April 10. “from now on you will be catching people.”   In her confirmation group Abigail said, “When we celebrate days like St Patrick’s and of St Daniel Comboni and the many other missionaries to foreign countries I wonder whether we stop to think of the hardships, penance and austerity they practised to bring the Christian faith to these countries over the centuries to millions all over the world.  Maybe we don’t still have an image of a missionary being fed to wild animals or boiled in a pot to be eaten by cannibals, but certainly torture and killing is still happening even today and not only to foreign missionaries.“   

Check out resources for HOLY WEEK AND THE FAMILY https://marfam.org.za/2025-holy-week-and-easter-family-activities/

Reflect, share and act. Scripture:  After doubting Jesus before the miracle of the great catch of fish when Jesus resent them to go and fish a second time Simon Peter said, “Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus replied, “from now on you will be catching people.”  From Luke 5:1-11. Pope Francis: “We become good confessors when above all we allow ourselves to be penitents in search of his mercy.  FM17. JUBILEE.  During this Jubilee, may Missionaries of Mercy exercise their ministry by reviving hope and offering forgiveness whenever a sinner comes to them with an open heart and a penitent spirit. May they remain a source of reconciliation and an encouragement to look to the future with heartfelt hope inspired by the Father’s mercy. I encourage bishops to take advantage of their precious ministry, especially by sending them wherever hope is sorely tested: to prisons, hospitals, and places where people’s dignity is violated, poverty abounds and social decay is prevalent. In this Jubilee Year, may no one be deprived of the opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness and consolation.  SNC 23.   Choose an act of love and sacrifice from the list, also published at www.marfam.org.za