Category: Reflections

Pope’s prayer intention for March 2020: Let us pray together that the Church in China may persevere in its faithfulness to the Gospel and grow in unity.

Today, the Church in China looks to the future with hope.
The Church wants Chinese Christians to be truly Christians, and to be good citizens.They should promote the Gospel, but without engaging in proselytism, and they need to achieve the unity of the divided Catholic community.

China is the largest country by population in the world with 1.4 billion people. The percentage of Catholics is less than 0.1%. Living under strict restriction with little religious freedom, however, the Catholic community has shown incredible perseverance and vitality, who tried their best to keep communion with the universal Church by suffering all difficulties and persecutions. During the Easter of 2018, there were about 48,00 baptised. Young Catholics in China seek all means to deepen their faith and are actively present in the Church. Continue reading “March 2020: Catholics in China” →

by Fr Z. Ngwenya

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Genesis 2: 7-9, 3:1-7
Psalm 51:3-6, 12-14, 17
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4: 1-11

Brothers and sisters, on Wednesday we began the season of Lent. To understand this season better we need to liken it to the period that prepares a great sporting event: for example, an important football game. The period before this match is a time similar to Lent because you are called to train better, to devote a longer time to preparation, to be super-concentrated to listen to all the tips that are offered to you by the coaches … but it is a time that also serves to understand why you made some mistakes in order to avoid doing them again. Only in this way can you compete well and hope to win. Lent is an intense training period that prepares us for a very important event: Easter.
Continue reading “First Sunday of Lent – Year A” →

by Fr Z. Ngwenya

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READINGS:
JOEL 2: 12-18
PSALM 51: 3-6, 12-14, 17
2COR. 5: 20 – 6:2
Mt. 6:1-6, 16-18

With the celebration of Ash Wednesday, we begin the beautiful, profound time of Lent. Lent is a time of grace, a time if meeting with the Lord. Lent, the time of encounter with one’s own limit, with one’s own smallness, but also brothers and sisters, Lent, as the time of a joyful proclamation, that of the Gospel which is proclaimed even in the most painful moments. Well, the gospel tells the weak man that we are: Christ is risen from the dead and the limited man, of dust, arid, must rise again, not exalt himself but rise again. But you need to make choices. The Christian cannot only think of adapting to the events as they arise, accepting with habit that life flows by itself and imposes its laws on us. Continue reading “Reflection for Ash Wednesday” →

by Fr D. Mazibuko osm

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1st Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 17-18
2nd Reading: I Cor 3:16-23
Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48

This Sunday once more we hear a continuation of the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus. This time Jesus teaches the multitudes about love for enemies. The source of this teaching is also found in the First reading from the Book of Leviticus. The foundation of our discipleship is love. Through Moses and Jesus, God teaches us that there is no law that supersedes love. Our way to holiness begins with love of our neighbour. There is no way for us to love God and still bear a grudge against our neighbour. There is no way we can love God and have hatred towards our neighbour. No way! Both readings are candid and succinct about this. Continue reading “Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A” →

by Fr D. Mazibuko osm

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1st Reading: Eccl 15:15-20
2nd Reading: I Cor 2:6-10
Gospel: Matthew 5:17-37

This Sunday both the first and gospel readings appeal to the will of every baptised person. Reflecting on both readings, it appears that God’s wisdom rests in the heart of every person. The power to make the right choice is not far from us, it is within our hearts. I have heard of the idiom ‘where there is a will there is a way’ and at times I thought it is just a cliché but reflecting on the readings I am convinced that indeed one needs to will to do good. The journey to overcoming temptation begins with exercising the God given power within us. Continue reading “Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A” →

by Vatican News

Pope’s Prayer Intention February 2020: We pray that the cries of our migrant brothers and sisters, victims of criminal human smuggling and human trafficking, may be heard and considered.

In his prayer intention for the month of February 2020, Pope Francis calls the entire world to hear the cries of migrants, many of whom are victims of criminal human trafficking.

It has become the custom of Pope Francis to release a video message detailing his prayer intention for each month. Continue reading “February 2020: ‘Hear the Cries of Migrants’” →

by Fr D. Mazibuko osm

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1st Reading: Isiah 58:7-10
2nd Reading: I Cor 2:1-5
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-16

This Sunday the first reading and the gospel talk about the light. The reader and listener is invited to be the light. An invitation that presupposes that one has already moved out of darkness. The world today is need of witnesses of light. The world today needs men and women of integrity. This is an opportunity for us a Church to indeed be the light of Christ. Jesus himself in the gospel is succinct ‘you are the light of the world’. And so we cannot be in the middle, our mandate is for our light to shine forth. Continue reading “Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year A” →

by Fr D. Mazibuko OSM

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1st Reading: Malachi 3:1-4
2nd Reading: Hebrews 2:14-18
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

This Sunday the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord to the Temple. It is a Feast in which we recall the day Jesus was presented to the Temple in fulfilment of the Law of Moses. The earthly parents of Jesus observe the Law. This was an important day for both the parents and the child. This is a Feast that draws the family together. We see both parents bringing the baby Jesus. They are both present in the initial formative moments in the life of Jesus. His presentation to the Temple is also an occasion for Jesus to meet the people he has come for. And so this Feast is not just about Jesus being presented to the Temple, it is our Feast too for today Jesus is presented to us. Continue reading “Feast of the Presentation of the Lord” →