The Youth and the Mass
Dear Reader,
On June 16, South Africa marks its national Youth Day, so in this issue we turn our focus on youth. We encounter two remarkable young Catholics whose lives of devout faith may give courage to other young Catholics — and older ones, too. Gladness Mashubuka, interviewed by Daluxolo Moloantoa on page 12, is a youth leader in the archdiocese of Pretoria. Her great joy in the faith is evident.
On page 14, Colleen Constable tells us about Lerato Mphuti, whose faith-filled life was cut short at the age of 16. Colleen suggests that one day, the Johannesburg teenager might join the canonised ranks of sainthood. Maybe so, but even without the stamp of canonisation, we can ask Lerato for her intercession, perhaps at times when we have difficulty praying.
Our Saint of the Month relates to the youth as well: St Marcellin Champagnat was the French founder of the Marist Brothers, and thus a champion for the youth and their education. What strikes me about St Marcellin’s story is that he spent the total of one day at school. He overcame his academic disadvantages, and thus can serve as a role model for those who despair at their lack of opportunities.
In a way, youth also gives us a link to our cover story this month: the Mass. A year before his death at 15 in 2006, Bl Carlo Acutis curated an exhibition of “Eucharistic Miracles of the World”, based on the theme of the website which he had set up at the age of 11. It is good that this exhibition is now available in Southern Africa, thanks to the efforts of two dedicated Catholic women. I was surprised to learn just how many Eucharistic miracles there have been. If your parish wishes to run the exhibition, see page 9 on how to go about it.
For many readers, a beginner’s guide to the Mass might seem superfluous, but for those who do know it all, it is always good to have a refresher (and, perhaps, even acquire new insights), and those who don’t, really do need to know.
We had a shortlist of great photos for the cover; in the event, we chose an image by the talented photographer Sheldon Reddiar of Fr Michael Seheri of Johannesburg’s cathedral, presenting the consecrated host and wine to the congregation. We hope that this picture will inspire in our readers the same awe we feel when we behold it. Moreover, we thought that the image of Fr Seheri provides a poignant echo of our April cover, which showed Jesus (as portrayed in the Durban Passion Play) holding up the chalice — from the Last Supper in Holy Week to the Eucharist at Corpus Christi.
The week before we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi on June 11, we mark the solemnity of the Holy Trinity (which follows Pentecost). In their reflections, Fr Ralph de Hahn and Jan Smits meditate on how we are to live out the love of the triune God. Fr de Hahn puts it well: “Pots and pans of daily use become temple vessels when handled for the love of God.”
The promotion events for The Southern Cross have been ongoing, in Johannesburg and Pretoria especially. There are so many Catholics who had absolutely no idea that there is a great monthly Catholic magazine that can feed their faith! Some wondered why nobody had told them about it before.
We have also heard that many priests don’t stock The Southern Cross in their parish because they fear being stuck with a financial risk of copies going unsold. There is no risk at all! Please contact Eugene at to discuss how your parish can stock The Southern Cross — entirely risk-free!
Thank you for reading The Southern Cross, and please tell your friends about your monthly Catholic magazine.
God bless,
Günther Simmermacher
(Editor)
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