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Treasure your Mission.

Treasure your Mission.

“There is a mission which all of us are called to by virtue of our baptism (King, Priest and prophet). Unfortunately, instead of bringing consolation and directing our brothers and sisters, most of us have outsourced our responsibilities: Our kingly responsibility i.e. to govern our life and our value systems has been delegated to the politicians. Our priestly duty to pray and to intercede for others has been delegated to the witch doctors and wizards. Our prophetic role has been outsourced to the media and the journalists”.

These were the words of Bishop Dr. Alick Banda to the Parishioners of Immaculate Conception Parish in Luanshya. His lordship was at the Parish on the second Sunday of Advent for the Pastoral Visit.

The Bishop gave the Sacrament of Confirmation to 16 Parishioners. These were encouraged to be zealous disciples of Jesus Christ, spreading the gospel through their way of living.

As a Shepherd who cares for his flock, the Bishop compassionately called on  the Parishioners and other Catholics to desist from crossing over to other religions. Stating that such decisions have far reaching consequences and many times nonredeemable situations.

The Bishop celebrated two masses at the Parish and con-celebrating with him was Fr. Mathew Mumba OFM Conv who is the Parish Priest. Fr. Mumba is also the Diocesan Pastoral Director.

Below is the Bishop’s homily.

Second Sunday, Advent, Year B

1. In our second week of Advent we hear the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Console my people, console them” says your God. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, and that she has received from the hand of the Lord double punishment for all her sins.

2. The consoling voice brings the Word of God to His people, and also guidance i.e.: prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert. So, in the wilderness of exile where life is as barren as the desert, the Lord consoles His people and promises to bring them back home. It is in the arid of our sin that God brings us consolation that He wishes to save us from.

3. In the gospel, John the Baptist was the voice crying out in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance. His call for repentance was a voice of consolation that though the past was in sin, the future is salvation. It is the voice that gave the people their hope in God’s Word, and in repentance they turned towards salvation.

4. Advent brings consolation and leads us out of the dungeon of sin. We are therefore called to “conversion of heart”, to play our role in the consoling and directing of our brothers and sisters in the right path. Remember: “The violence of the wicked is a result of the silence of the virtuous”.

5. There is a mission which all of us are called to by virtue of our baptism (King, Priest and prophet). Unfortunately, instead of bringing consolation and directing our brothers and sisters, most of us have outsourced our responsibilities: Our kingly responsibility i.e. to govern our life and our value systems has been delegated to the politicians. Our priestly duty to pray and to intercede for others has been delegated to the witch doctors and wizards. Our prophetic role has been outsourced to the media and the journalists.

6. Despite all odds, we need prophets to challenge the wrong of our society; kings to settle the accounts of the powerful and the weak and priests to intercede and bring peace to our society. These are the ones that can bring consolation and guidance against our twisted ways – to fill in the valleys; to level the mountains and hills; to make plain the uneven lands; and to bring reconciliation to aggressive individuals and groupings.

 

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