From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2013
Today is the 87th World Mission Sunday. The day coincides with Mashujaa Day, also known as Heroes’ Day in Kenya. “mashujaa” is Swahili for “heroes”, is a national day in Kenya, which is observed on October 20 as a public holiday to collectively honour all those who contributed towards the struggle for Kenya’s independence.
The theme of this year’s Message is taken from the Motu proprio, Porta fidei with which Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed the Year of Faith: “called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us.”
It is the first Mission Sunday since Pope Francis took over from Benedict. In his message Pope Francis stresses that it is necessary to proclaim the Gospel of Christ courageously and in every situation.
He wants us to proclaim the message of hope, reconciliation (and) communion, a proclamation of God’s closeness, his mercy, salvation and a proclamation that the power of God’s love is able to overcome the darkness of evil and guide us on the path of goodness.
His message emphasizes the obligation of all Christians to share the faith with others and do so with respect. He also points to the stifling damage done to the church by the failure to evangelize and the sacrifices made by many Christians around the world currently facing oppression or even persecution because of their faith.
Approximately 10 per cent of the 2 billion Christians in the world today suffer persecution. This means that some 200 million Christians suffer harsh repercussions because of their religion. Yet as the pope says in a message we should not impose our faith or religion on anyone.
The good news of Jesus Christ is to be proclaimed through word and deed with respect. This is because the church’s missionary spirit is not about proselytizing, but the testimony of a life that illuminates the path, which brings hope and love.
World Mission Sunday is celebrated on the third Sunday of October every year. It was created by Pope Pius XI in 1926 as the day of prayer and propaganda of missions. The word “mission” originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin missionem (nom. missio), meaning “act of sending” or mittere, meaning “to send”. Traditional Apostles of Jesus Missionaries use the day to commission the newly ordained priests in missions land.
The first reading is taken from Ex 17:8-13. In this reading the Israelites are attacked in their journey from Egypt to Canaan by the Amalek tribe who would have annihilated them were it not for Moses’s intercession with God.
In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel. Moses, therefore, said to Joshua, “Pick out certain men, and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle. I will be standing on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” So Joshua did as Moses told him: he engaged Amalek in battle after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight, but when he let his hands rest, Amalek had the better of the fight. Moses’hands, however, grew tired; so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset. And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Second reading is from 2 Tm 3:14-4:2. Paul continues to exhort and encourage his disciple Timothy to be loyal to the Christian faith. Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.
The Gospel is from Lk 18:1-8. This reading poses a question as to why should whole nations of devout Christians suffer persecutions, a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Yet today, many missionaries risk being persecuted, killed, robbed or rejected- Just last month a Danish missionary was strangled to death in Kisumu County after four armed robbers suspected to be Administration Policemen raided his home.
The Danish, Kristensen Jan, 73, was among six people who in January 2000 met to consult over the construction of the first Jan’s Academy Group of Schools. The gang got into Jan’s compound at around 10 am and did not interfere with the watchman at the gate. As they entered, one of them, suspected to be Administration Police officer waited outside with a get-away car.
The three then proceeded to the old man’s house and ordered the workers to be silent as they wrestled the missionary on the floor.
Towards the end of 2009 the Church in Africa suffered severe attacks against missionaries. On December 6 at night, Fr. Louis Blondel, a member of the Missionaries of Africa was assassinated in his home by three men near Pretoria, South Africa.
Fr. Blondel, a French citizen was 70 years old and has been a missionary in South Africa for 22 years. Before his South African assignment he served for more than fifteen years in Tanzania.
In the South Kivu province, on December 6, 2009 around 2 am, Fr. Daniel Cizimya Nakamaga, 51, a diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of Bukavu was assassinated in his parish home in Kabare.
Unidentified men forced the door and shot him twice in the head after screaming at him in Lingala “ye wana” which means “this is the one”. Two other priests were in the house but were not hurt.
In less than 48 hours, on December 7, 2009 around 7:30 pm, Sister Dénise Kahambu was assassinated at the Monastery in Murhesa by men in military uniform. These were not the only attacks against the Archdiocese of Bukavu in recent months.
On October 2 around 8 pm, at Chiherano parish, a priest and a seminarian were taken hostages after their parish home was looted. They were released after a ransom was given.
On October 5, 2009, the Catholic School run by Marist Brothers was attacked and looted. Because of these events, Archbishop Francois-Xavier Maroy was forced to return home from Rome where he was taking part in the second Synod of African Bishops.
On Oct 12, 2009 in Kabare the Mukongola hospital was attacked and two doctors were seriously injured. The Catholic Church has always been the target because of its social justice role.
This diocese has experienced many losses since the war stated in 1996. The first victim was Archbishop Christophe Munzihirwa, killed by Rwanda troops the same day they captured the city of Bukavu on October 29, 1996.
Followed was the killing of Fr. Georges Kakuja, Fr. Claude Buhendwa and Sisters murdered in Kasika, Fr. Remis Pepe without counting the many lay people they served.
On December 12, 2009 in Kericho, 190 miles from the Kenyan capital Nairobi, Fr. Jeremiah Roche was killed by robbers. Fr. Roche was a Kiltegan Missionary (St. Patrick Missionaries). They broke in his home after cutting the metal grille of his window.
He was stripped naked, tied on a chair and then stabbed in the throat. The assassins took with them a DC player, two cell phones and his blood stained clothes which were later found. Fr. Jeremiah, a native of Ireland from the town of Limerick served as a missionary in Kenya for 41 years.
Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
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Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.
-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ
UN Disarmament
Conference, 2002