Category: Liturgy

Baptised and sent

By Bishop José Luis IMC

In just two weeks’ time we will be gathering at “Santissima Annunziata” (Our Lady of the Anunciation) for our annual Diocesan Pilgrimage.

The theme of this year is: “Baptised and sent” following Pope Francis’ call to the Church all over the world to celebrate an “Extraordinary Mission Month” next October 2019.

Our Diocese has chosen to celebrate more than a month. Next October we will be launching an “Extraordinary Mission Year” which will last until October 2020.

A novena of preparation to the pilgrimage is now available and can be downloaded in three versions by clicking HERE. Continue reading “Baptised and sent” →

Easter Sunday reflection

By: Fr Dumisani Vilakati

Association Of Catholic Bloggers


First Reading:  Acts 10: 34a, 37-43
Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 118
Second Reading:  Col 3:1-4
Gospel:  John 20:1-9

Click HERE for Sunday readings in Siswati

Alleluia. He is risen! The readings on this Resurrection Sunday emphasise that Jesus is indeed risen and this places certain demands on us the most important being the passing on of this message of joy and hope to peoples everywhere. Alleluia. Continue reading “Easter Sunday reflection” →

Feast of the Holy Family (C)

by Fr Mark James OP

When we normally think of the Holy Family we think of the perfect family. Jesus, Mary and Joseph were the holiest of families otherwise why would God have chosen them for the task of raising his Son. However, is this the reason why God chose them? If we take the incarnation seriously then there is good reason to recognise that this family too had its share of hardships.

In today’s gospel, we see Mary and Joseph suffering the anguish of having thought they had lost their child. It took them three days to find him again. Mary even asked Jesus: ‘Why have you done this to us? We have been so worried?’

Continue reading “Feast of the Holy Family (C)” →

Christmas’ day


“The Word was with God and is God”
by Fr Mark James OP

Today Jesus Christ is born. We rejoice and are glad. We celebrate with enormous Christmas lunches. On this day, we come together as family and celebrate with special Christmas lunches. It is a time to be festive and give one another gifts. The Prince of peace is born. However, when we look around us very little seems to have changed. The poor are still poor, many of the rich are still greedy and the powerful continue to oppress. Evil still abounds in the world and sin still dominates our lives. What does it mean that Christ is born today? Continue reading “Christmas’ day” →

Diocesan Altar Servers’ retreat

By Siyabonga Kwanda Ndwandwe

Although the announcement for the altar servers retreat was dispersed a few weeks back to all the parishes in the diocese, the young men did not disappoint, they came in large numbers. To show their devotion to their work, altar servers gathered at the Sisema building in Manzini on the 13th to the 15th of December 2018.

The organizing team which included Fr Theodomir Sibomana and seminarians: Khonzumenzi Dlamini, Thokozani Mkhonta and Kwanda S. Ndwandwe tried their best to do a good job. Continue reading “Diocesan Altar Servers’ retreat” →

Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

by Fr Mark James OP

Sharing our joy

The visitation of Mary and Elizabeth is a story of meeting. It is an encounter of two pregnant women, one elderly and the other a youth probably in her teens, that speaks about love, compassion and joy. It speaks of the ordinary human experiences of solidarity and concern for others. However, our faith helps us understand that this ordinary human encounter, like the encounters of our own lives, can also be encounters with God’s grace. Both these women were ordinary but at the same time extraordinary. They were extraordinary because they had both agreed to cooperate with God’s plan of salvation for humanity. Consequently, this is no ordinary encounter but rather one that is pregnant with meaning. Continue reading “Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent” →

Advent “P”: Prayer and Poor

by Bishop José Luis IMC

The advent season has ended and the time to celebrate Christmas has come. I was thinking of our advent season at Our Lady of Assumption (Cathedral). 

It was certainly marked by prayer, by joy and celebration. This year we were blessed with two Christmas’ carols service. The first one was organised by the town council and was held at our Cathedral. I could not join them as I was on my annual retreat.

Two weeks’ later we had another one organised by the children, the youth and young adults. It was called “The nine lessons of Christmas”.

Click HERE to continue reading from the bishop’s blog

 

“One Minute Sunday” by Fr Dumisani Vilakati

by Bp José Luis IMC

From the first Sunday of Advent, we are launching a new service with the help of Fr Dumisani Vilakati. It is called: “One minute Sunday”.

Though particularly directed at “Instagram” users, it will also be available on our webpage. 

Instagram only allows videos that are under 60 seconds. With that in mind, Fr Vilakati accepted the challenge of presenting the message of the Sunday readings in under a minute. Continue reading ““One Minute Sunday” by Fr Dumisani Vilakati” →