I recently read Archbishop Thabo’s latest book, Faith and Courage: Praying with Mandela. What struck me in the book was learning about Nelson Mandela’s faith and why he never spoke about it publicly. For Mandela, “The relationship between a person and his or her God is a deeply intimate and private matter”. Learning about the life of Mandela, one cannot help but give thanks to God for those men and women who were ready to give their lives as cornerstones of peace.

Rejoice in those saints, unpraised and unknown, who bear someone’s cross, or shoulder their own: they shame our complaining, our comforts, our cares: what patience in caring, what courage is theirs! Rejoice in God’s saints, whose legends and deeds Speak clear words of hope for those in great need Rejoice in God’s saints, today and all days! A world without saints forgets how to praise. in loving, in living, they prove it is true: The way of self-giving, Lord, leads us to you.

May the excitement and joy with which we celebrate Mandela Day remind us that we are celebrating a saint of our time. Mandela was a person who lived a life devoted to God; he was a worthy example of holiness, virtue, kindness and charity; he let God’s love shine through him to the world. For this, we give thanks to God.

REVD RAKGADI KHOBO
CHAPLAIN