ZAMBIA: Sec General asks Seminarians to build Discipline in their Formation

Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC) Secretary General, Rev. Fr. Cleophas
Lungu has urged Seminarians in the country to be very disciplined during their formation for them to
reach to their destiny, the priesthood. 

 

The Secretary General said this at Emmaus Spirituality Centre in Lusaka
when he celebrated mass of the vesture of the cassocks.

 

Fr. Lungu told seminarians that Catholics in the country need to see
seminarians who are disciplined. “We want seminarians who are disciplined, seminarians who will not be
swept away with anything that passes before them”.  

 

“The cassock doesn’t just come with a white
gown, a cassock comes with a sash, so every day as you go for your liturgical
celebrations you will be tying yourself, you will be putting on a sash. Let
that be a reminder of you, a reminder to you that as you put on that beautiful
cassock you must tie yourself with discipline” he said. 

 

He said a cassock should just be a
confirmation of that which is in the heart. “The quietness we see in the
cassock must be a radiation of that which is in the heart. If indeed you clothe
your heart, not just your body, you clothe your mind, not just your head, you
clothe yourselves with the Gospel then you will be a walking Gospel.” 

 

The ZEC Secretary General explained that a
cassock on its own is no protection, and that seminarians must be convinced in
their hearts and in minds of their decision to go for priesthood.

 

“Temptations will not fear a
cassock but you yourself already in your mind are disciplined, already in your
heart are disciplined. Even when a child comes to you we are going to trust
that putting on your cassock and a sash you’ll be unmoved, you will remain
focused on the promised land because the journey you are starting today is
destined for the promised land, priesthood”, said the Secretary General . 

 

Fr Lungu said the church has suffered enough
from priests who pretend to be priests but in their hearts there is no
priesthood. 

 

“That’s why when St. Paul says clothe
yourselves is not talking about any combat, is talking about the soft copies of
priesthood. Clothe yourself with compassion, clothe yourself with humility, and
clothe yourself with meekness. Let your vocation come from the heart,
priesthood must start from the heart” the priest explained. 

 

Referring to Pope Francis when talking about vocation
Sunday, he said the Holy Father used the metaphor an ‘exodus’ to show that every
vocation is an experience of an exodus. 

 

He said an exodus experience is that of
coming out of Egypt of the people of Israel. Fr Lungu also gave an example of Jeremiah
who too went through his own exodus experience. 

 

“Gentlemen you have the Promised Land but
first of all you must come out, don’t remain where you are, don’t remain with
the same values, same habits, the same life, you must come out,” he said. 

 

Fr. Lungu advised seminarians to aim higher
like an eagle. “Today you have touched heaven, today you are beginning the
journey of this perpetual encounter with God. Your aim should always be higher,
don’t settle for what is ordinary, don’t settle for what is mediocre, set your
aims higher. -Aim to be a better person than me, aim to be a good seminarian.” 

 

He said a journey of formation is a journey
where you have to knock off certain things. “We want to see a new person, a
transition from an old Adam to a new Adam, from an old man to a new man, from a
seminarian to a priest. We want transformation to be seen in you,” he added.

 

Cassock day is a very important stage for
seminarians as they embark on the journey to the priesthood. 37
seminarians received cassocks this year.