KENYA: Young Catholic Adults Inspired to be Agents of Change and Bearers of Hope
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
At the National Mass for Young Catholic Adults (YCA) from across Kenya on Sunday, October 26, Bishop Henry Juma Odonya urged congregants to become “pilgrims of hope” and agents of transformation in their families, society, and the nation.
In his homily, the message of the Bishop Chairman for the Commission for Youth Apostolate at the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) centered on the fact that the young adults, an age group he described as the “engine of change” and highly productive in society, must recommit themselves to Christ to bear the “fruits that last”; fruits of peace, happiness, and compassion.
The Youth Apostolate Commission is a recently formed commission at KCCB that oversees and guides the youth of the Catholic Church in Kenya, focusing on the integral formation and self-reliance of young people.
The Local Ordinary of Kitale Diocese reassured the young adults that even amid life’s challenges, there is a fire inside them: hope, which “does not disappoint,” and emphasized that true hope is rooted in Jesus Christ, who underwent suffering, died, rose again, and remains alive.
According to the Church leader, the deep thirst that brought the young adults together was the desire to listen to the word of God, be encouraged, and develop a closer relationship with Christ.
Referencing the day’s readings, Bishop Odonya challenged the young people to live a “life in the spirit” rather than the life of the flesh, acknowledging that as human beings, we are weak and often fall into sin. He therefore stressed repentance and going back to Jesus despite failures.
The Bishop used the parable of the fig tree from the Gospel to illustrate God’s mercy and patience. He therefore likened the young adults to this fig tree, noting that God is patient and gives them time to reflect on their weaknesses, go back to Jesus, and “bear fruit.” Addressing the “productive age” group of 26 to 35, Bishop Odonya asserted that these young professionals are expected to bring “good governance” and turn around negative societal issues, whether in their professional lives, sports, or business.
He called upon the YCA members to re-dedicate themselves to Christ and be “instruments of love, peace, and transformation in the society,” and encouraged them to continue living, praying, and empowering each other spiritually to remain instruments of change.
