KENYA: “Being Partners of God Requires Identifying with the Word,” says Kenya’s Nuncio to Paulines Family
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
As the Congregation of Daughters of St. Paul (FSP) launches the Biblical year 2020-2021, the Apostolic Nuncio in Kenya Archbishop Hubertus van Megen has reminded members of the family the need to be familiar with the Word of God in order to be God’s partners.
Speaking as the guest of honor during the online launch Saturday, December 28, the Nuncio emphasized that “We are created in the word; we live in the word; and in identifying with the Word, we become more the word of God itself.”
Archbishop Megen who is also the South Sudan’s Apostolic Nuncio reminded the online participants that “As Christ’s believers, it is important to be open to the word of God which does not cause frustration and trauma but gives true healing, reconciliation and redemption.”
Basing his reflections on Pope Benedict XVI’s Post- Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Verbum Domini published in 2010, on the Word of God in the life and Mission of the Church, the Nuncio highlighted that the word of God reveals itself in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
“Jesus Christ himself is the fulfilment of the Old Testament. The Old Testament helps us to understand the deeper meaning of the New Testament,” the Dutch Prelate disclosed his observation adding, “the two Testaments cannot be separated if we are to understand the Holy Scripture.”
He further noted the need to share the word of God as an openness to our problems and a fulfilment of our aspirations saying, “By reflecting on the Holy Scripture and contemplating it, we have to share that Word with the others. Through sharing, we grow better in God and we get a better idea of who God is.”
The Pauline Family founded by Blessed James Alberione, a priest from Italy in order to respond to various callings by God, is composed of five Religious Congregations, four Institutes of Secular Consecrated Life and a lay Cooperators Association.
According to the coordinator for the Pauline Biblical Year in Kenya Sr. Olga Massango, the aim intent of the Biblical year is “Walking with the Church, we renew ourselves through familiarity, study and prayerful reading of the Sacred Scriptures, in order to live the Word of God so that it reaches everyone, especially those in the peripheries of society.”
Sr. Massango noted that the Pauline Family welcomes the teachings of Pope Francis to promote the “Devotion to Sacred Scripture” among the People of God as the Pontiff expresses in the documents Aperuit Illis, on instituting the Sunday of the Word of God, Scripturae Sacrae Affectus written on the 1600th anniversary of the death of Saint Jerome and other various teachings on the Word of God.
She further disclosed that the third Pauline Biblical Year that will conclude on 26th November 2021, to mark the 50th death anniversary of Blessed Alberione is to help revive the meaning and purpose of the service of the Pauline family on the Word of God and to rekindle that love for the Word.
Speaking to participants during the Saturday online session about the importance of the Word of God in the life of the Christian Community, Fr. William Owire emphasized that Scripture is the font and support of Spiritual Christian life.”
A member of the Society of Divine Word (SVD), Fr. Owire who has specialized in Systematic Theology highlighted various ways of initiating the Christian Community into developing the love for Holy Scriptures saying, “The use of Lectio Divina, that is the prayerful reading of the Bible; reflection; responding to the word; and remaining in the word is a revitalizing method that helps to promote communion with God and increase the knowledge of God’s word since it is used to invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
In his observation practicing Biblical Pastoral activity which is to be done within the pastoral organization planning of the Church is yet another way of initiating the Christian Community into Bible sharing.
He adds, “Digging into the Bible to discover its real meaning through critical interpretation helps in the deeper understanding of the Word.”
Besides, Fr. Owire observed, “there is great need for Bible sharing by reading the text, giving it a quite reflective moment and searching together how the scripture can influence our life as a community is a life giving encounter.”
The two hour session moderated by Sr. Beatrice Njau (FSP) encouraged participants to contribute actively in bringing the Word of God to the ends of the earth and be true witnesses of the Word.
