Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA<\/p>\n
As the Catholic Church continues with the Advent season that calls Christians to deepen their relationship with Christ and prepare their hearts to receive the transformative joy of the Savior\u2019s coming, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Bentiu, South Sudan in his pastoral message of the seasonal journey has stressed the need for Christians to anchor their hope in Christ amidst life challenges.<\/p>\n
In his message shared with AMECEA Online<\/em>, Bishop Christian Carlassare of Bentiu Diocese which was erected<\/a> in July 2024, narrated, \u201cHope is born of love. Christian hope does not deceive or disappoint, because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God\u2019s love.\u201d<\/p>\n He underscores that even though South Sudan is witnessing suffering within communities, many people are displaced because of conflicts and floods; there is so much poverty and famine in the land and life is hard, making people hopeless because they don\u2019t see a change, but \u201cSt Augustine clarified that hope is not about passively waiting for change, but committing ourselves to making it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are in Advent time. It is a period of great preparation for the coming of our Lord. We wait for God. But He also waits for us, that we convert from our sins, that we change our divisive way of living, and that we finally join hands to build a more fraternal world in preparation for His kingdom,\u201d Bishop Carlassare narrated.<\/p>\n According to the Bishop who is member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ), \u201cHope is not just a wishful fairy tale, but a confident expectation rooted in the promises of God,\u201d at the same time, \u201cIt is the assurance that no matter the challenges we face, God is faithful.\u201d<\/p>\n Reflecting on St. Paul\u2019s letter to the Romans that hope does not disappoint (Rom 5:5), the Prelate highlighted that \u201cOur ultimate hope lies in the return of Christ when He will make all things right and restore everything that is broken,\u201d and that, “As we place our hope in Him, we can be rest assured that He is with us.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bishop\u2019s Advent message relates to the theme for the 2025 Jubilee<\/a> year on \u201cPilgrims of Hope.\u201d<\/p>\n