that when she was a student, no lecturer actually posed the question. Perhaps it was simply too dangerous and would lead to ethical and political questions concerning the distribution of wealth. Perhaps it was part of the scientific pose of economics which wanted the respectability of scientific ‘rigour’ and ‘objectivity’. But such a distancing from questions of value ignored consequences such as the economic exclusion of the poor and the destruction of the environment.

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The Chrism Mass and Holy Oils explained

By Fr. William P. Saunders

Article taken from :  Catholic Herald

On Holy Thursday morning, the bishop, joined by the priests of the diocese, gather at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More to celebrate the chrism Mass. This Mass manifests the unity of the priests with their bishop. Here the bishop blesses three oils – the oil of catechumens (oleum catechumenorumor oleum sanctorum), the oil of the infirm (oleum infirmorum) and holy chrism (sacrum chrisma) – which will be used in the administration of the sacraments throughout the diocese for the year. This tradition is rooted in the early Church as noted in the Gelasian Sacramentary (named after Pope Gelasius I, d. 496), but was later absorbed into the Holy Thursday evening Mass; Pope Pius XII issued a new Ordinal for Holy Week, which reinstituted a special Mass of the chrism distinct from the evening Mass.

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Reflection on Mass Readings for Palm Sunday

by Fr M Makama

Is. 50:4-11 is the third of four “servant of the Lord oracles. In the part of the oracle which constitutes the first reading, the servant, like a well-trained disciple accepts the divine vocation whole-heartedly. He willingly submits to insults and beatings. The act of having one’s beard torn out is a grave and painful insult to man since the beard is a one of the marks of his masculinity. A man enjoyed an elevated status, hence the insult.

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Report on the St Joseph Sodality Retreat

By Maduduza Gabriel Zwane

Retreat of the St. Joseph Sodality at Christ The King on the Feast of St. Joseph the Husband of Mary.

The retreat took place on the Feast of St. Joseph at Christ the King. The retreat was attended by members of the St. Joseph Sodality, Sacred Heart Parish Chairperson, four men from Our Lady of Sorrows and members of the St. Anne sodality at the Christ the King Branch.

Father Mandla Makama was the retreat master and presenter together with Father Victor and Father Gaston of Good Shepard and Christ the King respectively.

Father Gaston summarized the purposes of a catholic retreat that is a time of silence, prayer and self-introspection. It is not like conferences and meetings. We need during a retreat to pray alone and meditate until you start hating yourself for your sins. Father Gaston quoted the book of Kings Chapter 19:9-15.

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Message of the Holy Father to the Youth

By Pope Francis

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God” (Lk 1:30)

Dear young people,

World Youth Day 2018 represents another step in preparation for the international WYD due to take place in Panama in January 2019. This new stage of our pilgrimage falls in the same year that the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will meet on the theme: Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment. This is a happy coincidence. The focus, prayer and reflection of the Church will turn to you young people, with the desire to receive and, above all, to embrace the precious gift that you are to God, to the Church and to the world.

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Retreat Program for the St Joseph Sodality

by Maduduza Zwane

In the past the St. Joseph Sodality Celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph by having talks which are preceded by mass. The Sodality invited the disadvantaged around the parish to lunch with them.

This year the Sodality has decided to hold a retreat in the true sense of a Catholic retreat to step back and assess our progress in the spiritual life.

This we regard as an excellent activity to practice within our church and sodality. The retreat will be inclusive of our church congregants, the Christ the King Congregants, Sacred Heart Congregants and Our Lady of Sorrows congregants. Hence, the Sodality invites members of these parishes to attend. It is hoped that men who are married in the church will exceed all the other distinct categories of the congregants. This retreat has been organized by the St. Joseph Sodality, a Sodality of Catholic married man. Hence all men are encouraged to attend. Continue reading “Retreat Program for the St Joseph Sodality” →