Saint Pius X Monthly Community Marchspxpl.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Microsoft...St. Joseph”...

ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS

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Saint Pius X Monthly

Community Newsletter

Issue 70: March 2016

MISSION

The purpose of the newsletter is to connect the St Pius X

community with one another, to encourage sharing,

understanding and support amongst one another, enabling the

community to work towards becoming a more Christ-centred

community.


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EDITORIAL

Firstly my sincere apologies to “Buddy” he is a male not a she cat. Secondly we

are sad to lose Shelia Lloyd from the Editorial Committee after approximately

five years service to the Newsletter.

Well this month has seen the successful meetings of the various Ecclesia

Groups so hope you are all well prepared for the Easter Season, the Penitential

Service, Mass of the Holy Oils at Lansdowne and our own Easter Services

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not forgetting the Pascal Supper on

Wednesday 23rd

March hope you all enjoyed this lovely occasion.

The Women’s World Day of Prayer was well attended and a most enjoyable

morning.

Next publication will be distributed on the weekend 30th April and 1st

May

2016

Send articles to [email protected] or the letter box outside the Cry

Chapel. Please mark it clearly for the Newsletter.

The deadline for submission is 15th

April 2016. Articles received after our

deadline will be held until the next month’s issue.

SPECIAL REQUESTS

The Editorial team respectfully requests that only 1 copy of the monthly SPX

Newsletter be taken for each family. Remember, we can email it to you on

request, just ask us here: [email protected]

WELCOME NEW PARISHIONERS

We would love to meet you and get to know more about you. Please send us a

line or two telling us more about yourself, where you reside and what mass

times you attend.


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SAINTS OF THE MONTH

Saint Joseph the Worker - Feast day 19 March

The Heavenly Father chose Joseph, a young carpenter of

Nazareth to be the foster father of Jesus and the husband of

the Blessed Virgin Mary. After they were betrothed an

angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that Mary

would bear a Child who would be the Son of God.

After the Mother of God, not one of the children of men was

ever so gifted and adorned with natural and supernatural

virtues as was St Joseph her spouse. In purity of heart, in

chastity of life, in humility, patience, fortitude, gentleness,

the manliness of character, he reveals to us the perfect type

and model of the true Christian.

Because St. Joseph was the representative of the Eternal Father on earth, the

divinely appointed head of the Holy Family, on 8 December 1870, Pope Pius IX,

solemnly proclaimed the foster father of Jesus as Patron of the Universal

Church, and from that time his feast has been celebrated on 19 March as a

feast of high rank. In some places it is observed as a holy day of obligation.

Devotion to St Joseph, fervent in the East from the early ages, has in later times

spread and increased in such a marvelous way that in our day Catholics of all

nations vie with one another in honouring him. Besides the feast of 19 March

there is another feast, that of St Joseph the Worker, Spouse of the Blessed

Virgin Mary i.e. 1 May. Promulgated in 1955, it replaced the old “Solemnity of

St. Joseph” which had been celebrated since 1847 – first as the “Patronage of

St. Joseph “ on the third Sunday after Easter and after 1913 as the “Solemnity

of St Joseph” on the Wednesday before the third Sunday after Easter, Pope

John XXIII inserted the name of St. Joseph in the Roman Canon or Eucharistic

Prayer I.

Source: Picture book of saints and Lives of saints – available in the parish

library


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Blessed Charles the Good – Martyr -Feast day 2 March

In 1086 St Canute, king of Denmark and father of Blessed

Charles the Good, was slain in St. Alban’s Church, Odense.

Charles who was only five years old was taken by his

mother to the court of Robert, Count of Flanders, his

maternal grandfather. When he grew up, he became a

knight and accompanied Robert in a crusade to the Holy

Land where he distinguished himself; on their return,

Charles also fought against the English with his uncle.

On Robert’s death, his son Baldwin succeeded him and designated Charles as

his heir. At the same time he arranged for Charles’ marriage to the daughter of

the Count of Clermont. During Baldwin’s rule, Charles was closely associated

with him, and the people came to have a high regard for his wise and

beneficent ways as well as his personal holiness. At Baldwin’s death, in 1119,

the people made his cousin their ruler.

Charles ruled his people with wisdom, diligence and compassion; he made sure

that times of truce were respected and fought against black marketers who

hoarded food and were waiting to sell it at astronomical prices to the people.

This incurred their undying wrath and one day during 1127 as Charles was

praying in the church of St Donatian they set upon him and killed him.

Source: Illustrated Lives of the Saints

PRAYER

THE WAY TO HAPPINESS

Keep your heart free from hate

Your mind free from worry

Live simply

Expect little

Trust God

Fill your life with love

Forget self – think of others

Do as you would be done by

Thank God for all your blessings

Do all you can for people with no

Thought of personal gain.

By following these guidelines

You will be well on your way to

happiness

From a Methodist Diary


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What is Palm Sunday?

On Palm Sunday Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into

Jerusalem, the week before his death and resurrection. For many Christian

churches, Palm Sunday, is often referred to as "Passion Sunday," and marks the

beginning of Holy Week, which concludes on Easter Sunday.

Christ's Entrance into Jerusalem. SuperStock / Getty Images

Palm Sunday in the Bible - The Triumphal Entry

Jesus travelled to Jerusalem knowing that this journey would end in his

sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Before he entered the

city, he sent two disciples ahead to the village of Bethphage to look for an

unbroken colt:

As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives,

he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and

as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.

Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The

Lord needs it. ' " (Luke 19:29-31,

The men brought the colt to Jesus, and placed their cloaks on its back.


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As Jesus sat on the young donkey he slowly made his humble entrance into

Jerusalem.

The people greeted Jesus enthusiastically, waving palm branches and covering

his path with the palm branches:

The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna

to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna

in the highest heaven!" (Matthew 21:9,

The shouts of "Hosanna" meant "save now," and the palm branches symbolized

goodness and victory. Interestingly, at the end of the Bible, people will wave

palm branches once again to praise and honour Jesus Christ:

On Palm Sunday, the celebration quickly spread throughout the whole city.

People even threw down their cloaks on the path where Jesus rode as an act of

homage and submission. They recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah from

Zechariah 9:9:

The biblical account of Palm Sunday can be found in Matthew 21:1-11; Mark

11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; and John 12:12-19.

Source: About Religion on the internet

FATHER TOM’S MEMORIAL STONE


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PARISH LIBRARY

Journey to the Center by Thomas Keating (a Trappist monk)

Is the perfect companion for the 40 days of Lent. Each day’s reading includes a

portion of Scripture from the liturgical cycle; a reflection selected from the rich

works of the Trappist monk; and a prayer written especially for this volume.

From the stark beginning of Ash Wednesday to the joyous climax of Easter

Sunday, these meditations will feed your faith, renew your hope and bless

abundantly your journey of love.

The Christ of Easter by Calvin Miller

This intricately designed book is a 48 day reader which looks at the crucifixion

and exaltation of Christ. It begins with Shrove Tuesday and ends at Easter.

Each day commences with a short Bible reading, followed by a Reflection and

ending with a prayer.

Approaching Easter – Meditations for Lent by Joyce Huggert

“Lent is a time of preparation, a spiritual spring-cleaning: a challenge to

combat evil in our lives. Lent is also a time to turn back to God”. This is a book

of reflections for the lenten season as we approach Easter.

The Passion and the death of Jesus Christ by Saint Alphonsus De Liguori

Reprinted in 1983 it consists of five parts namely:-

1. Reflections on the Passion.

2. The simple exposition of the passion

3. Considerations

4. Meditations

5. Other exercises of piety

The hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Luisa Piccareta – Little

daughter of the Divine Will


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“The purpose of these Hours of the Passion is, not so much that of recounting

the story of the Passion, because there are many books which treat this pious

subject, and it would not be necessary to make another one; but the purpose is

Reparation, uniting together the different points of the Passion of Our Lord

with the diversity of so many offenses and, together with Jesus, make worthy

Reparation, redoing for Him almost all that which all creatures owe him.”

Contributor: Jennifer Jones

LIBRARY CLUB MEETING

Our library club meeting this month was an inspired choice by Maureen Cooton

on the Gospel of Saint Thomas which Father Christopher Clohessy had

mentioned when he gave us a talk in May 2015. As each member does

research on the topic prior to the meeting the big question was: What is the

Gospel of Saint Thomas and where was does one find it, if it is not in the Bible?

This led to some serious debating!

The Gospel according to Thomas (or the Gospel of Thomas) is an early Christian

non-canonical sayings –gospel that many scholars believe provides insight into

the oral gospel traditions. The complete version was found at Nag Hammadi,

Egypt, in December 1945 among a group of books known as the Nag Hammadi

library. The library consists of 52 writings that include an excerpt from Plato’s

Republic and gospels which state that they were written by Jesus’ disciple

Philip. Scholars speculate that the works were buried in response to a letter

from Bishop Athanasius declaring a strict canon of Christian scripture.

This gospel is composed of 114 sayings attributed to Jesus. Almost half these

sayings resemble those found in the Canonical gospels, while it is speculated

that the other sayings were added from Gnostic tradition.

Saint Thomas the Apostle was born in Galilee Israel Circa in the 1st

century.

When he first heard of Jesus’ resurrection, he questioned it, earning him the

nickname “Doubting Thomas”. He spent the following years travelling and


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spreading the gospel. St John’s gospel is the only canonical one that gives

Thomas the Apostle a dramatic role and spoken part, and Thomas is the only

character therein described as having apistos (unbelief).

The Gospel of Thomas is very different in tone and structure from other New

Testament apocrypha and the four Canonical gospels. Unlike the canonical

gospels, it is not a narrative account of the life of Jesus, instead it consists of

logia (sayings) attributed to Jesus, sometimes stand-alone, sometimes

embedded in short dialogues or parables.

The manuscript of the Coptic text as mentioned above is dated around 340 AD.

The Gospel of Thomas has been translated and annotated worldwide in many

languages. It was first published in a photographic edition in 1956. This was

followed three years later by the first English language translation with Coptic

transcriptions.

We concluded with a prayer of thanksgiving as well as St Francis of Assisi

prayer for peace.

Contributor: Jennifer Jones

SPX PARISH EXPO REMINDER

SPX Parish Expo to take place on April 10 in the parish hall,

after the 8.30 Mass. The Expo will offer all parishioners the chance to see

what's on offer at the church - what groups are available to join for social

interaction, spiritual upliftment, behind-the-scenes running-the-parish work, or

for giving back/helping the greater community, the poor, our fellow

parishioners. It will also be an opportunity for each group in the parish to

'advertise' - to reach out to new members and let the Average Joe know how to

join your group. Some parishioners may not even know your group exists!

The PPC appeals to all groups of the parish to make your stands AWESOME, and

to parishioners - please make every effort to pop in and see what's on offer. So

often we hear people say "I want to be more involved". This is your chance.

More info to follow later, but for now - SAVE THE DATE!


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THE YEAR OF MERCY

Luke 6:36 “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

If we would have the same mercy on others that God had on us, then we could

win many non-believers to Christ, even those who consider us as their

enemies. In the previous verse (Luke 6:35) Jesus was telling us to “love our

enemies, and do good” to them (Luke 6:35). If we really understand just how

merciful God has been to us then I believe we would be more merciful to those

who hate us and persecute us. Why? Because God first loved us when we

were still sinners and Jesus died for us while we were still His enemies (Rom

5:8).

Taken from the article by Jack Wellman.

PLEASE TELL ME. NUMBER 1 OF 2016

A simple question: “Why does God not answer our prayers sometimes?”

The answer is not that simple:

We are all familiar with the response of Jesus as recorded in Matt 7: 8 ff:

“ For everyone who asks receives, he who seeks finds, and to him

who knocks = the door is opened. Which of you, if his son asks

for bread, will give him a stone….”

Our Reflection

for the Year of Mercy


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If those are His Words, why do I not get an answer? The challenge for us is

examine our prayers and ask ourselves: Are we asking for bread or a stone?

Is what we are thinking the best, truly the best for us?

Christ prayed, “If it is Your will, let this chalice pass me by” … yet Jesus was

crucified – but rose to NEW life. We cannot see the future, nor do we know

what is best for us.May be there is an answer in Matthew 6: 9 – 11:

“Our Father in heaven

Hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come

YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

Give us THIS our daily bread.

Or maybe JH Newman has an answer in his lovely poem

Lead kindly light,

Lead thou me on.

I do not ask to see the distant scene,

One step enough for me.”

Prayer is not making up our mind and then persuading God that this is the

best. Prayer is waiting on our loving, merciful God, who has something good for

us.

So God answers all prayers: Sometimes He says “Yes” , sometimes “Not yet”

and other times “NO because I have a better plan“

Further questions/ discussion/feedback to [email protected]

APPEAL FROM CWL

With the approach of winter, yes it is coming, all the CWL branches have been

asked to collect 67 jerseys or warm tops for Mandela Day. We did it last year

and we would like to do it again this year. When you tidy up your cupboards,

please keep us in mind if you have any gently worn ladies’, mens’ or children’s

warm tops. We will be happy to take them off your hands. There will be a

collection taken up a bit later, but if you need to pass your donation on, feel

free to contact me and I will be happy to collect.


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Sandy Roman (President) [email protected] or 021 762 1048 (pm)

Dates to Diarise:

CWL Bingo will take place in our Parish Hall on Saturday 28th

May.

A Spring High Tea is planned for Saturday 3rd

September.

APPEAL FROM ECCLESIA GROUPS

Ecclesia this season was based on “Laudato Si” by Pope Francis and the theme

was looking after our earth and we appeal to every member of the Parish to

take responsibility for the front of their homes ie; the gutters. Plumstead is very

prone to flooding in winter and the state of the local streets is not something to

be proud of. We must start taking responsibility of our neighbourhood to bring

pride back into our area and hopefully pass this message on to our neighbours.

If we do not start at home what hope is there for our country. There have been

so many tragedies recently we must work together and make everyone proud

to be South African and it all starts at home.

Contributor: Maureen Cooton

ONWARD TO PRAGUE

After a good night’s sleep I woke at 6am, just a little nervous because today I

was negotiating my group beyond the borders of Austria. It was Monday 15th

December. Our group had a good breakfast, booked out of the hotel and I

arranged for a taxi to take us to the main train station in Vienna. We arrived at

hauptbahnhof, dressed once again in our blue beanies with the SA flag on it and

our thick winter jackets. The station was huge but well marked in German and

English so we had a good idea of where to go. We met up with a SA family

travelling to Prague. Again it was a joyous reunion of kindred spirits.

The train ride was awesome. We stopped at cities such as BRNO, Breclav and

CeskaTrebova. The countryside was eerie in the winter evening light. We

arrived in Prague at 17.25 in the evening. Our transport was waiting for us. We

were dropped at the Hotel Ibis in the old town. I fell in love with this beautiful


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city. The tram ran past our hotel and to my dancers delight..... the Palladium

Mall was right next door to our hotel. Yes!!!

Our 5 days in Prague were filled with a guided

tour in vintage cars around the city. Our guide,

Richard, was amazing. We saw the old Jewish

cemetery, “a rich street” where all your name

brands could be found e.g. Dior, Ferragamo,

Chanel. We visited Prague castle, the Stahov

monastery, Belvedere palace and Lesser town. We walked

across Charles Bridge (I noticed people touching a shiny

plaque on the bridge, I thought, well I'm here, I'll touch it too.

Much later I was told that if visitors to Prague touch this

plaque, they will find their way back. I hope I do! We saw

lovers locks hanging from the river side fence, saw street

mime artists who were loads of fun. The evenings we went to

Christmas markets where we drank punch, bargained with

the market traders and laughed with the locals.

As we waited for our train to take us to Budapest, Hungary, a SA couple

approached us in tears. They had been stuck on the main station for 2 hours.

Their transport had not arrived to collect them. Our group jumped into action.

Got the stranded lady Michelle and her husband Dave connected to the

stations free wifi, we e-mailed the relevant agent and made sure they were in a

safe, public place waiting to be collected. A few days later Michelle left an

awesome message on the studio facebook page saying that they were collected

45 mins after we sent the e-mail. Their taxi went to the bus station instead. We

were so happy we could help fellow South Africans from Robertson.

We left Prague with wonderful happy memories, we

headed to Budapest where we would be attending

Sunday Mass to give thanks for our blessings.

Contributor: Rhonel Stoltz


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SSHH....IT'S A SECRET!

Sssh....I can't tell you, it's a secret sin.

This week, two words keep popping into my head. SECRET SIN.

Sin is all around us and as much as we try not to sin, we do. God is our Father

and like all parents, He wants us to be perfect. But unfortunately, like our

parents tell us, we can't always get what we want.

Do you have a secret sin?

I do. And no, I'm not telling.

Why do we keep it a secret?

Deep down, we know we shouldn't and most times when we are aware of it we

feel guilt, humiliation and shame in secret. Let's be honest, we also think that

those around us can see our secret sin but they can't unless we tell them.

Should we keep it a secret?

NO. God wants us to turn to Him for help, forgiveness and the skills we need to

to stop. If not God, then someone. In society today, we are told to be more

open and honest with those around us, but how many times when we do this,

do those around us judge us.

Personally, I say stick with talking to God. He knows it anyway and God loves

talking to us behind a closed door, in silence. What parent doesn't like having a

one-on-one with their child, especially when their child is being open and

honest, desperate for help and guidance.

We shouldn't be ashamed of sin because we do sin. We should however keep

trying to stop. Temptation strikes and as much as we try, the devil gets his way

and we can't resist sometimes. Like my blog before, don't let the devil become

a capital letter in your life. Let's God's angels wrap their wings around you to

protect you from the devil's flames of hell.


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The Holy Spirit whispers in our ear to tell us not to. We just need to believe in

our willpower and strength received from the Holy Trinity to not even consider

the thought of sinning in secret. I know it is easier said than done but with God

it is easier done than said.

Sshh...it's a secret NO MORE!

Lord, I am in great trouble,

so I call out to you.

Lord, hear my voice;

listen to my prayer for help.

Lord, if you punished people for all their sins,

no one would be left, Lord.

But you forgive us,

so you are respected.

I wait for the Lord to help me,

and I trust His word.

I wait for the Lord to help me more than night watchmen wait for the dawn,

more than night watchmen wait for the dawn.

People of Israel, put your hope in the Lord because He is loving and able to

save.

He will save Israel from all their sins.

Psalm 130

Contributor: Chantel de Beer


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PARISH QUIZ MARCH QUIZ

1 March was the first month in the Roman calendar. After whom was it named?

2 Is Mendelssohn's Wedding March traditionally played when a bride enters or

exits a church?

3 Which flower is variously known as Easter Lily, Naked Lady, Jersey Lily and in

South Africa as March Lily?

4 From which opera is "March of the Toreadors"?

5 Who was warned "Beware the Ides of March"?

6 What are the names of the 4 March sisters?

7 In which country did The Long March take place in the 1930's?

8 When Alice arrived at the tea party who was there with the Mad Hatter and

the March Hare?

9 The Welsh Marches is a term dating back to the middle ages and still in

common use to describe what?

10 What is significant about 4.30 on 20 March this year?

Contributor: Helene Dollman

Answers on page 18


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QUIZ ANSWERS

Answers: 1 Mars .... Roman God of war 2 Exits

3 Amaryllis 4 Carmen 5 Caesar 6 Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy

(Little Women) 7 China 8 The Dormouse 9 The

Borderlands or boundary between England and Wales

10 Spring/ Autumn Equinox


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The First Station - Jesus is Condemned to Death


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The Second Station - Jesus Carries His Cross


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PARISH ADVERTS

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Want to hire our church hall for an event or special occasion?

Contact Thelma Van Riel: 021 761 7617

FLOWERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS

For all your floral needs - weddings, funerals, birthdays and more.

Contact Sushie: 021 704 2190 or 083 271 6958

[email protected] and www.facebook.com/creationbysush

PHOTOGRAPHY AND MORE

Looking for a photographer for any occasion or event, content and layout?

Other services include: web site designer and developer, project manager and

technical lead in system development?

Contact Theresa: 084 633 3038

[email protected] or [email protected]

HOME IMPROVEMENTS & REPAIRS

Do you need a Handyman? I do repairs of electrical points, lights, plugs, stoves

as well as laminate floor installation and minor household repairs.

Contact Bernard: 082 493 4574

PRINTING OF THIS NEWSLETTER IS KINDLY SPONSORED BY

Andre De Vries: 081 508 5952

*These adverts are a service to our parishioners and our community and are not

necessarily endorsed by the Editorial Committee.

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