MY REFFLECTION ON AFRICAE MUNUS.
Theme: Be Reconciled with God.2Co.5:20b
In Africae Munus Post Synodal Apostolic exhortation of
his holiness Pope Benedict XVI Chapter one the Pope himself and the Synody
members
discussed a very important issue which is an argent
need for Africa,and this is reconciliation.
I look at reconciliation first of all as a divine wish
to all the Children of God.The Biblical Passage which the Synod Fathers used to
Stress on this
theme of reconciliation is 2Corinthians, 5.2ob. This
Chapter says that :So we are ambessaders for Christ, as if God were appealing
through us. We
We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to
God.
Reconciliation once taken seriousily,can be akey which
opens many doors. How? Foristance if one reconciles with God, the life of that
person will
have peace and joy. As the Synod Fathers said,
reconciliation can achieve a lasting peace.
In Africa to day, surely there is aneed for
reconciliation. Foristance Uganda the Country from which icome from there is no
total peace in the Society,
in the Central government, in the kingdom setings,
becouse of lack of reconciliation. In Uganda when one politician is anoid with
the other, the only sol
llutionis to form a new political party. These new
political parties most of the time are not formed to foster development in the
area, but to fight the inca mb
incambent leader or the one in power.
In Uganda there are many Churches, but it has been
clearly observed that the Chuches which are mushrooming many of them are the
results of failing to recon
cile when misunderstanding come.Their foundersonce
they disagreed with their formre Church leadres. All these issues are in place
becouse of lack of reconcilia
tion. In Kenya also many inoocent people continue to
die becouse of lacl of reconciliation in various ethinical groups. The Church
Fathers in chapter one of Africae
Munus no.21 showed the advantages of
reconciliiation.These are, reconciliation overcomes crisis,it restores the
diginity of individuals, opens up the pass to developement,it restores and
brings peace, The teachers of peace are:the Church leaders,politicians, kings
and chiefs as well as parents at home.
CHARITY AS A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH.
NAME: SUNDAY AUGUSTINE. 11143T
In the Encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est[ GOD IS
LOVE] of pope imeritus Benedict xv1,page 26 number 26, we see that love of
neigbour
is grounded in the love of God. If then love is rooted
in God, it is a responsibility for every child of God to Love as God would wish
it. As
far as the Church is concerned,it is her
responsibility to impliment and spread this Love of God to every body and at
every ecclesial community.
The Church surely is a community. And since the church
is a community, must practice Love.Basing on what is going on in the world
today,it
is becoming very difficult to day the church to
practice love becouse of tribalism, selfishness,segregation and corruption. You
find even the me
mbers of the church doing charity but to those who are
dear and near to them. You find surely if charity is done this way has no
meaning at all.
The holy Father to say that charity is aresponsibility
of the church,is awear that this responsibility has had a constitutive
relevance in the church
from the begining. All who believed were together and
had all things in common and they sold possesions and goods distributed them to
all as any
had a need[Acts 2:44-5].
As the church grew, this radical form of material
communion could not infact be preserved. One may ask why? it is becouse people
lost faith and
forgot that it is in giving that we recieve. And since
tribalism has become rampant,and corruption is growing day and day not only
among the poli
ticians but in the church comminity also, it is infact
very had to preserve this good tradition.
Is should not be forgoten that poverty also has taken
a new shape among the faithful. Being poor is not to have, but to have what is
needed for a
dignified life. So the Church does her best to see
that the les fortunate especially the poor ophans, widows, refugees and the
sick are being helped
inspite of the evils which i shared above.
In conclusion there fore,the church at every level is
reminded to do charity not as a show, but as a responsibility. Though the
church members we
have forgotten this
responsibility it is not late. We can start again in practicing charity not to those who are dear to us, but to all the people of God
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