Archbishop Telesphore G. Mpundu has urged priests to be always available at the service of the faithful. He said this during his homily at the Chrism mass at the Cathedral of the Child Jesus on Thursday 27 March, 2015.
Speaking to the priests, Archbishop Mpundu said, ‘when you were anointed with Chrism on that day of ordination, you were anointed to serve.’ The Archbishop urged the priests to be available for the faithful all time. ‘Come rain come sun shine, we have to available. If we are tired we go for a holiday, But don’t short change programmes for our people. They want to find us in that office,’ the Archbishop said.
Archbishop further said that, ‘the one who is anointed brings gladness rather than tears, joy rather than mourning. In a parish, the Christian faithful are energised, they are strengthened, they are healed, they are nourished, and encouraged to carry on the mission of Christ.’ He encouraged the priests teach the faithful how to pray authentically. He said that the faithful were ready to learn on to pray, like the disciples of Jesus, ‘Lord teach how us to pray. ’ The priests should teach the faith that ‘prayer is not just about feeling good… that singing and quiet moment of reflection are part of school of prayer,’ Archbishop said. The archbishop urged the priests to let the faithful feel part of the Church. ‘Let them own the Church, let them not be at the peripheral of the church but they are the Church; and we priests are their service,’ he said.
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| Archbishop Telesphore G. Mpundu |
The Archbishop also urged the priests to celebrate mass daily day and very often with the people as the Eucharist is central to Christian life. “It is therefore unthinkable that we priests in the pastoral ministry would even contemplate leaving the faithful without mass on any given day”, Archbishop Mpundu said.
He dissuaded priests from soliciting for funds from the faithful. Archbishop said that the parish should not be a commercial centre designed to make revenue collection. He said that the faithful were willing to help the church but we should not beg for the money. Soliciting or begging for money scandalises the faithful, the archbishop said.
Archbishop Mpundu also urged faithful to pray for the priests. “They need our prayers; they need our support’ they need our encouragement, for the good of the priestly community,” he said.
Present at the Chrism mass were Apostolic Nuncio to the Holy See, His Excellency Jurio Murat, Religious brothers and sisters and a sizeable number of the lay faithful. Chris mass is usually celebrated on Holy Thursday to commemorate the institution of the Eucharist by Jesus Christ as the sacrament and of the Holy Priesthood. The Catholic Church believes that these two sacraments are intertwined. For wherever the Eucharist is celebrated a priest is present.
By Fr Winfried Kunda, ZEC Communication Office