CLC
COMMUNIQUÉ
2010/9 December
The Communication of the South African Region
Western Cape – Eastern Cape – Gauteng
Dear National Community
Christmas Wishes from the National Co-ordinator:
It is really hard for me to accept that it
is Christmas 2010. It seems like the other day that we were gearing up for 2010
and Soccer World Cup! However it is so and Christmas and the New Year is upon
us. Even in my small circle of family, friends, CLC friends and parish
community I am struck by the fact that people face the celebration of Christmas
with very different emotions.
For some it is a time of intense excitement, joy and anticipation, while for others it is a time of dread and fear! Some look forward to the family reunions and others dread them as old wounds and conflicts will emerge, some look forward to buying and giving gifts to express their love and others dread the disappointed faces of family as the budget does not stretch to gifts of any material value. While some look forward to the home coming of family to celebrate the feast others fear the loneliness of the absence of a loved one lost in death, divorce or drugs.
So my Christmas wish for you is that wherever you are in your life circumstances you will experience God/Jesus with you. I came into CLC many years ago on the slogan “Finding God in daily life”. Now I see it as allowing God to find me in my daily life and in our reflections recently on the historical birth of Jesus in Bethlehem I was struck by the mystery of the Incarnation, the birth of the Son of God into the most imperfect conditions.
The Incarnation is a key element in Ignatian Theology and therefore to CLC spirituality so the key is this, God comes into our human lives, in their imperfections and messiness. What is more imperfect than a stable/outhouse/shelter cave?
My wish is that Emmanuel, God is with us,
will be with you in your joy, happiness, loneliness or sadness this Christmas
time. May our God of Love bless you with the deep peace and joy that comes from
knowing that you are the Beloved child of God in a special way during this
season and into the New year.
Love and prayers to all CLC members and friends
Kaye Henrick
Commitments in Gauteng
And a wonderful party was had by all!
Anne, Sabie and
Mandy celebrated their commitments on the Feast of St Francis Xavier with Fr
Graham and Fr Anthony presiding at the mass. Kaye gave the acceptance at the
end of Mass and then it was hugs all round. We felt it was a fitting day for
commitment to CLC – remembering the Saint from Spain who journeyed to the
seeming ends of the earth to spread the Word of God and save souls. Imagine, if
you will, walking from here to Timbuctoo in our day and age! What was it like
for Francis Xavier in the early Sixteenth Century? Imagine the sort of person
who would do such a thing! We pray for the desire to desire to do great things
for God and ask Him to bless us into 2011 and the China we have before
us.
And Raymond Perrier, Director of the Jesuit Institute says:
We have now taken possession of the booklets from the Big Silence BBC programme and they look excellent. If you buy them on line they cost R110 with p&p but we are selling them for R60 (incl. local p&p).
I assume that many people in CLC will want them. Please contact Tracy to order some. It would be easier if you could order them in groups and not in 1s and 2s. Please also advertise around CLC circles.
In the Lord
Raymond Perrier Tel: 011 403 3790
Streetpeople’s Christmas Lunch at Trinity
Every year at
Holy Trinity in Braamfontein the Parish gives a wonderful slap up lunch for the
homeless people in and around Braamfontein. But the people come from far and
wide as the lunch is known by all the StreetPeople who congregate early to
ensure a place at the tables. Inside the Hall the tables are set for 80 people
and there are two sittings at 12h00 and at 13h30. So only 160 people can be
accommodated inside. There is a great overflow and those who do not make it
into the Hall are given as good a lunch outside in the parking. However those
inside have a full sit down meal with crackers and hats and the like. This year
Fr Russell Pollitt SJ asked CLC if we could do tables for the meal. This
entails getting a group together to prepare the meal – with starters, main meal
and dessert as well as gifts for the people. The generosity of the Parish is
such that CLC only did one table. So many people help that the offers to do a
table are taken up very quickly.
In the photos you see Iris Howes and her
daughter-in-law Joyce Faltermeier and Anne Dormehl. The Lunch was on December 4th
so Kaye was here to help as well. Fr Russell said grace after Mama Yvonne
Moloelang, the housekeeper at Trinity who has the greatest involvement with the
StreetPeople through the year, had directed the people in singing a hymn. Then
there are the contented who are enjoying the meal at the CLC table as well as
the other tables in the photo which shows only half of the Hall. See for
yourselves some of the joy and fun of giving to these people who have so
little.
With every good wish and many blessings from the Exco Team,
Kaye
Jane
Veronica
Graham
and
Mandy