REFLECTIONS OF A KENYAN PRIEST

By Rev. Fr. Casmir Odundo “ I have come to bring fire on earth! ” Just this week, it was reported that at least 60 people were killed and 70 others were hospitalized after a fuel tanker explosion in Morogoro, Tanzania. We pray for the eternal repose of the dead, quick recovery to the sick and consolation to their families. The Englishmen say that, fire is a good servant but a bad master! Today’s readings seems somehow upsetting and contradictory. We know Jesus is the Prince of Peace and the source of unity. We know him as a defender of family life. But in today’s Gospel passage, he says that we should not think that he came to bring peace on earth. He did not come to bring peace but rather division. He talks of brining fire on earth and separating family members, “ three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her...

By Fr. Casmir Odundo This Sunday’s gospel passage is on the Good Samaritan; one of the most famous parables of Jesus with many interpretations. Of course, the Gospel is ever new. Every time you read and meditate upon it something new comes out. Of the many interpretations of this passage, the one I like best is that given by the Fathers of the Church particularly St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. John Chrysostom and many others. According to St. Augustine, the “man” who fell at the hands of robbers in this case is “Adam” and by extension all of us. Augustine compares the state of this man to what befell our first parents in the Book of Genesis, resulting in Original Sin. This “man” was travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho. According to St. Augustine, Jerusalem which etymologically means “the City of Peace” represents heaven. On the other hand Jericho represents “human mortality.” Thus it depicts how our first parents fell from Grace to sin. The robbers in this case represen...

By Rev. Fr. Casmir Odundo, Kibet  A couple of weeks ago, a young person shared with me her experience: “ Father, my heart has been broken so many times? ” She said. “ Well, is there any piece of it left? ” I asked. We must begin our reflection on the Sacred Heart of Jesus with our own hearts. I recently asked a medical student, about the anatomy of heart of a human person. Several things still remain from our conversation. First is of course the fact that the heart is a vital organ; necessary for life. Sometimes doctors rely on the heart beat to know if someone is alive or dead. Anatomy of the Heart If your heart stops beating you are dead. The heart of course, as I shall explain, is a symbol of love. So, I interpreted it like, “ if you stop loving, you are dead.” Secondly, the efficiency of the heart. It is a quite a small organ, the size of our fist, but it manages to pump over 5 litres of blood all over the body. I asked the said student about what is normally...

By Fr. Casmir Odundo 1.0 The Notion of Brain Drain The term  brain drain  is believed to have been coined by the  Royal Society  to describe the emigration of “ scientists  and technologists ” to  North America  from  post-war   Europe . However, other scholars link this term to the United Kingdom where it was used to denote the influx of Indian scientist and engineers. It originally referred to technology workers leaving a nation. However, the meaning later broadened into: “ the departure of educated or professional people from one country, economic sector, or field for another, usually for better pay or living conditions ”.  It is therefore the large-scale emigration of a large group of individuals with  technical skills or knowledge . The converse phenomenon is “ brain gain ”, which occurs when there is a large-scale  immigration  of technically qualified persons. Brain drain is common among develop...