Editorial Frt. Cosmas Clement Mungo
Priests and seminarians of the Catholic diocese of Kondoa Issues a magazine which encompasses/captures the life of both ay Christians religious and Clergy . The Vox Kondoa Magazine volume two 2021. The magazine has, as its theme. “Pastoral Ministry: Holiness leads to happiness “. The theme is captured by the apostolic exultation of his holiness, Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate, which was promulgated on 19 march 2018, and published on 9 April 2018, which is on the call to holiness in today’s world’. The apostolic exultation addresses the universal call to holiness which is so vividly expounded in the dogmatic constitution on the church (Lumen Gentium, chapter five) but with a focus in re- proposing the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time. The theme ‘holiness leads to happiness” combines the qualities of a person which expresses the relationship between the body and the soul; that is, that it captures both the human and spiritual aspects of the daily life. The theme encompasses the foundational truth of our faith which is a person, namely Jesus Christ, the son of God who started, ‘you must therefore be perfect, just as your heavenly father is perfect’ (Mathew 5:48). It is from him that our true happiness stems and as a consequence, can result in solid character, both of body and spirit, which is animated in and above all through the very life of Holy spirit. It is certain that we cannot reach our full purpose as human beings without God. Jesus as the son of God can to reveal us to ourselves, and this revelation reached its climax in the cross and resurrection of Jesus. We are called to become more fully who we are, the people of God. In addition, the call to holiness is at once personal and communal, which pushes us to actively build the kingdom of God.
The year 2021 marks a huge milestone in the formation of priest in -diocesan seminary as we reflect on human formation, without disregarding the other three pillars of formation (spiritual, academic, pastoral). This focus was prompted by the seminarians, priests and the bishop in our diocese. It is necessary for the church to train her sons into ‘persons of integrity, wholeness and dedication, a person equipped with knowledge values and skills so as to be able to assimilate the personal, communal, intellectual, moral aspects of the seminary formation’.The church needs holy, psychologically balanced, spiritual, emotionally mature, healthy and humble priests. The task of the seminary is to form men of sound mind and personality, and who are capable of mature relations. The priest should have zeal for the people of God.
Holiness is inseparable from being human. It consists of being courageous and is inescapable from daily realities facing priests. The priest is fully human and Holy order does not make of him an angel. He still strives towards holiness. ‘Strengthened by so many and such great means of salivation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state, are called by Lord, each in his way, to that perfect holiness by which the Father himself is perfect’ (LG). The church wants Holy priests, who are not angels, but human and live holy lives. The Catholic Diocese of Kondoa is strongly committed to train priests in these concrete realities.
Finally, though it may seem obvious, we should remember that holiness consists in a habitual openness to the transcendent, expressed in prayer and adoration. The saints of the church, though human, seek communion with God. They find an exclusive concern with world to be too narrow and stifling, and amid their own concerns and commitments, they long for God, losing themselves in praise and contemplation of lord. Holiness is not possible without prayer, and prayer needs to be lengthy or involve intense emotions. Rather, it needs to be true and authentic.
Dear readers as you read through our magazines, it is my hope and prayer that you enjoy reading our human stories, which lead us to holiness.
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