KENYA: “Engage Your Heart and Mind, Vanquish the Blunders of Life” Archbishop Anyolo to Education Stakeholders.
His Grace Philip Subira Anyolo delivering his Homily at the Loreto Convent Valley Road School 80th Anniversary, Nairobi, Kenya.
Elizabeth Asasha
Archbishop Philip Subira Anyolo of the Archdiocese of Nairobi has urged key actors in the education sector to build a pious Language of the Heart and aptly engage their hearts and minds to overcome the slipups in all aspects of life.
In his homily during the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which coincided with the 80th anniversary of Loreto Convent Valley Road (LCVR) School, Most Rev. Anyolo centred his message on devoutness of the love of God symbolized by the heart of Jesus while adjuring education stakeholders to engage the two vital organs in loving and serving God “Heart to Heart” at all levels.
“The commemoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus reminds us of God’s unwavering love for humanity, which He manifested by sending His only Son to die for us to atone for our sins.” Said the Archbishop of Kenya’s senior-most Archdiocese at the Friday, June 16 celebration hosted at the Loreto Convent Valley Road School in Nairobi, Kenya.
Citing the teachings of John Cardinal Newman, an English theologian who was canonized as a saint in 2019, Archbishop Anyolo recapped the theme of the pierced Heart of Jesus explicated throughout the Bible, explaining that brainpower and charisma without a gentle heart is naught but a blooper that reduces one to what he termed as “spiritual dwarfness.”
“John Cardinal Newman repeatedly says his own words that knowledge without character is a blunder; he endeavored so much to help the knowledge that is given to the young people to the world in the presence of God to have a character,” he told congregants attending the oak anniversary of the LCVR in Nairobi City.
The prelate referred to the Heart of Jesus Christ as the source of all our knowledge that serves as a reminder for human minds to think and engage well with God’s creation asserting that one cannot be knowledgeable about the things that pertain to the human persons and their wellbeing without the Heart, “you will commit mistakes upon God’s people”
“You can be called an intellectual giant and praised for the wonderful things you’re doing for society, you can have charisma and command a massive following, but without that heart, you are a spiritual dwarf,” He added, “You may be branded anything because of your mind, but without a connection from the heart, you are a blunder because knowledge without the love and virtues of God in character is a mistake.”
He cautioned, “People will label you as having a bad heart, a witch, or a wizard if you don’t interact with others with a good heart. Wewe ni mchawi tu (you are only a witch/wizard) who needs exorcism; the heart must be refined lest all you do goes down in vain.”
The Archbishop further explained the correlation between the mind and heart, pointing out that God created the mind so that we may know Him, love Him, and serve Him through His creation and ultimately share eternity with Him in heaven.
“Celebrating the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a reminder for us to learn how to replace life’s faults with the virtues enshrined in Christ’s teachings for we cannot live those qualities without the heart; you cannot be merciful intellectually only without the heart, it must be connected with the mind.” Observed Most Rev. Anyolo saying that God gave us a heart, unique from other creatures in the universe so that we may love one another following His commandments just as His own heart loves us.
“To love one another as we love God, we need that knowledge about God, that knowledge that the Church is now disseminating to humanity under the auspices of the sisters here so that humanity may serve God in love with one another,” he continued.
Archbishop Anyolo exhorted consecrated men and women to fortify the charism of education, which he notes, is integral to human development, and to make greater use of their God-given gifts to discern and do more to educate the world.
“Education in the sense of self-integral education helps us to overcome that separation, detachment, or distance between the knowledge of the heart and the knowledge of the head; it directs our minds to think mercifully, charitably, and integrally with others instead of thinking in a way that is going to make our hearts and actions violent.” He posited.
He further urged the faithful to make sense of the meaning of the Sacred Heart Mysteries, instill the spirit of love and service to God in their schoolchildren, and strive to be good Christians— people with good hearts, minds, and intentions who can guide others in their pursuit of knowledge of God, His service, and coexisting in harmony.
“If we are to bear fruit, we must be pruned, and pruning means to refine and purify our acts, relationships, understanding of God, and everything that enables us to live as human beings. “Said the Local Ordinary of Nairobi Archdiocese since November 2021.
He went on to appreciate the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary prevalently known as the Loreto Sisters, those at the service of humanity in different places, and parents for remarkably engaging their hearts and minds in imbuing knowledge to children from conception throughout their lives.
“Children start learning while still in their mothers’ wombs; that fetus is already a creature formed and endowed with knowledge, and with a heart, which pops out first to notify the mind that the child is growing.” He avowed reiterating the Catholic faith dogma that life begins at conception.
The solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is observed on a Friday, 19 days after Pentecost, this, the archbishop said, is a remembrance of the Paschal mystery; when Christ’s heart was pierced and out of it gushed forth water and blood; the blood serving as a symbol of the sacraments through which we receive the body of Christ, and the water serving as a symbol of baptism and the purification of our lives.
“This day serves as an aide-mémoire of the fundamental principles that guide our lives. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ was inserted into the context of our Christian faith, not for any other reason than to remind us that we are humans created with hearts and for that reason, we are expected to act justly, practice humility, and to connect with God and His creation,” noted Most Rev. Anyolo.
He amplified the message contained in the Sixth Beatitude (Mathew 5:8), explaining that seeing God face to face is the most wonderful, perfect, and ultimate gift and that it means you have been seeing Him in His creation and you served that creation with gladness.
Archbishop Anyolo reminded all education stakeholders involved in educating young people that the responsibility entrusted to them calls for love, care, and concern, all of which emanate from the heart. “It is on that basis that we can build the family, the church, and the nation; a nation, a church or family without a heart is nothing but a walking body.” He concluded.
The ceremony attracted hundreds of people, including Nairobi Governor Johnson Arthur Sakaja, who contributed 500,000 Kenyan shillings to refurbish the Loreto Convent Valley Road School.
