THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
THE CATHEDRAL: Currently by appointment only
NAZARETH HOUSE: Thursdays before the First Friday of each month 09h15 – 10h00 or anytime on request.

 

COMMUNION TO THE SICK IN THE PARISH – Is there someone in your family who is sick at home or in hospital, kindly contact any of the parish clergy will arrange for the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and Holy Communion.

 

THE SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE UNIVERSAL KING

 

The First Reading

Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17               

  

The Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 22 (23): 1 – 6

 

R/ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

 

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose.  R/.

 

Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit.

He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name.  R/.

 

You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.  R/.

 

Surely goodness and kindness shall  follow me all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.  R/.

 

The Second Reading                  

1 Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28 

  

The Gospel Reading                  

Matthew 25: 31-46    

  

Thought for the day

 

The image of the king is a foundational metaphor in the Bible, which in ordinary usage suggests power and glory.  But even in the ancient biblical tradition, there are two significant modifications. According to an Old Testament vision, a king is meant to be a shepherd to his people, a true shepherd who cares for and who knows and even loves his sheep. According to a New Testament vision, Jesus our king rules paradoxically by loving service, humility and the gift of himself. This example and teaching of Jesus have lost none of their power.

 

Prayer

 

Wake us up, O God, and rouse us from the slumber of the everyday that we may recognise you in every moment and in every person, each day of our lives. Amen.

 

 

Please note that if it is your intention to get married in the Catholic Church, you need to give the Church at least SIX MONTHS notice of your intention to do so.  Please note that current regulations in the Archdiocese limits Church attendance at Weddings to 25 people.  Please contact the Cathedral office either telephonically or via email to set up an appointment with one of the Cathedral clergy to complete the Pre-Nuptial Enquiry and to arrange the required Marriage Preparation Classes.

 

THE PAROCHIAL NOTICES

 

  1. LAST WEEKEND’S FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

          Collection              R 1 012, 00                   Planned Giving                 R 2 549, 99

 

  1. LITURGICAL CALENDARS FOR 2021 are on sale now for R20 each.

 

  1. PLEASE NOTE that Fr Rohan is presently supplying in the Parish of Vredenburg on weekends. Since the parish consists of five churches in five areas, he will assist Bishop Emeritus Francisco de Gouveia, who is resident in Langebaan, with the celebration of their weekend masses and other Sacraments. 

 

The Chancery wish to thank the Cathedral parishioners for their sacrifice during this time of transition until a new Parish Priest is appointed to the Vredenburg Parish.

 

  1. BAPTISMS – Those who wish to have their children baptised, please contact the Cathedral Office so that arrangements can be made for instructions and the celebration of the Sacrament. Current Covid regulations decree that no group baptisms will take place but only one child per celebration.

 

  1. MORTUARY LISTS – A SECOND COLLECTION FOR THE MORTUARY LIST OF 2021 will be held next weekend of 21st & 22nd Please forward your new Mortuary Lists to cathedral@adct.org.za.  The Cathedral Clergy will celebrate weekly Holy Masses for the repose of all the faithful departed. Mass Stipends can be deposited in the Parish Bank Account with the reference MOR

 

 

CATHEDRAL BANKING DETAILS

 

Name      St Mary’s Cathedral

Bank        Standard Bank

Branch    020909

Acc Nº     071 564 780

 

 Monday 23November

St Columbanus, abbot and missionary 

Apocalypse 14:1-5   A vision of heaven opens – for those who following the Lamb.  The 144,000 is symbolic (12x12x1000) meaning the whole world, everyone.

 

Luke 21:1-4  Though brief, this is a powerful story.  We all recognise that quantity is not the measure of the gift but quality of the giving, the attitude of the heart.  The little anecdote is in sharp contrast to the preceding avarice of the scribes.

 

Tuesday 24 November

Sts Andrew Dung-Lac and his Companions, Martyrs Apocalypse 14:14-19  In this vision, the sufferings of the end of time are read using harvest imagery.  Harvest, suggesting fruitfulness and ingathering, is a natural metaphor for the end of time.

 

Luke 21:5-11  Luke wrote long after the destruction of the Temple.  The issue for him is not the destruction but the link between its ruin and the end of time.  He writes to prevent useless speculation and insists that the end will not be at all secret but public.

 

Wednesday 25 November

St Catherine of Alexandria

Apocalypse 15:1-4  In this vision, the victory over evil is accomplished.  The hymn quoted was probably used in the regular worship of the hearers.  It’s use here is to encourage those still undergoing significant harassment if not persecution.

 

Luke 21:12-19  Our gospels is a demanding teaching on the cost of bearing witness.  As such, it looks forward to the Acts of the Apostles and there we see the early church suffering and courageously confessing Jesus.  Jesus asks his disciples to follow his own example of costly faithfulness.

 

Thursday 26 November

Apocalypse 18:1-2, 21-23, 19:1-3, 9  Today’s reading is a fantastical mock funeral for the forces of evil, represented by Babylon (= the Roman Empire).  Thankfully, it ends positively.

 

Luke 21:20-28  There are two fairly distinct parts to our Gospel today.  Firstly, Luke looks back on the actual destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 by the Romans.  He reads the tragedy in the light of Old Testament predictions.  The second part looks forward to the future coming of the Son of Man.  For Luke, the extended “time of the church” leads to the end of time itself, at which point the believers will have nothing to fear.  Meanwhile, we are to undergo conversion and to bear witness.

 

Friday 27 November

St Fergal, bishop and missionary

Apocalypse 20:1-4, 11-21  A dramatic vision of the end, with the destruction of evil, illustrated with ancient imagery of Satan, the Abyss and the book of life. Then God will establish the New Jerusalem, presenting her like a bride adorned.

 

Luke 21:29-33  A little horticulture may help. The fig blossoms in late spring so it means that summer will soon arrive. The reference to “this generation” was already out of date, so to speak, when Luke wrote. Perhaps for him it points not to this very generation but to the generation at the end of time.

 

Saturday 28 November

Apocalypse 22:1-7  A marvellous image of the New Jerusalem, without Temple, because God will be our light. The New Testament Apocalypse ends on a resoundingly positive note. The Bible begin in the heavenly garden and it ends in the heavenly city.

 

Luke 21:34-36  Just because the end is not yet is no reason for relaxing. For Luke, the urgency of discipleship remains—that is, the urgency of our continued conversion, our prayer, our service, our bearing witness. The delay is the coming is not a reason for complacency


 

 

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