1. Baptism
2. CCtV Candid Cameras and truant parents
3. No mid term break for Catechism classes
4. Catechists meeting
5. Fiesta meeting
6. Natural family planning
7. Second collection
8. Trip to Fatima
9. St Francis Fiesta - Mass
10. Please Pray for
11. Mass intervention
11. Lighter side
Just before Christ ascended into heaven, he imparted a final few directives for the Apostles and their successors to carry out. Prominent among these directives was the command to baptize all nations. This universal mission of bringing people into the Church has been carried out since the time of the New Testament, through the sacrament of baptism. The following verses demonstrate the importance of this sacrament and the fact that it was always seen as the normative means of entering into the New Covenant (circumcision was the method of entering into the Old Covenant, and baptism replaced circumcision). For believers, there is always a link in Scripture between faith, repentance, and the sacrament. Infants, however, who are incapable of faith and repentance, are still spiritually cleansed by the power of the sacrament of baptism. God’s saving word of grace is introduced into the soul, cleanses it of all sin, actual and original, and animates it with sanctifying grace, the very life of the Blessed Trinity. The life-giving effects of the sacrament of baptism are reminiscent of these words of the Lord, spoken through the Prophet Isaiah:
Isaiah 55:10-11: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
When the priest or other person who baptizes pours the water (or immerses the one being baptized) and speaks the words of the sacrament: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” the power of God’s saving word in this sacrament accomplishes the purpose it was intended for. (See Mt 28:18-20; John 3:4-5, 22).
Acts 2:37-39 is a powerful scriptural passage to show some non Roman Catholics who argue against the saving effects of the sacrament of baptism. For here St Peter is explicit that “baptism now saves you.”
2. CCTV CANDID CAMERAS AND TRUANT PARENTS:
Our new, kindly donated, CCTV system has been very beneficial so far. But it also shows an alarming number of truant parents arriving after Mass to drop their children for class. The parents are loudly proclaiming by their actions to their children that the central rite of Catholics is not important. As priests we would be remiss to ignore this hypocrisy and we need to tighten up. In January 1997 Fr Tony Thouard in a letter to parishioners wrote that “teachers have an impossible job because the children are never or rarely brought to Mass … Some parents do not send their children to catechism at all, some only occasionally.” Jesus warned: ‘Whoever causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea’. (Mark 9:42)
3. NO MID TERM BREAK FOR CATECHISM CLASSES
4. CATECHIST’S MEETING: Tues 22 Sept at 5:00pm. Please bring your registers or copies.
5. FIESTA MEETING Tues 22 Sept at 7:00pm.
6. NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING: For more info contact Samantha 084 554 5501 and Dr Manuel Barbeira (Gyn/Ob) 072 673 2521.
7. SECOND COLLECTION last weekend in aid of World Communications Day amounted to R1608.50. Thank you.
SECOND COLLECTION next weekend is in aid of the Franciscan Missionary Union.
8. TRIP TO FATIMA IN 2010 by Goretti and Carmo Tours (see notice board).
9. ST FRANCIS FIESTA 4 OCTOBER MASS AT 11.00AM
PLEASE... we need your goodies for the White Elephant, you may bring them to church. Also if anyone would like to have a table, please let Yoke or Fatima know
10. PLEASE PRAY FOR Lourinda de Sousa, Shannah, Leo Brunger, Steffanie, Charles Leydekkers, Sonia Lopes, Veronica Chetty, Peter de Oliveira, Teresa & Katelynn White, Minnie Geertshuis, Lurdes Faria, Gwilliam Bodill, Terrence Hall, Pamela Welch, Susan and Barbara Darling, Eva dos Santos, Agnes Gudjons, Dulce Augusto, Antonio Jardim, Encarnacao Jardim, Terry Picardo, Sheelagh Fritz, Roy Ellis, Eduardo Pinto, Mrs Voorn, Carlos Lourenco, Isak Venter, Cindy James, Alec and Maria Smith, Barry Rugg and all in need of prayer.
11. MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE COMING WEEK
19 - 26 Sept 2009
Sat 19/09 6:00pm Rugg Family Special Intention and
Maria de Jesus Pereira de Paiva RIP
Sun 20/09 9:00am Pro Populo Sun 20/09 6:30pm Maria Lizette Jardim de Sousa RIP and Crisy Kerbal Birthday
Mon 21/09 5:30pm Fergus & Phyllis Stewart RIP and Luis Nunes da Silva R.I.P. St Matthew
Tues22/09 8:30am Souls in Purgatory & Holland Family Intention
Wed 23/09 8:30am Zakkie Jacobs Birthday St Pio
Thurs24/09 8:30am Maria & Manuel Marques RIP & Alice Fragoso RIP & Adelino & Eva Cardoso 49th W/A
Fri 25/09 5:30pm Kevin Zhou Birthday
Sat 26/09 6:00pm Maria & Jorge Mendes RIP
11.READERS ON DUTY THIS WEEKEND:
SATURDAY (19th) 6PM: Tony Raijmakers;
SUNDAY (20th) 9AM: Bozena Kowalski;
SUNDAY (20th) 6:30PM: Duncan Wallace
READERS ON DUTY NEXT WEEKEND:
SATURDAY (26th) 6PM: Sheila Darling;
SUNDAY (27th) 9AM: Paulo Faria;
SUNDAY (27th) 6:30PM: Duncan Wallace
PLEASE LEAVE CHURCH CLEAN FOR THE NEXT MASS! THANKS
