KENYA: Bishop-emeritus Rodrigo Mejía Authors New Book on the Lord’s Prayer
Bishop Rodrigo Mejía Saldarriaga, Emeritus of Ethiopia’s Soddo Vicariate Credit; Capuchin TV
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
During the launch of a new book titled “When We Pray We Say Our Father; a Personal Retreat on the Lord’s Prayer,” the author highlights the richness of the prayer of “Our Father” urging all Christians irrespective of denomination to realize that the prayer is “a powerful program of Christian life.”
Expounding on the significance of the book on Thursday, April 15, during a televised event, the author Bishop Emeritus Rodrigo Mejía Saldarriaga said, “The book will help Christians during their retreat to sit down in an attitude of recollection, intimacy and silence before God and contemplate more deeply on the prayer of Our Father.”
He added, “My prayer is that this book may help some people have a deeper understanding of the richness of the Lord’s Prayer,”
Bishop-emeritus Rodrigo Mejía of Ethiopia’s Soddo Vicariate disclose that he was prompted and motivated to write the book from the inspiration of Pope Francis’ 2013 series of public audiences where His Holiness explained in depth the Prayer of Our Father.
When We Pray We Say Our Father;
a Personal Retreat on the Lord’s Prayer
“I was really impressed by the catechesis of the Pope,” Bishop Mejía a member of the Society of Jesus (AJ) expressed adding that “coincidentally, I was thinking of the possibility of this book.”
The Prelate who has authored several other books including The Church in the Neighbourhood shared that he was inspired further by the Pope’s Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti on fraternity and social friendship published 2020 where His Holiness
“As believers, we are convinced that without an openness to the Father of all, there will be no solid and stable reasons for an appeal to fraternity,” Bishop Mejía echoed Pope’s words expanding that we are all brothers having one Father.
Bishop Mejía who once served as Provincial Superior of the Eastern Province of the Society of Jesus recounts that he was also motivated by the fact that when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he taught them the Lord’s prayer and adds, “I realized this is not just a prayer but a program of life hence I was moved to deepen on the meaning of each word of the prayer.”
Asked by the TV show host Elizabeth Asasha to elaborate on how Christians should value the aspect of “forgiveness” in the Lord’s Prayer, the author who is currently the director of Jesuits tertianship which is the final formal period of Jesuit formation acknowledged that forgiveness is a challenge and requires God’s graces.
“That is the challenge of the prayer. Without the grace of God, forgiving is difficult,” the Prelate said and continued, “As Christians we have to pray not only to be forgiven but to receive the grace of forgiving others. Without forgiveness one cannot be loved and the message of Jesus is essentially about love.”
The book published by the Pauline Publications Africa, has 11 chapters which correspond to the 11 key messages in the Lord’s Prayer.
marriage counsellors
“I was considering each part of the prayer that has a meaning on itself and hence explained the meaning of each in a chapter,” Bishop Mejía narrated.
A couple present during the book launch Tom and Lynette Lichuma who are marriage counsellors appreciated the book saying it has delved into the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and it is an “easy to read book for all Christians.”
“This is a unique book to help deepen our understanding on the Lord’s Prayer,” Mr. Lichuma who has read the book adding that “Many books have been written about our Lord himself and the Lord’s Prayer too but this has gone deeper into explanation.”
According to Mrs. Lichuma, “Bishop Mejia has gone out of his way and made the prayer of Our Father quite understandable to readers. We normally pray mechanically since we know the prayer by heart but when one gets explanation from the book, it gives a deeper reflection.”
