Light for my Path (2025)

03/10/2025

Friday 3 October 2025 (old data pictures – st-francis-of-assisi-icon...)

St Francis of Assisi (our Saint for 4 October)

So much is known about this endearing saint that I thought I would quote from his writings called “Francis and Clare” where he is sharing what the Franciscan Spirituality requires:

“Let us desire nothing else, let nothing else please us and cause us delight except our Creator and Redeemer and Saviour, the one true God, Who is the Fullness of Good, all good, every good, the true and supreme good. (The One) Who alone is Good, merciful and gentle, delectable and sweet; Who alone is holy, just and true, holy and right; Who alone is kind, innocent, pure; from Whom, and through Whom, and in Whom is all pardon; all grace, all glory of all the penitent and the just, of all the blessed who rejoice together in heaven.”

Francis is overflowing with awe at the immense goodness and holiness of God. We can take one word or phrase out of the passage and meditate on our God: ‘Fullness of Good’, ‘true and supreme good’ etc.

Some intercessions for this day:

Francis called Lady Poverty his bride; free us O Lord, from the lure of consumerism that we may live the simplicity to which the Gospel calls us.

Francis found Jesus in the poor; move us to action which seeks communion and solidarity with the poor, the humble and the lowly.

Francis reverenced all creation as a reflection of the Creator; may we respect all forms of life, especially those living creatures which depend on our care.

We pray a prayer of St Francis:

Almighty, eternal, just and merciful God, grant us the grace to do for you alone what we know you want us to do, and always to desire what pleases you. Thus, inwardly cleansed, interiorly enlightened, and inflamed by the Fire of the Holy Spirit, may we be able to follow in the footprints of your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, shall we, through your grace alone, make our way to you, Most High, who live and rule in perfect Trinity and simple Unity, and are glorified God all-powerful forever and ever. Amen.

St Francis of Assisi, show us the way to Almighty God – Creator, Son and Holy Spirit – through a life of simplicity and service to all needy creatures.

02/10/2025

Thursday 2 October 2025 (old data pictures – images 21021)

Memorial of our Holy Guardian Angels

We recall what we read about Angels on Monday (29 September) and we continue to read and reflect on what the Church teaches about them.

“332 Angels have been present since creation and throughout the history of salvation, announcing this salvation from afar or near and serving the accomplishment of the divine plan: they closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham's hand; communicated the law by their ministry; led the People of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets, just to cite a few examples. (Job 38:7 and many others) Finally, the angel Gabriel announced the birth of the Precursor and that of Jesus himself. (Lk 1:11. 26)

333 From the Incarnation to the Ascension, the life of the Word incarnate is surrounded by the adoration and service of angels. When God "brings the firstborn into the world, he says: 'Let all God's angels worship him.'" (Heb 1:5) Their song of praise at the birth of Christ has not ceased resounding in the Church's praise: "Glory to God in the highest!" (Lk 2:14) They protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden, when he could have been saved by them from the hands of his enemies as Israel had been. (Matt 1:20; 2:13, 19; 4:11; 26:53 and parallels in Mark) Again, it is the angels who "evangelize" by proclaiming the Good News of Christ's Incarnation and Resurrection. (Lk 2: 8-14; Mk 16:5-7) They will be present at Christ's return, which they will announce, to serve at his judgement. (Acts 1:10-11 and parallels in Matt and Luke)

The angels in the life of the Church
334 In the meantime, the whole life of the Church benefits from the mysterious and powerful help of angels. (Acts 5:18-20 and a number of others in Acts)

335 In her liturgy, the Church joins with the angels to adore the thrice-holy God. She invokes their assistance (in the Roman Canon's Supplices te rogamus. . .["Almighty God, we pray that your angel..."]; in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli. . .["May the angels lead you into Paradise. . ."]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels).

336 From infancy to death human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession. (Matt 18:10; Lk 16:22; Pss 34:7, 91:10-13) ‘Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him (her) to life.’ (St Bernard) Already here on earth the Christian life shares by faith in the blessed company of angels and (people) united in God.”

Prayer to our Holy Guardian Angel: “O Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day, be at my side, to light, to guard, to rule, and guide me. Amen”

01/10/2025

Wednesday 1 October 2025 (downloads- st-therese-of-lisieux-remember…)

St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873- 1897): The Patroness of Missions and Her Little Way of Love

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, also known as St. Thérèse of Lisieux, was born on January 2, 1873, in Alençon, France. From an early age, Thérèse exhibited a profound devotion to God. Her parents, Louis and Zélie Martin, were deeply religious, and both have since been canonized, emphasizing the sanctity that surrounded Thérèse from her birth. She grew up in a loving, faith-filled family, the youngest of nine children, though only five survived to adulthood.

A Christmas Eve Conversion
At the tender age of 14, St. Thérèse experienced a pivotal moment that she referred to as her “Christmas Eve conversion.” On December 24, 1886, Thérèse had a mystic experience that filled her heart with immense love and a sense of mission. It marked the beginning of her deepened commitment to serve God wholeheartedly. She later referred to this night as the moment she experienced the grace of complete conversion, freeing her from her childhood fears and allowing her to focus more on others.

Entering the Carmelite Monastery
Thérèse felt a strong call to join the Carmelite convent in Lisieux, where two of her older sisters were already members. However, at only 15, she was too young according to the usual regulations. Demonstrating her determination, Thérèse sought special permission from the Bishop of Bayeux and even travelled to Rome with her father, Louis Martin, to appeal directly to Pope Leo XIII. The Holy Father granted her permission, and in 1888, she entered the Carmelite Monastery of Lisieux, taking the religious name “Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.”

A Simple, Yet Profound Life Inside the Monastery
Inside the monastery, Thérèse did not perform grand gestures or extraordinary deeds that would set her apart. Instead, she focused on doing small things with immense love—a spiritual approach that would later become known as “The Little Way.” She believed that holiness could be found in the simplicity of everyday life, carried out with great love and humility. Thérèse’s spirituality was grounded in her conviction that any person could achieve sanctity by doing small, ordinary tasks with extraordinary love for God.

We look at some notable quotes of St Therese, the Little Flower. Which ones speak to you?

Notable Quotes

1. "Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love."

2. "Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our Father's love - difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul's miseries, her burdens, her needs - everything, because through them, she learns humility, realizes her weakness."

3. "The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity."

4. "If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness."
5. "Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing."

6. "For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy."
7. "True happiness on earth consists in being forgotten and in remaining completely ignorant of created things."

8. "You know well that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, as at the love with which we do them."

A prayer for her help in a difficult situation: Little Flower, in this hour, show your power.

30/09/2025

Tuesday 30 September 2025 [old data pictures – download (37)]

Today we remember Saints Jerome and Paula

Jerome was one of the most important scholars of the early Christian Church. His translation of the Bible into Latin (The Vulgate) would become the standard edition throughout the Middle Ages, and his viewpoints on monasticism would be influential over the centuries.

Jerome was born at Stridon (probably near Ljubljana, Slovenia) sometime around 347 C.E. The son of a well-off Christian couple, he began his education at home, and then continued it in Rome, where his parents sent him when he was about 12 years old. Seriously interested in learning, Jerome studied grammar, rhetoric, and philosophy with his teachers, read as much Latin literature as he could get his hands on, and spent a great deal of time in the catacombs under the city. Towards the end of his schooling, he was formally baptized, possibly by the pope himself (Liberius).

Jerome died on September 30, 420 in Bethlehem. His death was peaceful, and he was laid to rest under the Church of the Nativity. His remains were later transferred to Rome.

Saint Jerome is the patron saint of archaeologists, Biblical scholars, librarians, students and translators.

The first (optional) reading for his feast day is taken from Paul’s second letter to Timothy 3:14-17:

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”

Verses 16 and 17 speak especially to me. I have found that the readings of the day or the Sunday are just what I needed to hear – if I am listening, of course. That is why it is so important to read Scripture before Mass or Bible Study so that each of us is already open to the message.

The accompanying picture is like the one I took in St Jerome’s Cave under the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem in 2008 when I studied in the Holy Land. Jerome is on the right and St Paula who helped him with his Hebrew and Greek translations (she was fluent in both) is on the left. Two of their companions are with them.

I would like to leave us with four quotations of Jerome for our continued growing in our love for God’s Word:

“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

“When we pray, we speak to God;
but when we read (Scripture), God speaks to us.”

“The Scriptures are shallow enough for a babe to come and drink without fear of drowning and deep enough for theologians to swim in without ever reaching the bottom.”

“Make knowledge of the Scriptures your love ... Live with them, meditate on them, and make them the sole object of your knowledge and inquiries.”

Saints Jerome and Paula, give us a deep love for the Word of God.

29/09/2025

Week 29 September - 3 October 2025

Monday 29 September 2025 (old data pictures – images 2909)

“For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.” (Ps 91:11)

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels Saints Michael (protector of the people of God), Gabriel (the messenger of good news) and Raphael (the healer in the book of Tobit). It is actually the anniversary of the dedication of the Basilica of St Michael the Archangel in Rome in the fifth century. On Thursday 2 October we remember our Holy Guardian Angels assigned to each of us from infancy to death. To reflect on these two celebrations, I have chosen what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us. Angels are revealed in both the First and Second Testaments to us.

I. THE ANGELS
The existence of angels - a truth of faith

328 The existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls "angels" is a truth of faith. The witness of Scripture is as clear as the unanimity of Tradition.

Who are they?

329 St. Augustine says: "'Angel' is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is 'spirit'; if you seek the name of their office, it is 'angel': from what they are, 'spirit', from what they do, 'angel.'" With their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God. Because they "always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven" they are the "mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word" (Matt 18:10; Ps 103: 1, 15).

330 As purely spiritual creatures, angels have intelligence and will: they are personal and immortal creatures, surpassing in perfection all visible creatures, as the splendour of their glory bears witness (Lk 20: 36; Dan 10:9-12).

Christ "with all his angels"

331 Christ is the centre of the angelic world. They are his angels: "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him.” (Matt 25:31) They belong to him because they were created through and for him: "for in him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities - all things were created through him and for him." (Col 1:16) They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?" (Heb 1:14)

“O Holy Archangels, first and eternal servants of God the Creator,
we call upon you in recognition of your heavenly offices,
you, Micha-el, the Great Defender,
you, Gabri-el, the Holy Adviser,
you Rapha-el, the Bearer of Restoration,

Hear the prayers of a people in great need of your patronage as we struggle to live through a
confused, violent, and divided age. Help us to discern our roles within this tumult,
as People of God, People of Christ, People of the Cross, and of the Resurrection.
We ask for your help and for your prayers as you stand before Holy, Mighty and Immortal Creator of all,
and all of this in the name of Christ Jesus, the Lamb, seated at his right hand.

Amen”

26/09/2025

Friday 26 September 2025 (old data pictures – quote-peace-of-heart...)

St. Vincent de Paul (feast 27 September) and Blessed Antoine-Frédéric Ozanam

[This reflection is dedicated to our father, Bill Chellew, who was a committed member of the St Vincent de Paul Society and who had a special love for Frédéric Ozanam and had made me aware of him all those years ago. In fact, he had said to me in 1996 that he wanted to go overseas for the Beatification of Frédéric in 1997 and would then visit Lourdes. I had said I wanted to go with him! Our father died 29 May 1997 – so he had a far better experience – meeting Frédéric and joining all the hosts of heaven in the glory of all he and our mother had prayed for and taught us to live by.]

So, why have I put these two together? Let us first look at the period in which each lived. Vincent de Paul (French) lived between 1581 and 1660 while Frédéric (Milan, Italy) lived about two centuries later: 1813-1853. Tomorrow, we remember St Vincent de Paul (27 September) while we remembered Blessed Frédéric on 9 September. Frédéric studied at the University of Paris and turned out to be a brilliant student. In 1833 he founded the Society of St Vincent de Paul for the relief of the poor in 1833.

Some quotes from Blessed Frédéric:

“Society today seems to me to be not unlike the wayfarer described in the parable of the Good Samaritan. For, while journeying along the road mapped out for it by Christ, it has been set upon by thieves of evil human thought. Bad men have despoiled the wayfarer of all his goods, of the treasures of faith and love… The priests and the Levites have passed him by. But this time, being real priests and true Levites, they have approached the suffering, wretched creature and attempted to cure him. But in his delirium, he has not recognized them and has driven them away. Then we weak Samaritans, outsiders as we are, have dared to approach this great sick patient. Perhaps he will be less affrighted by us? Let us try to measure the extent of his wounds in order to pour oil into them. Let us make words of peace and consolation ringing in his ears. Then, when his eyes are opened, we will hand him over to the tender care of those whom God has chosen to be the guardians and doctors of souls.”

“The question which is agitating the world today is a social one. It is a struggle between those who have nothing and those who have too much. It is a violent clash of opulence and poverty which is shaking the ground under our feet. Our duty as Christians is to throw ourselves between these two camps in order to accomplish by love, what justice alone cannot do.”

When Frédéric died in 1853, the society had become operative in 16 countries. Today there are more than 600,000 women and men who, like Frédéric and Vincent, believe that service to the poor and suffering is a necessary part of our Christian calling. He was beatified 22 August 1997 at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris by Pope John Paul II (now, St John Paul II).

Vincent, after working for some time in Paris among imprisoned galley slaves, returned to be the superior of what is now known as the Congregation of the Mission, or the "Vincentians" (in France known as "Lazaristes"). These priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages. Vincent was zealous in conducting retreats for the clergy at a time when there was great laxity, abuse, and ignorance among them. He was a pioneer in clerical training and was instrumental in establishing seminaries, and founder of the Congregation of the Mission. He was renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity. Vincent was canonized in 1737 and is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

Let us pray:
O God, you endowed Blessed Frédéric Ozanam with a love for the poor and the ability to help them; bless all who spend themselves to serve the needs of others.

O God, Saint Vincent laboured for a sound foundation for the clergy; let the spirit of wisdom guide all who minister in the church.
Lord, we pray for all who dedicate their time and resources in the St Vincent de Paul Society, all over the world but, especially in South Africa.
Lord, hear our prayers. Amen.

25/09/2025

Thursday 25 September 2025 [old data pictures – download (35)]

“Listen, to the Voice of Creation”

In the following section, Pope Francis brings us right back to how the Bible describes our ‘Beginnings’

“II. THE WISDOM OF THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS
65. Without repeating the entire theology of creation, we can ask what the great biblical narratives say about the relationship of human beings with the world. In the first creation account in the Book of Genesis, God’s plan includes creating humanity. After the creation of man and woman, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good” (Gen 1:31). The Bible teaches that every man and woman is created out of love and made in God’s image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26). This shows us the immense dignity of each person, ‘who is not just something, but someone. He/she is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself/herself and entering into communion with other persons’. Saint John Paul II stated that the special love of the Creator for each human being ‘confers upon him/her an infinite dignity’. Those who are committed to defending human dignity can find in the Christian faith the deepest reasons for this commitment. How wonderful is the certainty that each human life is not adrift in the midst of hopeless chaos, in a world ruled by pure chance or endlessly recurring cycles! The Creator can say to each one of us: ‘Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you’ (Jer 1:5). We were conceived in the heart of God, and for this reason ‘each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary’ (Benedict XVI-24 April 2015).
66. The creation accounts in the book of Genesis contain, in their own symbolic and narrative language, profound teachings about human existence and its historical reality. They suggest that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbour and with the earth itself. According to the Bible, these three vital relationships have been broken, both outwardly and within us. This rupture is sin. The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation as a whole was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations. This in turn distorted our mandate to ‘have dominion’ over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), to ‘till it and keep it’ (Gen 2:15). As a result, the originally harmonious relationship between human beings and nature became conflictual (cf. Gen 3:17-19). It is significant that the harmony which Saint Francis of Assisi experienced with all creatures was seen as a healing of that rupture. Saint Bonaventure held that, through universal reconciliation with every creature, Saint Francis in some way returned to the state of original innocence. This is a far cry from our situation today, where sin is manifest in all its destructive power in wars, the various forms of violence and abuse, the abandonment of the most vulnerable, and attacks on nature.”

Today or sometime during the week let us read the two Creation stories (one at a time) found in Genesis 1:1- 2:4a and Gen. 2:4b – 25. We read them slowly and thoughtfully. What truths do we find in each narrative? They seem very different because they come from different oral sources. The Second one is older than the first one and was written between 1020 and 922 B.C. [the Yahwist (J) Tradition] while the first was written round 587-539 B.C. [the Priestly (P) Tradition]. The Priests were the final editors and redactors and hence put their account first!

Let us pray:

O Holy God, you continue to bless us with your gifts of creation. We give thanks to you for your kindness to your people and take delight in the gifts we share to bring about the fullness of your life in our world. All praise to you. Most Blessed Trinity, living in us and among us through all generations. Amen.

24/09/2025

Wednesday 24 September 2025 [downloads – if_340x....]

Heritage Day

The following reading is taken from the prophet Haggai 1:1=9 and dates back to 520 BCE. The Temple of the LORD has still not been rebuilt.

“1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD was communicated by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak: 2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘This people says that the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’ ” 3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is this a time for you to live in your panelled houses while this house lies in ruins?”
5 Now the LORD of hosts has this to say:
Reflect on your way of life.
6 You have sown much but harvested little;
you have eaten, but never enough to satisfy you.
You drink, but never enough to cheer you;
you are clothed but never experience warmth.
And the one who earns wages
puts them into a bag with a hole in it.
7 Therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts:
Consider carefully how you have fared.
8 Go up into the hill country,
collect timber, and build the house
so that I may take pleasure in it
and manifest my glory,
says the LORD.
9 You expected much,
but it proved to be little.
When you brought in the harvest,
I blew it away.
And why did I do this?
asks the LORD of hosts.
Because my house lies in ruins,
while each of you is concerned
only about your own house.’”

There are two interpretations that I could take out of this: 1) Are people still honouring God and trusting in his goodness, mercy and plans for us or is ‘money’ the god that is worshipped in our world and in our country? 2) How do we treat the poor and abandoned and why are there such people at all? The rich get richer every day and the poor get poorer: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my children -that you do unto me.

We recall Matthew 25:31-46 – how we shall be judged at the end of time – how we treat others is measured as how we treat God and in fact, ourselves. How can we celebrate diverse cultures in an unequal society?

For Whom the Bell Tolls
John Donne

No man is an island, /Entire of itself. / Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. / If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. / As well as if a promontory were. / As well as if a manor of thine own /Or of thine friend's were. / Each man's death diminishes me, /For I am involved in mankind. /Therefore, send not to know /For whom the bell tolls, /It tolls for thee.

23/09/2025

Tuesday 23 September 2025 [downloads - Tefillin-2 jpg]

The reading for today is a collection of verses taken from Ezra 6, describing the completion of the Temple and the celebration of the Passover.

Very significant to the celebration of Rosh Hashanah is the blowing of the Shofar:
“Blow the trumpet in Zion;
sound the alarm on my holy mountain.
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming.” (Joel 2:1)

“The day of the coming of the LORD” is the ‘day of judgment’ – the LORD will bring about justice for those who are oppressed. It finds an echo in Jesus’ “My hour is not yet come.” (Jn.2:4b) and “It is finished” (Jn 19:30).

This Rosh Hashanah, make
sure one thing is at the very
top of your priority list:
hearing the shofar.
Why?

1. It’s a Mitzvah
Sometimes the most important reason is the simplest one: We do it because G-d asked us to. The G-d who gives you life, food, health, and everything you have. He said “shofar,” so shofar it is. No overthinking. Just do it because He asked, (obedience brings a blessing).
2. It’s Raw and Real
We live in a world of filters, edits, and now AI-generated everything. The shofar is the exact opposite. It is raw, unpolished, and straight from the soul. When you hear it, close your eyes and let that pure sound cut through all the noise.
3. It’s the Sound of the Heart
Crying is not only about sadness. It is how we express what words cannot. Rosh Hashanah is our giant “reset” moment. We tell G-d, “I am ready to change,” and we cry, just like we cry to our loving mother. G-d listens and hugs us back, giving us a clean slate to start anew.
4. It’s a 3,000-Year-Old Tradition
Your great-great-great-grandparents may not have eaten brisket on Rosh Hashanah, but they did hear the shofar. And so did their parents, and their parents before them. Hearing it connects you directly to them and to every Jew who came before.
5. It’s Everywhere
Unless you are spending Rosh Hashanah on the moon, there is probably a shul or Chabad nearby. If you cannot make it to the whole service, the rabbi will happily blow the shofar just for you. It really is that important. And if you have a friend, family member, or neighbour who won’t be able to make it to services, reach out and offer to help arrange to have someone stop by and blow the shofar for them, too.
Wishing you a Shanah Tovah!
Your Friends @ Chabad.org

Which of the above interests or challenges you? Does it remind you of church bells and their effect?

1. The Church Bell’s Toll
This poem captures the deep and resonant sound of church bells, echoing through time and memory.
In the heart of the town, the church bell tolls,
A sound that through the ages rolls.
Deep and resonant, its song so old,
In its chime, stories told.

Each toll, a call to gather and pray,
In its sound, the break of day.
A timeless echo, from spire to soul,
In this bell, the village whole.

From morning light to evening’s swell,
In each hour, the church bell.
A guardian of time, steady and bold,
In its toll, a narrative told.
(Author unknown)

22/09/2025

Week 22-26 September 2025

Monday 22 September 2025 (downloads -325758.pg.jpg)

We are heading towards the end of September the month which began on the 1st as World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Leo XIV calling for continued prayer for the rest of the month. We are aware that this month is devoted to our various Heritages in South Africa with 24th September being a public holiday for further celebrations.

In the Catholic Liturgy, we read various passages from the Book of Ezra on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

The passage for today is taken from chapter 1:

“The Decree of Cyrus. 1 In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, in order that the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue the following proclamation throughout his kingdom and also have it put in writing:
2 ‘King Cyrus of Persia says this: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given to me all the kingdoms of the earth, and in addition he has designated me to build him a house at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 May God be with all those among you who belong to his people. They are to go up to Jerusalem in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. 4 And let everyone who has survived, and who has settled down to reside in that locale, be assisted by the people of that place with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, in addition to the voluntary offerings for the house of God in Jerusalem.’
5 Then the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, as well as the priests and Levites—all those whose spirit has been aroused by God—prepared to go forth and rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. 6 All of their neighbours assisted them with gifts of every kind—silver and gold, goods and livestock, and many valuable gifts, in addition to all of their free-will offerings.”

This took place after the Babylonian Exile 587/6 -539 B.C.E.
Religious and Reformed Jews all over the world will celebrate the Eve of Rosh HaShanah this evening which will last over the next two days. This marks the Jewish New Year – beginning again.
Each day is a new beginning! What do you feel called to begin anew for yourself, your family or the group to which you belong?
The following is God’s Promise given through Jeremiah (chapter 29) to the Israelites in captivity. God’s promises last forever for all God’s people and all of Creation.

“10 For thus says the LORD: When the seventy years that I have granted to Babylon have been completed, I will visit you and fulfil my promise to you and bring you back to this place. 11 For I know full well the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for your misfortune, plans that will offer you a future filled with hope.
12 When you call out to me and come forth and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13 When you search for me, you will find me. When you seek me with all your heart, 14 I will allow you to discover me, says the LORD. I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

Deo Gratias!

Light for my Path

03/10/2025

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