ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
1
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.
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
2
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.
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
3
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
4
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
5
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.
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
6
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
7
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
8
“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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
9
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!
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
10
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
11
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.
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
12
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
13
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
14
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.
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
15
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
16
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
17
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
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
18
The First Station - Jesus is Condemned to Death
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
19
The Second Station - Jesus Carries His Cross
ST. PIUS X COMMUNITY NEWS
20
PARISH ADVERTS
HALL HIRE
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.