Bishop James Maria Wainaina Kung’u of the catholic diocese of Murang’a, Kenya has called on missionaries to live a life according to their calling and not behave like the pharisees and the scribes in the Bible.
By Fr Daniel Onyango Mkado *
Bishop Wainaina was speaking on February 28, during the inaugural Mass of the 13th regional conference of the Consolata missionaries in Kenya that is underway at Bethany House, Sagana, some 100Kms north of Nairobi.
“As you sit down in the next few days to reflect on your mission to the people of God, let Him guide your thoughts” said Bishop Wainaina as he began his homily.
Bishop Wainaina expressed his wish that the delegates may focus during the conference which he termed as, a spiritual pastoral gathering.
“As missionaries we should think of ourselves as siting on the chair of Moses and the Church has given us that chair, the challenge is that what we teach is not what we live” said the bishop quoting the gospel of the day from Matthew 23, 1-12.
In reference to the mention of Moses in the Gospel of the day, the bishop said that Moses was very well prepared for his mission.
“As religious, missionaries, you take many years of formation before you are ordained priests or take your final vows” he reminded the missionaries adding that this preparation makes “you truly people who are ready for the mission that God has called you to”.
“This is the reason why this conference is important, it is important because it calls you to go back to being true Mosesses rather than being scribes and pharisees of our day” said bishop Wainana, the third bishop of Murang’a.
In his homily, the bishop challenged the delegates to be true Mosesses of our days and by so doing shepherd the people of God, feed them, lead them and protect them because that’s the work of a shepherd.
In the Bible, the pharisees and the scribes are known to centre their lives on themselves. “Where is your life centered. Is it centered on God? Is it centered on the right values and beliefs? Inquired the bishop.
This is always our challenge. Where do I center my life, my mission.
The bishop reminded the delegates that if one is not careful, “you can end up centering your mission on yourself” he remarked.
“Centering our lives on God is a must for all Christians but it is required more of us as shepherds,” said the bishop adding that “we really need to center our lives on Christ and that dichotomy between what we do and want we say, must be bridged so that what we say is what we are doing” he said.
“Don’t tell your Christians that they must not eat meat on Friday and you eat”, he joked.
The week-long conference that started on Monday February, 26 and ends on Friday March 1st has attracted 44 Consolata missionary delegates from Kenya and Uganda.
In attendance, is Fr James Bhola Lengarin, the General Superior, Fr Michelangelo Piovano, the Vice General Superior and Fr Erasto Mgalama, the Continental Councilor for Africa.
* Fr Daniel Onyango Mkado, IMC, communication Kenyan Region.
