TANZANIA: Let us stay close to God, Cardinal Njue tells Catholic Faithful
H.E. John Cardinal Njue, Archbishop of Nairobi-Kenya giving his homily during the Tanzanian 150 Jubilee Celebrations in Bagamoyo. Cardinal Njue representat the Holy Father Pope Francis at the celebrations
The representative of the Holy Father Pope Francis to the just concluded Jubilee Celebrations of 150 years of Catholic Evangelization in Mainland Tanzania His Eminence John Cardinal Njue has urged the Tanzanian Catholic Church to stay close to God so that everything may work well for the good of all people.
During his homily, as he led thousands of the Faithful from Tanzania and beyond, in commemorating the 150 Years since the first missionaries established the first Catholic Mission in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, Cardinal Njue enlisted three ways in which Catholics ought to stay close to God. These include prayer when things are good or bad; meditation on God’s words; and the Sacraments.
Commenting on the work of evangelization, Cardinal Njue said that planting the seed of faith is not as hard as watering and weeding so that the seed may grow and bear fruits.
“When you get inheritance from your parents or guardians, you have the responsibility to take good care of it. We have been given an inheritance by our brothers and sisters the missionaries, and we have the duty to make it grow,” he urged the Church of Tanzania, adding that “As we celebrate the planting of the seed of faith among us, let this jubilee celebration not just be a formality but rather a moment of encounter with oneself in a very special way; a moment to examine ourselves and see how well we are taking care of the inheritance we have been given.”
giving his homily during the Tanzanian 150 Jubilee Celebrations in
Bagamoyo. Cardinal Njue representat the Holy
Father Pope Francis at the celebrations
He urged everyone to play their rightful roles according to who they are in the society. Beginning with the children he said, “Children, you are loved by your parents and you are among us here because you were shown that love. As children, hold on to your childhood in ways that are pleasing to God, let your lives be led by truth.”
To the young people he said, “A moment like this is for you to be reminded that you are not here today as youth by chance but by the plan of God. Therefore, I urge you to take this opportunity to remember what you have been shown and taught in the Catholic Catechism.”
He reminded the young people that they are the strength and hope of families from where they come from; that they need, more than anything, to seek guidance from God in order not to be corrupted by the systems that seeks to take advantage of the vigor and ambitions of the young people.
“I am praying for you our young people. Be very careful because there are many things you are exposed to, including some that are extremely toxic and can easily ruin your future. Learn to discern how to lead a good life; and avoid taking misleading ways. Present yourselves to God in all humility as you seek to know his plan for your life,” Cardinal Njue advised.
To the mothers, he reminded them that they are the image of the love of God and that they should let their families be illuminated by this love.
“Stay in your families as your actions reflect the humanity that God gave you. Note that things will never be smooth all the way: sometimes you will even be beaten by the spouses but stay there knowing that you did not send yourself but rather, it was God’s Plan.”
Finally, the Archbishop of Nairobi asked husbands to remember the fact that they are the heads of their families and therefore should show their leadership in ways that are acceptable to the Lord. He further stressed that each person must be committed to playing their rightful roles in the families and society so that the Love of God may prevail.
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By Pamela Adinda, AMECEA Online News
