St. Patrick's Hermanus Anglican Church

Good morning.Lets do something good for someone today.

Good morning beloved.
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything.But in any situation,by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Let's keep our people who is affected by this storm in our prayers.We pray and think of our fellow brothers and sisters who is staying in informal settlements.
Those who are dry and safe in their houses be thankful to God but please remember those who are not.Lets be the hands and feet of Jesus where we are needed in this time of adversities.
Make contact with church council members if you know of any needs that arrives because of these storms.
Stay dry and be safe 🙏🙏

Our youth had a games evening tonight.we are encouraging parents to send there children to the youth that is gathering every Friday evening at 18:00(6)

One of our ladies aunty Suzie April celebrated a blessed 94 years on this earth today 🙏🙏🙏.

Our 2 final year confirmation kids and their instructor attended a Confirmation Life Skills Workshop at Mizpah for the weekend.Thankyou to the parents for allowing them to attend

Beautiful youth service today with our fellow brothers and sisters from All Saints Zwelihle joining us

🙏🙏

Today's Gospel(June 12, 2024)
Matthew 5:17-19

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

TODAY’S REFLECTION:
Signs and wonders are necessary for an unbelieving community to come to the light of God. God sent fire from heaven to consume the altar of sacrifice prepared by Elijah for the people of Israel who had departed from the true God to the worship of a false God. Thus, a community of believers should not allow their faith to be determined by signs and wonders but by their steadfast love of God. Jesus said he came to fulfil the law and not to nullify it. Christ fulfilled the law by introducing to us the spirit of the law which is love. The law has been fulfilled by Christ so let us be ready and eager to spread the love of God in the world.

Let Us Pray:
May your mercy be upon us, O Lord, that we may be kept safe through famine and weakness. Let our hearts rejoice in your light and trust in the holiness of thy name that all our actions may be inspired by the might of thy power and the strength of thy Holy will. Amen.

Have a great day ahead and God bless.

Grabouw in the winter

On this Feast Day of St Barnabas, we remember the courage, kindness and commitment with which he witnessed to the good news of Jesus Christ – alongside the newly-converted apostle Paul. Barnabas was called the ‘son of encouragement’ – and so we are grateful for all who have encouraged us in the faith, and pray this day that we would take every opportunity to encourage others.

May his commitment to sharing the good news of Jesus with others, and his mentoring of others, continue to encourage us to boldly share our faith and walk with those around us.

Today's Gospel(June 10, 2024)
Matthew 5:1-12

At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

TODAY’S REFLECTION:
The beatitudes give every follower of Jesus a sure way to attain happiness. As Mahatma Gandhi once observed, until one comes to live the beatitudes, one has not begun to live Christianity! The beatitudes come straight from the heart of Jesus as they as they teach us of the great benefits of loving God and neighbour. Today people want to live a Christianity minus the beatitudes. Pope St John Paul II, during a sermon, warned young people of the need to understand why the message of the beatitudes is very important, saying, “You are aware of another voice within you and all around you, a contradictory voice. It is a voice which says, “Blessed are the proud and violent, those who prosper at any cost, who are unscrupulous, pitiless, devious, who make war not peace, and persecute those who stand in their way”.

Let Us Pray:
Lord make us instruments of your holy land, that through our life of prayer and service, we may become the source of light and guardian to our falling world. Amen.

Have a great day ahead and God bless.

Today's Gospel(June 6, 2024)
Mark 12:28-34

At that time: One of the scribes came up and asked Jesus, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbour as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any question.

Today's Reflection:
The power of the Word of God is so strong that no matter what, it cannot be prevented from achieving its aim. Authorities through the ages have attempted to suppress it, and in certain countries of the world, the Word of God is not permitted. Recall too in our lives when we tend to suppress the Word of God as we listen to it, because of our lifestyles. 90 The truth is that no one can chain God's Word.

Let Us Pray:
I come before thy throne of grace, seeking your divine guidance and direction concerning my life this day. Give me the courage to trust you and to follow the path of faith and righteousness as you take the lead as my shepherd. Lord Jesus my shepherd, as I walk in this journey of life, be my rock and fortress, show me favour and guide me in my entire affairs, even in the midst of storm let your hand hold me firm to yourself preserve me in my going out and my coming in, O Angels and Saints of God grant me your fraternal assistance that I may persevere in following the footsteps of Jesus our Lord and Shepherd both now and forever in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Have a great day ahead and God bless.

Today's Gospel(June 1, 2024)
Mark 11:27-33

At that time: Jesus and the disciples came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you a question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer me.” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From men’?” — they were afraid of the people, for all held that John was a real prophet. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

TODAY’S REFLECTION;
We often make efforts to ensure the building of our physical bodies without the building of our faith in Christ Jesus. Faith building is essential for our salvation in Christ Jesus as its importance goes beyond our physical existence. It would be a risky venture to embark on the work of evangelization for the salvation of souls if one’s faith is not well founded on Christ the solid rock. One cannot give what one does not have. The believer also needs to apply prudence while carrying out the work of evangelization lest he/she loses the light of God if his or her garment is spotted by the world. Jesus showed us the importance of applying prudence in the work of evangelization. Prudence built on faith puts the believer ahead of the unbeliever and prevents the believer from being trapped by the snares.

Let Us Pray:
Lord, I praise you for your salvation and the fellowship of your people. Show me who I can pray for and invite to know you. Amen.

Have a great day ahead and God bless.

Today's Gospel(May 29, 2024)
Mark 10:32-45

At that time: The disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the Twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the chalice that I drink, or to be baptised with the baptism with which I am baptised?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The chalice that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptised, you will be baptised; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the Ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

TODAY’S REFLECTION:
There is always a natural tendency to desire, among other things, to be the first, the leader, to be the head. Jesus is not against such desires. He only explains that to be the first or the head is to be a servant. The acceptable leadership position in Christianity is servant leadership. A leader is a servant, not a lord. A leader serves, does not dominate. A leader cares rather than controls. A leader honours the flock, does not demand respect. A leader leads by example, not by directives. A leader is a symbol of love, not a symbol of power. Anyone desiring to be first or to be in the lead must be willing to serve.

Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, give me the grace to follow you without looking back and may I stay committed to you till the end of my life in Jesus’s Name. Amen.

Have a great day ahead and God bless.

"You got hammered at the bar on Saturday but came to church on Sunday….You can sit with me. You’re right where you need to be.

You’re a drug addict but came to church on Sunday….You can sit with me. You’re right where you need to be.

You’re divorced, and the last church you attended condemned you for it….
You can sit with me. You’re right where you need to be.

You’ve had an abortion and it’s slowly eating away at your heart, but you came to church on Sunday….You can sit with me. You’re right where you need to be.

You’ve been unfaithful to your spouse but came to church on Sunday….You can sit with me. You’re right where you need to be.

Here’s the thing, people don’t come to church on Sunday for you to sit in the pew and quietly judge them because you feel that you’re somehow better than them.

People come to church because in their deepest, darkest, most painful moments, they heard about a man named Jesus who could save their soul and they’d like to know Him."

Mark 2:17
On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Admission of new AWF member.Welcome Nydean Jones 🙏🙏

Today's Gospel(May 23, 2024)
Mark 9:41-50

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. For every one will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

TODAY’S REFLECTION:
Your soul is fragile and so, you should handle it with care. Every occasion of sin must be blocked, fought, and defeated. Avoid every occasion of sin. Avoid any place you go and come back less Christian. Avoid anyone you meet and come away from defiled. Remove any source of sin out of your reach – whatever it is. Discipline your eyes, mouth and appetite, and guard the movement of your feet. Avoid whatever defiles you or whatever defiles or scandalizes another. How often do you allow yourself to be a blessing to someone who bears the mark of Christ? Are there things, places, and people you need to avoid for the sake of Christ? There are two hallmarks of a life lived in God - Charity and Sacrifice, and Jesus unites these two beautifully in today's gospel. There is no act of genuine charity that goes without a reward because God always blesses a generous heart. Jesus calls us to see in everyone around the image of God and to love God even in the very little we can offer to our brothers and sisters. The second hallmark is sacrifice and indeed true love for God must necessarily involve sacrifice for the sake of God's kingdom. Cutting off one's hands meaning doing away with corrupt practices. Chopping off our leg means avoiding places we run to for solutions that do not glorify God, and then plucking off our eye means desisting for lusting desires, the allurements of the flesh and pleasures of the world.

Let us Pray:
Heavenly Father, help me to be quick always to do good when good should be done and may I not procrastinate and leave the things I am supposed to do undone. Amen. And May the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have a great day ahead and God bless.

Today's Gospel(May 21, 2024)
Mark 9:30-37

At that time: Jesus and his disciples went on from the mountain and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the Twelve; and he said to them, “If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

TODAY’S REFLECTION:
One reason God does not answer our prayers is that we pray wrongly, out of jealousy, and selfish ambition (James 4:3). One who indulges in selfish desire is worldly, an enemy of God. Selfish ambition breeds arrogance and jealousy. It causes division bitterness, killings, covetousness, animosity, and unfaithfulness to God. Selfish desire let the apostles into worldly arguments on who among them was the greatest. Jesus showed them, through a little child, that the way of humility is the way to becoming the greatest. Jesus showed them, through a little child, that the way of humility is the way to becoming the greatest. We must resist the devil, selfish ambition and the tendency to exalt ourselves.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, Let your word abide in us and let our footsteps be guided by your light in all we do and all we say in Jesus Christ the Nazarenes name. Amen.

Have a great day ahead and God bless.

Today's Gospel(May 19, 2024)
John 7:37-39
Pentecost Sunday 🕊🔥

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

TODAY'S REFLECTION:
At Pentecost, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and Mary, giving birth to the church that courageously bears witness to the risen Lord, Jesus’ promise of sending an Advocate to guide his disciples is fulfilled.

The Holy Spirit is sent for a purpose… to remind the disciples of the teachings of Jesus and to instruct them further; to invest the apostles with the authority to forgive sins; to build up the faith and unity of the Christian community through various gifts of the spirit.

Today, there is a major renewal of interest in the Holy Spirit and spiritual charisms. Unfortunately, however, many ‘gifts of the spirit’ are restricted to spectacular, extraordinary and momentary phenomena which often become a cause of rivalry, conflict and division. Charisms that build up faith and unity in the Christian community, and lead to greater understanding, forgiveness and service, are true signs of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

PENTECOST DAY:
The purpose of Pentecost is the introduction to God doing something He has never done before, that of filling the faithful with His Holy Spirit. The purpose is that we become witness to His character, presence, power and authority.

"God is love" (1 Jn 4::8, 16) and love is the first gift, containing all others. "God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Rom 5:5). Yet we become aware of the lack of love in our lives. We call ourselves Christians, followers of Christ, yet our lives frequently contradict our claim. In the same chapter of the letter in which St. John tells us, "God is love", he also reminds us, "If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen." (1 Jn 4: 20). We therefore, begin by asking pardon of the Lord for the lack of love in our lives.

Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and other disciples following the Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ ( Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2), and it marks the beginning of the Christian church's mission to the world PENTECOST.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, help me to use my lips to praise you and witness for you and not to gossip and confuse people. May I show people the way to you who is the truth. Amen. And May the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have a wonderful Sunday ahead and God bless!

Donuts en koffie teen R15 na diens beskikbaar

Today's Gospel(May 12, 2024)
Mark 16:15-20
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

Today's Reflection:
The Gospel tells us to spread God’s teachings, for all who believe will be saved. Believers can also be healers and exorcists, for Jesus is the one acting in them. Everything will be alright for people who trust in Him. Problems may come but will pass away. They are considered as challenges of life. How do I be Christ like for others?

Let us pray:
Father of mercy, united with one another, we approach your throne of grace and place our petitions before you. In your goodness, may you hear and answer our prayers. Amen.

Have a wonderful Sunday ahead and God bless!