WHAT’S WITH ALL THIS MERRINESS?
This year’s Christmas messages all seem to come with the wish “merry. “ Some greetings might even say “Merry Xmas.” I must admit that worries me somewhat. What is the meaning of merry? Google defines it as cheerful, festive, joyous,...
CHRISTMAS – A TIME FOR ALL THINGS.
Should I, or anyone, be feeling philosophical at this time of the year, four days before Christmas? Maybe a bit of an answer can be found in the Wisdom book Ecclesiastes 3, with its intriguing passages about time, and further comments from the Preacher. How would...
RECONCILIATION, A SKILL TO LEARN AT HOME
Some years ago, in 2008, the bishops of Southern Africa issued a pastoral letter entitled A MESSAGE OF HOPE: A CALL TO BE HEALED AND TO HEAL. The MARFAM Advent booklet that year was called THE HEALING POWER OF LOVE and contained reflections from a family...
LOOKING FOR THE BRIGHT SIDE
COP27 came and went and ended, with at least some resolutions on damage and compensation related to fossil fuel and global warming for more vulnerable nations. But there was no reference to the biodiversity aspect of the climate change issue. That is sad and appears...
2023 MARFAM FAMILY YEAR PLANNER
2023 MARFAM FAMILY YEAR PLANNER 2023-overview-doc-MARFAM-FAMILY-YEAR-PLANNERDownload Theme: OUR WORLD, A FAMILY OF FAMILIES OVERVIEW AND EXPLANATIONS MONTHLY THEMES. These THOUGHTS are available on www.marfam.org.za, facebook...
FAMILIES MODEL THE CALL TO CHANGING ATTITUDES
The MARFAM DAILY THOUGHTS for me are a powerful guide on my Advent faith journey. On Sunday, 1st day of Advent, with a small group of widows, we shared on our life experience and the reading was : ”You must also be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do...
WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? CHRIST OUR KING!
The solemnity of Christ the King has long been one of my special feasts, ever since boarding school and the procession. It is a relatively new feast in the Church, instituted only about 100 years ago by Pope Pius XI, in response to increasing secularism and...
EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED
The LAUDATO SI ACTION PLATFORM is one year old. So Happy birthday! Did you get the invite and did you come to the party? Do you know what LSAP is? Maybe there is an information glut right now with the world in the middle of the UN COP27, as well as...
FAMILIES LOVE LIFE – TILL DEATH AND BEYOND
I had the pleasure of participating in a cross Irish/South African funeral. The family spoke lovingly, “We’re taking John home, to Ireland, to his seminary, to his mother and then he will be buried with his father in the family grave,” they said, the family of Fr...
FROM HALLOWEEN TO CHILDREN WHO SUFFER
I heard about a group of families who organized a Halloween celebration in a local park. Kids dressed up, games were played and everyone had lots of fun. That’s great but I must express some reservations about such an excuse for a party, here in South Africa, where...
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