| Newsletter for March 2003 |
ARE YOU READY? My daughter would likely give her stock-answer, “It’s hard to say!” or another might say “for what?” The question “are you ready?” is heard in all kinds of contexts. In family life it very often is, “you’re going to be late for school, again!.” In marriage preparation, ”Are you ready” means, “are you well prepared and willing to live out the vows you are about to exchange?” A TV version of the question for a soft-drink megamillions game show rings in my ears. “ARE YOU READY! Pick your number and await your luck!” We all know that being ready is a lot more than taking a deep breath and choosing a number that might bring luck in a TV game show or the lotto? “Are you ready to live with the consequences of your decision?” whatever it is, needs to be asked too. Behaviour that can lead to future problems, e.g. gambling, illegitimate sex or crime are negative aspects. Career choices, buying a house, a car, a TV set, or making any kind of investment have implications. Being ready involves getting ready, preparing well for what is to follow. Governments are doing that. Families of those hundreds of thousands of soldiers deployed in the event of war have had to make their own preparations. Would dad, mom, son or daughter be asked to sacrifice their life for the cause? Families of the people of Iraq are fearful, even more directly at risk. Families are affected by war and conflict in many other places too, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Colombia, East Timor…. Do we ordinary, family people have the courage and the will to sway those at the heart of the matter? The whole world is implicated, is on the brink of war and Pope John Paul II has asked that Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent, be a day of prayer and fasting for peace. In his message he stressed that all humankind, no matter what their religion and beliefs should realize that we will never be happy if we are pitted against one another. Terrorism and war will never address our deepest needs or secure our future. He challenged Christians to be agents for peace in places where they live and work. We are invited to pray for a conversion of hearts of those in power to seek just and peaceful solutions. Pray the Rosary, dedicate the cause to Mary, Queen of Peace asking for her intercession. But many of us feel indifferent when we are not directly affected. Lent is a time to get ready, to take stock and get our house in order. The place to overcome our indifference and get our house is order, is to start in our own families, even before our small communities and parishes. If we can do this the wider human family can learn what it means to be family, sharing real and intimate life experiences, birth, growth, death, coping with differences and conflicts and yet experiencing a love like no other. That is God’s gift of family life to the world. May your Lenten experience be especially blessed as you hold your own and other, hurting families close in your hearts. Toni Rowland |
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS NEWS IN THE CATHOLIC WORLD? Pope John Paul II recently reminded us how valuable the internet can be as a source for evangelisation. Many Catholic organizations have their own website, to spread their message as we do too. Below is a list of news sources. Even news comes with different perspectives and it is good to get a balanced view. The Pope's Lenten Message can be downloaded from the sites below. www.thetablet.co.uk/www.thetablet.co.uk/ News from the Church in Africa can be obtained through Catholic Information Network Africa. cisa@wananchi.com Sources for local information are local bishops’ conference sites. Specific interest groups such as Family Life movements can be accessed directly or through a good search engine like www.google.com which will help you find any unknown addresses. |
MARFAM NEWS LENT AND YOUR FAMILY. Yes, everyone, even priests, religious, single parents, divorced, widowed and singles does have a family. Catholic spirituality over the years has tended to become more and more church or parish-centred. What are you planning for Lent? Is it daily Mass or doing something extra outside the home? There are also plenty of things that can be done at home too. It may be a little more difficult but that is also what Lent is about, a spirit of sacrifice as well as repentance. Ecumenical opportunities are freely available as certainly in South Africa with a Catholic population of around 10% the majority of Catholic families have a spouse or other members of another denomination. Some Suggestions from MARFAM’s Lenten booklet. Stations of the Cross in the parish and at home, depending on the family maybe even just one at a time. Parish penitential service - simple family penitential service. Parish Paschal meal – family prayer meal. Easter Vigil Renewal of baptismal promises - remembering our baptism, praying for our godparents Veneration of the Cross See our website for a Lenten Calendar and a further list of suggestions. Contact us too for a copy of the Lenten reflection booklet MAN IN THE PICTURE at R10,00 including postage (local) and STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR FAMILIES in English, Zulu and Sotho. WOMEN’S WORLD DAY OF PRAYER – 1st Friday in March. Pray especially for women in their families, that they may be protected and protect , be treasured and treasure others for the sake of the future of the world. HUMAN RIGHTS DAY - 21ST MARCH. Families have rights, Children have rights to a family. See current issue of the magazine MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIVING FUTURE EVENTS FERMASA CONFERENCE. 15 – 16 March. New developments in the field of Natural Family Planning, Family planning - Religious Perspectives, NFP in the public and private sector, youth sexuality education programmes. For more info contact 012 326 8243 or fermasa@sacbc.org.za or visit the website www.aflf -faaf.com Associated with this conference will be a Teenstar Teachers' Training workshop. This is to help teachers in Catholic schools introduce and run the programme in their schools.
MARFAM FAMILY DAY AT BOSCO – SUNDAY 16TH MARCH ending with Stations of the Cross and Mass. FEBRUARY NEWS MORAL REGENERATION. A consultation on the Catholic response, RENEWING OUR SOCIETY was held during the SA Catholic Bishops Conference Plenary session. Bishops and lay representatives met to consider existing initiatives and consider future developments. More news to follow. |
SNIPPETS President Bush may be pro-war but is also pro-life and pro-marriage and pro-family.
The House of Representatives passed the Human Cloning Prohibition Act (H.R. 534) on February 27 28 February 2003 Last month's Today magazine article by Errol Naidoo refered to Planned Parenthood International as being an abortion provider. The organization has acknowledged killing 3 million babies in the United States alone. Planned Parenthood South Africa is not an abortion provider, although it has been the main motivator for the legalisation and implementation of abortion legislation in South Africa. Planned Parenthood South Africa (PPSA) functioned for decades without promoting abortion. After being taken over by current Chairperson Doctor Helen Rees, the organisation began campaigning for legalisation of abortion. (Planned Parenthood is also linked with LOVELIFE the SA Youth Sexuality Education programme)
A posting from ChildrenFIRST (firstwatch@childrenfirst.org.za) The FIRSTwatch weekly Newswire Service is maintained by the Advocacy & Monitoring Desk of ChildrenFIRST, a non-governmental organization registered as a Section 21 (not for gain) company. Children First exists Information from this e-mail service and the www.childrenfirst.org.za website may be freely redistributed as long as this is not for profit, and the source is acknowledged. ChildrenFIRST ************************************************************
A popular myth of relationships is that commitment is a one-time thing that happens when you say "I do," says Sandra Crawford Miller, a psychotherapist with the Blue Ridge Counseling Center in Martinsburg, W.Va. For information about John Van Epp"s "How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk" program, go to: www.nojerks.com
(Final thought: make sure you are not the jerk yourself. Remember it takes two to tango.) TR |