Reflections by Fr Mathibela Sebothoma

 YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN (Fr Karabo Baloyi) “…Your wickedness is removed, your sin purged (Is 6:7)…It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offences; your sins I remember no more (Is 43:25)…Look, I have taken your guilt from you, and I am clothing you in stately robes” (Zech 3:4). You live in my presence and you will find true joy and peace. The happiness you long for is found in me. I am the source of true joy and happiness. I created you out of love and only I can sustain you in love. I am a well-spring of joy and happiness. Put all your hope in me and you will know ever-lasting peace and joy. Your tears are known to me. Your loneliness and the pain you carry is known by me. I know the depths of your heart. I know what lies deep within you. I know your struggles and unfaithfulness. Your sins are before me and I know them. I forgive you and set you free. I blot out your guilt and purge away your sin. Trust in my loving mercy and forgiveness. Confess your sin and failings bef...

  Ascension of the Lord – 17 May 2026 Readings: Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Matthew 28:16-20 Introduction My dear friend, today we celebrate the great feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Jesus returns to the Father, not because He is abandoning us, but because His mission on earth is now entrusted to us. The Ascension is not about Jesus disappearing into the clouds. It is about Jesus lifting humanity into the heart of God and reminding us that we are called to live with purpose, courage, and hope. Sometimes we feel alone, uncertain, or overwhelmed by life. Yet today Jesus says: “I am with you always, until the end of the age.” Those words are the heartbeat of this feast. Story A little boy once flew a kite so high that it disappeared into the clouds. A man walking past asked, “How do you know the kite is still there if you cannot see it?” The boy smiled and said, “Because I can still feel it pulling!” That is often how faith works. We may not physically see Jesus, but...

 Homily Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter Readings: Acts 16:22–34 and John 16:5–11 Good day to you. May the peace of Christ meet you there. Introduction A man once complained to his friend: “Every time I sing in the shower, my wife says it sounds like a cat fighting with a vacuum cleaner.” His friend replied, “At least she knows it’s singing. My family switches off the electricity when I start.” Sometimes life feels exactly like that. You are trying your best, praying, hoping, surviving — and still everything seems to go wrong. Yet today’s readings remind us that God often works most powerfully in the darkest places: in prisons, in pain, in confusion, and even in tears. The Word In the first reading from Acts of the Apostles , Paul and Silas are unfairly beaten, stripped, and thrown into prison. Their feet are fastened in stocks. Humanly speaking, they had every reason to complain, curse, or lose hope. But what do they do? They pray. They sing hymns to God. Imagin...

  Homily  Monday of the Sixth Week of Easter Readings: Acts 16:11–15 and John 15:26 – 16:4a My dear friend in Christ, Grace and peace to you today. The Word of God is always personal. Jesus speaks to crowds, yes, but He also speaks to hearts — one person at a time. Today, He is speaking to you. Introduction Life has a funny way of surprising us. Sometimes the people we expect to help us disappear, while unexpected people become instruments of grace. In the first reading, Paul arrives in Philippi with no grand cathedral, no large audience, no microphone. He simply meets a group of women gathered in prayer by the river. Among them is Lydia, whose heart the Lord opens. That small encounter changes history because Lydia becomes one of the first Christian converts in Europe. God often begins great things quietly. In the Gospel, Jesus prepares His disciples for difficult times. He warns them that following Him will not always be easy. Yet He promises the Holy Spirit — the A...

  Homily – Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter Introduction Today, it is just you and the Lord. No crowd, no noise—just your heart and His Word. And perhaps that is exactly how God wants to speak to you: personally, gently, directly. The readings today are not abstract; they are very real, very human. They speak about pain, perseverance, and peace. A Life Story A man once said, “I tried to follow God’s will, but Google Maps kept saying: ‘Recalculating… recalculating…’ !” Sometimes that is how life feels. You think you’re on the right path, then suddenly—bam!—something goes wrong. You get “stoned” by life’s problems: rejection, failure, misunderstanding. And you wonder, “Lord, did I take a wrong turn?” The Word In Acts 14:19–28 , Paul is literally stoned and left for dead. Imagine that. He is doing God’s work, preaching the Gospel—and instead of applause, he gets rocks thrown at him. Yet, what does he do? He gets up. He goes back. And he continues encouraging the disciples, s...

  Peace Be With You The doors were locked— not just wood and iron, but hearts barricaded with fear, dreams sealed behind disappointment, breaths heavy with what if and what now . And still— He came. Not knocking, not forcing, just appearing in the middle of their trembling— “Peace be with you.” Peace, not as the world gives, not as empty words tossed into storms, but peace that stands inside the storm and refuses to move. Thomas was not alone. There are many Thomases today— counting coins that never add up, stretching hope thinner than bread, staring at ceilings at night, asking God questions that echo back unanswered. “Unless I see… unless I touch… unless something changes…” There are those who doubt God, and those who doubt themselves even more— the ones who whisper, “I am not enough,” “I have failed,” “I will never be okay.” There are prayers that rise like incense but seem to fall back like ash. Tears that baptise pillows with no visible ...