Thought for the day: In our deepest selves, each of us is a mystery: Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? How should I live? The risk in our present culture is to sleepwalk through life, to be satisfied with a merely material existence. But the human “project” is much greater. Each of us is really on a pilgrimage, or better on a quest — a quest to become my true self, in image and likeness of God. My truest self is found by being open to God, in whom we live and move and have our being. By following that star, by listening to our conscience and our inner selves, we come home to God.
Prayer You are the mystery at the heart all that exists: draw us to yourself, O Lord, that knowing you we find our true selves, and finding our true selves, we may come to know you.
PAROCHIAL NOTICES
- LAST WEEKEND’S COLLECTIONS
Collections R 8 293, 30 Planned Giving R 6 807, 77
Southern Cross R 80, 00 Calendars R 20, 00
New Year’s Eve R 4 989, 60
Thank you most sincerely for your generosity!
- IN THIS WEEK’S SOUTHERN CROSS – What South African can expect in 2018; All you need to know about the Epiphany; Meet the Knights of Da Gama; How the Church can help save the planet; Was Jesus black? EDITORIAL: What we pray for in 2018.
- Catechism registration will take place at the Leslie Johnson Memorial Centre on Sunday 14th January 2018 between 08h15-09h15.
Please bring along a copy of your child’s baptism certificate. If they are not baptized yet than a copy of their birth certificate. (Guidance will be given to having your child baptized). In addition bring along a copy of their First Confession certificate and First Holy Communion certificate (if these sacraments have been completed). Please note that if you have transferred from another parish a transfer letter is required.
- CATHEDRAL PARISH MAINTENANCE TEAM MEETING on Thursday 18th January at 18h00 at the Cathedral Presbytery
- ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY MEETING on Saturday 20th January at 09h30 in the Cathedral Office Boardroom.
- PLEASE NOTE: Mrs Carlene Weitz, the parish secretary, will be away on her annual leave until 31st January.
- PLEASE NOTE: Fr. Michael Clement SAC is away on his annual leave until 21st January
THE BANNS OF MARRIAGE
27th January at 14h00 Sean Smith & Charlotte de Kock
24th March at 15h00 Peter Peté & Nicola Stockley
WEEKDAY INTRODUCTIONS
Monday 8 January Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 55:1-11 Our Gospel today is Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom and his call to conversion. The first reading explores the experience of conversion using a rich variety of experiences and images. The very last lines about God’s word offer us great confidence and hope.
1 John 5:1-9 Who was Jesus? Who is Jesus today? These modern-sounding questions lie behind this reading. It was written at a time of failing faith in Jesus, both in his real humanity and his real divinity. The very first line puts it up to us today: if we claim to know who God is, then we must also have faith in Jesus, the Son of God.
Mark 1:7-11 Again and again, we Christians need to go back to the core teaching of Jesus, in all its simplicity and richness. Jesus began his ministry with this ringing proclamation about the Kingdom of God and conversion of heart.
Tuesday 9 January 1 Samuel 1:9-20 In the Bible, there are “story patterns” that recur. One of these story types regularly tells of a woman who has no children of her own. This is a cause of suffering and supplica-tion. Eventually, by God’s intervention, the woman becomes pregnant. Christians are familiar with this kind of story from the Luke’s accounts of the birth of John the Baptist and the birth of Jesus. Our passage today includes a critique of the priesthood, because Eli the priest does not discern what is happening.
Mark 1:21-28 Jesus speaks (and acts) always from within, from the inside, so to speak, of his own authority.
Wednesday 10 January 1 Samuel 3:1-10,19-20 This is one of the great stories of call and vocation in the Bible. Once more, the priest Eli is slow to understand. Eventually, however, it dawns on him that God is calling the boy, Samuel. The turning point is in the words “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” picked up perfectly by the Psalm.
Mark 1:29-39 Our Gospel reminds us of the sources of Jesus authority and spirituality: his prayer.
Thursday 11 January 1 Samuel 4:1-11 Today the reading introduces a second important element in the story of 1 and 2 Samuel: the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was a piece of furniture, a kind of chest or box, used to symbolise God’s presence among the people. The presence of the ark gave power to its owners and the loss of it meant a corresponding loss of power. In our story, the loss of the ark and the killing of the sons of Eli are read as a punishment.
Mark 1:40-45 The compassion of Jesus is both immense and immediate. The leper inspires us to recognise our need of God.
Friday 12 January 1 Samuel 8:4-7,10-22 This brilliant passage conveys the unease in the Bible with monarchy as such. This may come as a surprise, but listen care-fully to all the reasons why a monarch would be a bad idea. But the real objection is the rejection of God as the only true king over Israel. The desire “to be like any other nation” will, in the very long term, lead to disaster and exile.
Mark 2:1-12 This Gospel passage is really about us: we too are carried by others; we too have our sins forgiven; we too learn to walk again in the light of Gospel.
Saturday 13 January St Hilary of Poitiers, bishop 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1 Restoring the missing verses would make the reading clearer and more entertaining. Finally, we are told of the anointing of the first king over Israel, Saul. The somewhat enigmatic story of the finding of Saul is meant to be a sign that he was God’s choice.
Mark 2:13-17 Our story is meant to be provocative on several levels: Jesus goes to the “wrong” people and, even worse, insists he was not sent to the conventionally holy who may not really know their need of God.