Catholic Market Place of Zimbabwe

04/03/2022

The time to fast is right here with us. Lent is the time to fast from sin and grow in grace; that is why Lent is also known as the Season of Grace

📷 Frashishiko Chikosi

08/06/2021

In the continuing quest for development in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, and since life has to continue our writers invite you to reflect with them concerning the subject of virtue, which is important for ordering human life.

17/05/2021

For our reflection today let us stay with the Opening Prayer for today's Mass. It fits in very well with the words of Jesus in today's Gospel concerning the courage we need to have in the face of the trouble that we meet in this world: May the power of the Holy Spirit come to us, we pray, O Lord, that we may keep your will faithfully in mind and express it in a devout way of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

12/09/2020

Floods are sure to come in life. But the important thing is that when they come they should not swallow us or sweep us away from the Lord. Everyday is an occasion to deepen our roots and familiarity with the Lord. If we are in Christ, we will always be victorious, notwithstanding the floods, even if they repeatedly come.

09/09/2020

St Peter Claver is the Patron Saint of the Archdiocese of Harare. So Happy Feast to the relevant faithful in the said archdiocese. Equally Peter Claver is a Jesuit saint, so we wish the Jesuits well especially in their social apostolate, which resembles the saint's work among slaves in the 17th century. He ministered to their spiritual needs even if their humanity was denied and derided by their captors who took them for commodities. The social apostolate strives to enhance the dignity of human beings as well as foster the salvation of the same. This may cause those devoted to the social apostolate to be hated for enlightening or enhancing the lives of the marginalised, who the powerful would not hesitate to manipulate. May the prayers of St Peter Claver invigorate those who are involved in the difficult work of upholding the dignity of the marginalised, which is one of the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus for the next ten years.

01/09/2020

The Lord's teaching makes a deep impression to the attentive listener because it constitutes the meeting of hearts, i.e., our hearts and his. St Augustine wrote, in the Confessions Book One, a point that expresses the eternal truth about our fulfillment in God, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You." The impression that Jesus' teaching makes on our hearts, if we humbly and attentively listen to him, is a configuration of our hearts like unto his. That is the essence of his authority, on the one hand to cast out evil - to free us from it because it enslaves and deprives us of truth, and on the other hand the fulfilment of our hearts, which is only attainable in him since he is our heart's absolute desire, for as St Augustine says yet again, no creature can totally satisfy the human heart. Therefore, let our hearts submit to the healing and non coercive authority of Christ.

25/08/2020

Here is the answer to all those, among them some religious leaders, who have taken turns to demonise the recent pastoral letter of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop's Conference. This is from Jesus himself and so timely. No further explanation is required. Jesus' words here are straightforward and they apply to all aspects of human life where justice, mercy and good faith are lacking.

05/08/2020

The story of this woman who throws the full weight of her faith in Jesus, even in the face of what seems be a cause of immediate discouragement, is a firm reminder for all of us that unwaivering faith obtains for us the most unexpected good results if only we can allow the Lord to act to in his own way and time.

13/07/2020

18/06/2020

The Lord invites us to focus on the Father's will, as expressed in the 'Our Father'. We should work on doing it. Many a time we ask ourselves what God's will is as life's circumstances change and challenges emerge. It all turns out to be aligned to the prayer 'Our Father' in spite of the different ways by which the Father inspires us to execute His will. Too many words distract us from the will of the Father, which must be our Focal Awareness. Deep, fruitful meditation and or contemplation, not babbling, is useful towards embracing the will of the Father.

30/05/2020

That which has been made known to us about Jesus Christ is adequate for our salvation. It should be meditated upon, interpreted properly and lived out accordingly in order to fill the world with the goodness, love and mercy of God. All the baptized are stakeholders in this enterprise. It is not written books that matter in the end, but allowing the glory of salvation to become evident in and through the life of faith. May the Feast of Pentecost which is now at hand be a source of renewal in our commitment to Jesus Christ who abides in us through his Spirit.

24/04/2020

The discourse on the Bread of Life starts with the feeding of the crowds. In this discourse Jesus teaches us that unless we nourish ourselves on Him, not simply on utilities, we will not have life. Yes we need utilities, but we must go beyond that need and hunger for the Bread of Life. Currently, with the ongoing LockDown, naturally, procuring food is important, as well as following guidance for hygiene that is being constantly provided, yet notwithstanding adherence to the Lord's teaching in the midst of the Covid-19 situation. The dying, the sick and health professionals attending to them need our prayers, lest we be lost in focusing only on utilities.