MARFAM FAMILY WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER 13 AUGUST 2025

I asked a group.   “Who are our favourite woman saints?”  it appears that in the list of saints early ones  were virgin martyrs, many are women religious, some widows doing good after their husband’s death.   My mother fancied St Joan of Arc, – a young woman soldier/warrior. Some of us may like Martha or Mary, who we celebrated recently or young girls St Maria Goretti. There are some couples as saints now, like the parents of St Therese of Lisieux who had nine children. Other women like Dorothy Day, a lay social activist are also being recognized.   How many women are recognized as doing the saintly motherly thing in their own homes?  Is it that no one is there to plead their cause or is the sanctity of motherhood still being largely ignored?   Pope St John Paul II began his Letter to Women – used last week – Thank you women who are mothers. He continued, thank you women who are wives, daughters, sisters, working women and consecrated women. He ended with Thank you, every woman, for the simple fact of being a woman! Through the insight which is so much a part of your womanhood you enrich the world’s understanding and help to make human relations more honest and authentic. 

 As I was preparing my newsletter I got caught up with You Tube and the G20 Interfaith Forum happening in Cape Town right now and the topic for the session was Religion and Education, strongly focusing on ethics education and social cohesion. The panel consisted of 5 men and 1 woman, all mostly foreign specialists. Professor Jonathan Jansen a well-known South African educationist noted that fact, and so the moderators (both men) allowed women to be given priority in the question session. I shouldn’t labour this point but the other issue of ethics education is complex and while it was good to raise it, it was also not resolved. Professor Jansen also spoke of the local context, the reality on the ground with poverty, hunger, poorly resourced schools and his view that religious education should not be the priority of public schools but of the home. Agreed, but what is the reality in homes when it comes to the adults’ ethics and faith formation?  He highlighted how rife corruption is. The various religious communities  have an important role to play for all that in families too.   

When I was discussing women with Ntlantla, of the Johannesburg Justice and Peace department, he raised the point of women to women support.  He said one concern these days is that girls and women so often want to do what men do,  be in leadership, in business, doing work that is traditionally done by men.  How often do we encourage women to support one another in what they already do, what they can or maybe even want to do, but feel challenged to be different.  Motherhood, with mothers supporting mothers with fertility, pregnancy, babies and children of any age  need not be hateful but can be a great joy.  However at the same time the very same issues can cause much pain and stress, where peer support can be most helpful. It is said that no child should go hungry, but can it be said that no mother should go unsupported in doing what she does, naturally, or chooses to do. My usual response was, “but in a family context.” All the roles for women and for men, particularly as mothers and fathers, which they remain even if they are at work, can and should ideally be negotiated in a loving manner in a family as a unit.  That is what MARFAM’s August theme of Sexuality as a Family Gift is also all about, for all types of families, not only human, but all the families of creation with Mother Earth providing for animals and plants too.    

That G20 session on education and religion was valuable and meaningful but also rather cerebral, with men and theories and high university level thinking.  Most teachers in our schools are women, very many are mothers – an how often don’t they spend time and energy “mothering” their learners. The only lady on the panel spoke about neuroscience and early child developmental stages. Wasn’t last week World Breast-feeding Week?  What better start to a child’s future and a mother’s mission in life.   If only the world in every corner, nook and cranny was an ideal place to be, it would be for the greater good not only of mothers but of social cohesion as a whole.     

For us Catholics, Christians and Muslims too there is Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mother of God and with many other names given to her in the Litany of Our Lady, that focus on some of her motherly characteristics. She may be our favourite saint or we may each have a favourite image. A family could make up and pray their own litany. As Patroness for South Africa we see her as a Queen, still a positive image for people to look up to, although not to the same extent as in previous times.   As we pray the Women’s Day prayer again this month, we pray for her intercession, and why not especially for the mothers of today.   

PRAYER FOR THE WOMEN OF SOUTHERN  AFRICA

Almighty God, You are father and mother to us, your children.

We thank you for the particular and special gifts you have given to women,  the gift of nurturing life, of sustaining and supporting life,   the qualities of compassion, commitment, generosity and a willingness to share. As they progress towards their rightful place in society  we request your blessing on all women   that they may continue also to hold their rightful place in the family.   that women and men together may build a society   which will bring about the Kingdom You have promised us.

We call on Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who nurtured and cared for her son and now reigns with Him in heaven to inspire the women of South Africa,  to pray with them in their joys and in their struggles,  and to intercede for them with her Son. Mary, Queen assumed into heaven, patroness of South Africa, pray for us. TR

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 13 AUGUST

August 13. The family and youth groups presented insights into sibling relationships too. Thandi said, “Think of your own families.  Is there rivalry between brothers or sisters and brothers, or jealousy, or resentment or possibly even sexual abuse or serious conflict for one or other reason? The intimacy in family units is unique among all other human relationships and should be cherished rather than abused.”  Claire said “I personally admire the young people who manage their own child-headed homes but I also know that they do need more help than they get.  It is not fair on teenage boys and girls to be responsible for younger siblings when they themselves have hardly developed their own personal identity. Sometimes they are just left behind in a different town, alone or with a carer or relative.  These little units are very vulnerable on many fronts. Do we know of any?” 

Scripture:    If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his faults between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen take one or two others along with you that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.    Matthew 18: 15-20.   Pope Francis Growing up with brothers and sisters makes for a beautiful experience of caring for and helping one another.  We see the care and love that surround a little brother or sister who is frail or disabled.   Children do need to be patiently taught to treat one another as brothers and sisters.  This can be quite demanding and is a true school of socialisation. AL 195. JUBILEE: 12. Signs of hope are also needed by those who are the very embodiment of hope, namely, the young. Sadly, they often see their dreams and aspirations frustrated. We must not disappoint them.  SNC 12 Act and pray. For the needs of families of all kinds to grow in love and acceptance.