News
Advent season
By: Rev. Fr. Peter Kamomoe
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The word “Advent” has been derived from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming,”. It is a period of celebration and anticipation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; a period of preparation to commemorate the dawn of our salvation through the Nativity of our Saviour. The first two Sundays during Advent (through December 16th) usually look forward to Christ’s second coming, and then the last two Sundays (December 17th – 24th) look backward to remember Christ’s first coming. The Catholic liturgical year begins at the beginning of Advent.
What we learn from the Advent Wreath
Evergreen leaves – symbolize life and freshness
Let us remain fresh with the grace of God
The prickly leaves – Remind us of the thorns of Christ-His deep love shown in the pain he suffered
The circle of the Wreath
It shows the infinity of God. No beginning and no end. Alpha and Omega. First and the last of everything we do.
what we learn from the advent candles
1st week of Advent
Prophecy candle or Candle of Hope-Purple colour
Lit on the first Sunday of Advent; Signifies virtues of … Read More
Archdiocese of Nairobi;Central Deanery Family Day
Central Deanery Family Day Celebrations 2017
The Central Deanery Inaugural Family Day was held on Saturday 25 November 2017 here at Holy Family Basilica and was officiated by His Eminence, John Cardinal Njue. Key among the activities that took place was the solemnization of marriages for forty couples from the twelve parishes of the Central Deanery and blessing of couples who were commemorating 50 years or more in Holy Matrimony. The celebration was attended by thousands of jubilant Christians from the Central Deanery. The twelve parishes represented were;
- Holy Family Basilica
- Peter’s Clavers
- Our Lady Queen of Peace-South B
- Francis Xavier-Parklands
- Shrine of Mary Help of Christians-Don Bosco
- Consolata Shrine
- Catherine of Alexandria-South C
- Catherine of Sienna
- Pauls University Chapel
- Holy Trinity Parish-Kileleshwa
- Austin’s Catholic Church
Click the link below to watch and listen to the whole celebration and homily from the main celebrant-His Eminence John Cardinal Njue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhHx7xgENv8&t=91s
Purpose of the Holy Mass
VATICAN CITY, VATICAN – 2015/10/18: Pope Francis celebrates a Holy Mass for the canonization of four new saints in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican. Pope Francis celebrates the canonization of four new saints: Vincenzo Grossi, Mary of the Immaculate Conception and Louis Martin and his wife Zélie Guérin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, the first-ever married couple with children to be canonized in the same ceremony. (Photo by Giuseppe Ciccia/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
To praise and worship God
God is infinite, eternal, and all-powerful and His greatness and goodness ought to fill us with amazement and enthusiasm. We should always praise and worship Him before, during and after the Holy Mass. Praising and worshiping God unites us with Him. Always pay special attention to the Gloria and the Sanctus.
Thanksgiving
God is infinitely good with all the good things we have coming from Him: life, family, sanctifying grace, faith, the sacraments, and the gift of his Mother… And so many other natural and supernatural gifts. It is therefore good to give thanks. Unite yourself to our Lord in the Mass, giving thanks, and you will see how you also become more optimistic as a result, because … Read More
October the month of the Rosary
Adapted from; Messenger of Mary Immaculate magazine-September-October 2017 issue
Oct
ober is traditionally known as the month of the Holy Rosary. This is the month when we beseech our Mother to bring us closer to Jesus through praying the Rosary more. This tradition has no clear origin. However, it is connected to the October 13th of the 1917 when the last of the monthly Marian apparitions took place in Fatima, Portugal. These apparitions for Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta had started in May 13th of the same year. Other sources connect October with the feast of our lady of the Rosary which falls on October 7th.
Initially, the feast was known as of that of our Lady of Victory. This was as a result of a Christian military victory in the battle of Lepanto of 1571. It is until 1573 that Pope Gregory XIII named it as Our Lady of the Rosary. Subsequently, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was celebrated as a feast of the universal Church for the first time in 1716. In the recent times, we have witnessed the feast of Saint John Paul II (October 22) who is a celebrated devotee … Read More
Fostering Christian growth through Psychological well-being
How Psychological wellbeing leads to a happy life
Psychological well-being is the ability of an individual to realize one’s potential and how to cope up with normal stresses of life and work productively and fruitfully and contribute to the community. Simply speaking, Psychological well-being is a person’s subjective assessment of the general presence of pleasure and absence of pain, which is sometimes referred to as happiness.
Spiritual wellness
Spiritual wellness allows you to develop a set of values that help you seek meaning and purpose. Spirituality can be represented in many ways, for example, through relaxation or religion. But being spiritually well means knowing which resources to use to cope with issues that come up in everyday life
Emotional Wellness
Emotional wellness relates to understanding your feelings and coping effectively with stress. It is important to pay attention to self-care, relaxation, stress reduction and the development of inner resources so you can learn and grow from experiences
Environmental Wellness
Environmental wellness inspires us to live a lifestyle that is respectful of our surroundings. This realm encourages us to live in harmony with the Earth by taking action to protect it. Environmental well-being promotes interaction with nature and your personal environment. … Read More
Holy Week 2017
Join us as we gather in REMEMBRANCE of Christ’s Last Supper and our call to serve our brothers and sisters. MOURN as we reflect on Christ’s painful death and crucifixion, and as we CELEBRATE the central act of our faith and of our salvation. COME and worship with us during The Holy Week as we celebrate the central mystery of the church year.
PALM SUNDAY
SUNDAY, APRIL 9
Luke 19:38 – “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
HFMB Christians at a past Palm Sunday event
Mass schedule with some adjustments
07:00 a.m – Swahili Mass
08:15 a.m – English Mass
10:00 a.m – Swahili Mass
11:50 a.m – English Mass
06:00 p.m – English Mass
Palm Sunday is when Christians recall Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But it is also known as the Sunday of the Passion, for the joy of the triumphal entry soon dies away as the heartbreak of Jesus’ suffering and death begins to unfold.
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter; thus marking the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of lent. The … Read More
Ash Wednesday Schedule
1st March 2017 is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Holy Family Minor Basilica will have celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, with the imposition of ashes at
| Ash Wednesday Mass Schedule | |
| 6:00 a.m | Swahili Mass |
| 7:00 a.m | English Mass |
| 8:30 a.m | English Mass |
| 11:00 a.m | English Mass |
| 1:00 p.m | English Mass |
| 3:00 p.m | English Mass |
| 5:00 p.m | English Mass |
| 6:00 p.m | English Mass |
| 7:00 p.m | English Mass |
Please note that there will be no distribution of ashes outside the mass. Do observe the timings to avoid inconveniences.
World Marriage Day
Family life board message for Sunday 12th Feb 2017
Today, 12th February 2017 is world marriage day. World Marriage day is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of February every year to honour husband and wife as the foundation of the family, the basic unit of the society. It salutes the beauty of their faithfulness, sacrifice and joy in daily marriage life.
Nelly & Francis Njuguna presenting host and wine during mass cebrating World Marriage Day
It’s celebration started in Louisiana, New Orleans, USA in 1981 as “we believe in marriage day”. It was later adopted by Worldwide Marriage Encounter’s National leadership. In 1983, the name was changed to World Marriage Day (WMD) and in 1993, St John Paul II, the then Pope, imparted his Apostolic Blessing on word marriage day.
The theme for WMD has been permanently adopted as “Love One Another”. This phrase is the commandment given to us by Jesus in John 15:12. It speaks to us in a simple but challenging way of how our Father wishes us to live daily. Our Lord Jesus Christ defined love as “On one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friend” (John … Read More
