Category: Reflections

by Khonzumenzi Dlamini

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Today marks the beginning of a new liturgical year. Holy Mother Church invites us to celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. A season of waiting as we anticipate the Parousia (second coming of Jesus Christ). This is a period that impacts our faith since it reminds us of our ultimate end. This time helps us to remain vigilant in our homes and not lose sight of the true meaning of Christians, it prepares us to welcome the mystery of the Word incarnate.

We are also reminded today that as we prepare ourselves to celebrate Christmas, a historical event, we should also look beyond that and stay focused as we wait for the second coming of our Lord. To wait for the Lord means to place our lives unto the Lord as in the first reading according to Isaiah 64:8 “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
Continue reading “First Sunday of Advent – Year B” →

by Thabo Mkhonta

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JESUS CHRIST THE KING WITH THE POWER OF LOVE

As the Liturgical year comes to its climax close, the Church ends the year with a great Feast – the Solemnity of Christ the King! This is a recent feast, instituted in the 20th century by Pope Pius XI in 11 December 1925. Writing his encyclical Quas Primas, Pope Pius XI referred to the chief causes of the difficulties in which mankind was struggling under as because people have kicked Jesus Christ out of their lives; ‘that he has no place in their private affairs and in politics’ (Quas Primas, 1). So, this feast is a reminder that Jesus Christ is the Lord and King; not just a King for Christians only, but He is the King of the whole universe. And that is transcendental justice! Thus the Church has a right to celebrate the Feast of Christ the King! Continue reading “Solemnity of Christ the King – Year A” →

by Thabo Mkhonta

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WE ARE LENT THIS LIFE TO INVEST IN LOVE

Every human being is for a purpose of love, heedless of which status s/he is according to earthly judgements. The parable Jesus uses in the Gospel, talks about investing (in an open market of love), something which is very risky. You have to spend yourself in life. Take the risk, not just treading with precautions all the time – being afraid to invest on others who are gifts from God! Continue reading “33rd Sunday of Ordinary time – Year A” →

by Fr. Joseph Puliparambil, SJ

Pope Francis’ prayer Intention: Let us pray that the progress of robotics and artificial intelligence may always serve humankind.

The rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers many opportunities, but it also poses many dangers. There are so many ways in which we could use AI for social good, but over the last few years it has become apparent that there are potentially a lot of unintended consequences. As more social sector organizations recognize AI, we all can play a role in legislating AI outputs are ethical, responsible and fair for a better world. Continue reading “November 2020: Artificial Intelligence” →

by Thabo Mkhonta

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WITH OUR BAPTISM LAMPS SWITCHED ON, WE AWAIT THE COMING BRIDEGROOM

The Church year is coming to an end, and that is why the readings are starting to be eschatological, and about the end. The end a person may think about is the universal one (cosmological eschatology), but there is also an individual eschatology –the individual end, which is death. We are all heading for that end –and we all know it and have to face it.

I know that since treading on this gruesome subject, which is saturnine to many, because we don’t want to face that reality of death. But, in today’s readings it is all about being vigilant and ready for we all don’t know when would the lights go out. Even the prayer: ‘Hail Mary…now and at the hour of our death reminds us to be ready. The key is to be ready that when it comes you are prepared as a person who is faithful to his baptism. The fact of death is alluded by St Paul in the 2nd Reading as the ground of hope, that is why he is even using the euphemism “asleep” instead of “died”. He is encouraging us not to grieve like people who have no hope, of life after death. So, we shouldn’t be sullen as if everything ends in the graveyard; Him who overcame the grave is coming! Continue reading “32nd Sunday of Ordinary time – Year A” →

by Fr Francis Huwn msfs

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Ex 22: 20-26; Ps 18:2-4, 47. 51; 1 Thes 1:5-10;
Mt 22:34-40
“Distract them so that they will not fall in love with God”

A priest found a gravestone in a cemetery with the inscription: ‘Here lies So-and-So, who died at the age of 90 but didn’t live more than three years.’ When he asked the meaning of it, they told him it belonged to a man who converted to the love of God when he was 87. So, he wanted to leave written in stone that only those years he spent loving God were the years he was ‘alive’. For he only considered worth mentioning the years he had spent in love with God.
Continue reading “30th Sunday of Ordinary time – Year A” →

by Fr F. Huwn msfs

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Is 2:1-5; Rom 10:9-18; Mt 28:16-20
“I have no other plan; I am counting on them.”

S.D. Gordon has a beautiful story about the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven. When the grand welcome ceremony was over, the Archangel Gabriel approached Jesus to resolve his doubts. He said, “I know that only very few in Palestine are aware of the great work of human salvation You have accomplished through Your suffering, death and Resurrection. But the whole world should know and appreciate it and become Your disciples, acknowledging You as their Lord and Saviour. What is Your plan of action?”  Jesus answered, “I have told all My Apostles to tell other people about Me and preach My Message through their lives. That’s all.” “Suppose they don’t do that?” Gabriel asked. “What’s your Plan B?” Jesus replied, “I have no other plan; I am counting on them.” On this World Mission Sunday, the Church reminds us that Jesus is counting on each one of us to make Him known loved and accepted by others around us.
Continue reading “Reflection for World Mission Sunday” →