KENYA: Archbishop Muhatia Cautions Newly Ordained Priests to Guard Their Vocations
Newly ordained priests. Credit Radio Maria Kisumu
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
A Kenyan Archbishop during ordination held in the Archdiocese of Kisumu on the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul, warned two newly ordained priests to be cautious with their friends and relate with them candidly and honestly.
“Don’t mince words with your friends when it comes to the things of God and his Church,” Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba of Kisumu Archdiocese cautioned the two deacons who were awaiting ordination to priesthood stressing, “Do not make light of God and of his Church when interacting with your friends.”
The Archbishop affirmed that, “the danger of familiarity breeding contempt of God in such cases is real,” and advised the candidates during his homily, “Steer clear of this ever-pressing tragedy! Let the people of God not lose faith in God because of friendship with you.”
According to the Archbishop who has over two decades experience in priesthood since his ordination in 1994, priests need to be vigilant when carrying out their ministry especially with those who get captivated because of their (priests) personality.
“In preaching and teaching the people of God, we convey a lot of truth through our personality and herein lies the danger. There is the danger that people will form a personal attachment with you and think that it is an attachment to God,” discloses the Kenyan Prelate who serves as the Vice Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and Principal Administrator of Kenya Catholic Secretariat.
He underscored further, “As a priest you must never point to yourself. Yes, you should be warm and nice to the people and maintain a reasonable personal interaction with them; you should be a good example by your own life; but it should never stop at that…be careful about the people’s fascination with you or your personality.”
Inasmuch as Archbishop Muhatia was emphasizing on how a priest’s life should contribute to the eternal life of those he minister’s to, he highlighted further to the ordinands that the caution is not only between them and the Christians but even to their fellow priests.
“This also applies to your friends as a priest. In your interaction with them do not be too casual; there is nothing casual about the priesthood. The greatest danger of the friends of a priest is that being so close to the priest could imply being so far from eternal life,” he said.
Basing his reflection on the theme: what good must I do to inherit eternal life, the Archbishop who has served in Kisumu Archdiocese for nearly two years stressed on the aspect of stewardship.
“Dear deacons, the God you are accepting to serve today is presented as a loving and caring God. You are being invited to become shepherds after the heart of this God. You shall always behave as God behaves in relation to his people Israel,” Archbishop Muhatia said during the homily on Thursday, June, 29, at St. Maria Goretti Parish, Nyalenda in Kisumu.
He continued while addressing the two deacons from the Congregation of Mariannhill Missionaries (CMM) and the Institute of Consolata Missionaries (IMC) saying, “Today, with your ordination, the Church on behalf of God is putting in your care the flock of God, the people so dear to him. Be careful how you handle the people of God under your care. These people shall be your priority; these people shall take centre stage and not yourself.”
In his reflection he advises Deacon Peter Otieno Otieno, CMM and Deacon Donald Mwenesa, IMC, that the people they are expected to serve belong to God and they are only stewards.
“Take this to heart and reflect on it attentively because it stands at the heart of your entire ministry as a priest. You are today being consecrated by God with the specific duty of taking care of his people. It is your principal duty to lead the people to God and help them redirect their steps to God,” he said.
