Download the 2024 Family Year Planner and explanatory documents from https://marfam.org.za/2024-family-year-planner/ and Family Matters

January 5.  Words or deeds. Gloria Mason was getting ready for the new school year.  She had been teaching for many years and felt as if she had become a little stale. During the holidays she had made a retreat and done much spiritual reading. Although she lived alone she was close to her extended family and had spent Christmas together with them.  There had been some old scores to settle and she had been able to help with that after her retreat time away, focusing on God and relationships.  Now as she prepared herself for the school year she decided to make a poster and a prayer card for herself and her class with the words from St John, about deeds and truth.   

Reflect, share. Scripture Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deeds and in truth. From 1 John 3:11-21.   Pope Francis.  In the power of the risen Lord the church wants to give birth to a new world, where all of us are brothers and sisters, where there is room for all those whom our societies discard, where justice and peace are resplendent. FT 278.  We believers need to find occasion to speak with one another and to act together for the common good and the promotion of the poor.  This has nothing to do with watering down or concealing our deepest convictions when we encounter others who think differently to us. FT 282. Pray: let us not express our love in words but also in deeds. Choose appropriate action.