O little town of Bethlehem

In the last month I did a lot of travelling around the country for all kinds of projects to promote family life. One particular project, called Family Preservation, for which we had to do a number of research projects, took us to Bethlehem and the Sekwele Centre for Social Reflection based at the John Paul II Centre.

(CNS photo/JD Long-Garcia, The Catholic Sun)

There we met with a very mixed group of people from the region to reflect and discuss this perspective of keeping families together, strengthening relationships, avoiding breakdowns and removal of family members for their safety from possible harm.

It was heart-warming to see the commitment of the participants to their different projects and how they showed interest in this vision which is at the heart of the governments White Paper on Families which will most likely shortly become the national policy for family life.

There are many places called Bethlehem all over the world; South Africas version is a smallish town on the main road from Harrismith to Bloemfontein. While we sat in a restaurant one late afternoon, it seemed as if a thousand trucks passed by.

So many thoughts crowd ones mind even in a little place like this.

My team is concerned about strengthening families. The Sekwele team has a project for schools on prevention of gender-based violence, but other Church agencies also have an interest or a potential interest here.

The Human Trafficking Office at the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference is concerned about truckers and what role they play in trafficking. Justice & Peace is also present; there are development projects and evangelisation appeared on the Sekwele programme too.

So one could say the Church is present in this little town of Bethlehem. With Bethlehems Bishop Jan de Groef taking over the reins of the Department for Evangelisation, under which the Family Life Desk falls, it might be possible over the next few years to make this little town and its spiritual connotation a kind of hub.

Ive been here in Bethlehem at the John Paul II Centre on a number of occasions over the past ten years, and there is something about this place that resonates with me, speaks to me, makes me feel at home. Is it the religious connotation or the geological area of the Eastern Free State?

When I had occasion to visit the Holy Land in 2005, Bethlehem and its church of the Nativity were one of my most moving places. I was overcome with a motherly concern for that infant Jesus. Thinking about all this I shared with a priest friend that I have come to the conclusion that I pray as a mother. My form of prayer is as a mother.

That really brings to life for me the Year of Faith theme Family Moments & Faith Moments and the close link between faith and life. All kinds of family experiences can and should be faith moments and vice versa.

As we journey through Lent, the reflections in the little Family Moments and Faith Moments booklet try to develop that link right into the Holy Week reflections on the theme Love one another as I have loved you.

The reflections can be used by individuals but ideally they are for making time to share family and faith moments with those close and dear to us.

We can make many Lenten sacrifices, give up things or take up extra spiritual activities, or pray the MARFAM Stations of the Cross for Families at home in one of a number of different languages.

It is my hope and prayer that this Lenten season is a momentous one for you and your families, growing closer to God and to one another.

To download some of the mini-reflections visit www.marfam.org.za/blog