REFLECTIONS OF A KENYAN PRIEST

A Theological Reflection – Fr. Casmir Odundo Is the Day of Consecrated Life also a Day for Diocesan Priests? Are Diocesan Priests Consecrated? I often say that, to understand many of the difficulties the Church faces today, particularly in the modern context, it is essential to immerse ourselves in the teaching of the Vatican II Council. One significant shift introduced by the Council concerns the way states of life within the Church are understood. Traditionally, drawing on St Thomas Aquinas, religious life had often been described using the category of vita perfecta . The Council Fathers, while not rejecting St Thomas himself, deliberately moved away from defining religious life as a “perfect life”. Their concern was that such language could suggest a hierarchy of holiness that risked diminishing other vocations within the Church. This was especially problematic since, in Lumen Gentium , they articulated the universal call to holiness: “ All the faithful of Christ, of whatever rank o...

“When I was about nine years old, I had a dream that left a profound impression on me for the rest of my life. I dreamed that I was near my home, in a very large playing field where a crowd of children were having fun. Some were laughing, others were playing and a not few were cursing. I was so shocked at their language that I jumped into their midst, swinging wildly and shouting at them to stop. At that moment a Man appeared, nobly attired, with a manly and imposing bearing. He was clad with a white flowing robe, and His face radiated such light that I could not look directly at Him. He called me by name and told me to place myself as leader of those boys, adding these words: “You will have to win these friends of yours not with blows but with gentleness and kindness. So begin right now to show them the beauty of virtue and the ugliness of sin." Confused and afraid, I replied that I was only a boy and unable to talk to these youngsters about religion. All that moment the fightin...