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| Fr. Charles Chilinda |
Religious women in Eastern and Central Africa (ACWECA) region have been challenged to put God first in their plans.
Speaking when he celebrated Mass at the 16th ACWECA General Assembly, Fr. Charles Chilinda urged the sisters to carry out Christ’s mission in society today.
Fr. Chilinda challenged the sisters to have the vision of God in all discussions. “You’ve been discussing here the issues of planning, money, management and many others, how much of God and the vision of God were in your discussions; very little I suppose,” he posed.
Quoting Pope Francis Message to Korean Bishops during his recent visit to that country, Fr Chilinda said that the message perfectly suits the plenary gathering of the sisters.
The Holy Father had said to the Korean bishops that “…the prophetic witness to the Gospel presents particular challenges to the Church in Korea. The Church carries out her life in ministry amid a prosperous yet, increasingly secularized and materialistic society. In such circumstances it is tempting for pastoral ministers to adopt not only effective models of management planning and organization drawn from the business world but also a lifestyle and mentality guided more by worldly criteria of success and indeed power, than by the criteria which Jesus sets out in the Gospel. Woe to us if the cross is empty of its power to judge the wisdom of this world. I beg you and your brother priests to reject this temptation in all its forms…”
Fr. Chilinda told the sisters to always bear in mind that they are earthenware vessels and servants not of their individual congregations, ministries or charism but of Christ’s Mission.
“It is not about the congregation’s constitution or what your charism is; what is important is Christ’s Mission,” he said adding that all religious Charisms are nothing without Christ’s Mission because the charisms only get their own character by being in Union with Christ’s Mission.
Fr. Chilinda called upon the sisters not to look for profit but to serve God‘s people freely. He advised the sisters not to grumble and compare themselves with others.
He also urged the Superior Generals to be good shepherds to the members of their congregations.
“We joined sisterhood so that we could serve God’s people. But somewhere it changes, we become more important than to serve God’s people”, he said. “We are called to participate in doing God’s will.
Source: Sr. Helen Kasaka