REFLECTIONS OF A KENYAN PRIEST

By Fr. Casmir Odundo One of my seminary classmates, now a priest of a certain diocese, recently shared with me about his priestly experience. “ How are you coping with the fact that you are no longer in class, after the over eight years of sitting in a lecture room in the seminary? ” I asked. “ Study is still very essential to me now that I am a priest. Other than the usual Monday off days for priests, I have another day every week that I set aside exclusively for personal study. I call it my study day ,” said the priest.   This should not be surprising because, as we were taught in the seminary, the priest of today’s world is called to be a saint and a scholar. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS: MODEL OF CATHOLIC SCHOLARS St. Thomas Aquinas: Patron of Scholars Today, the 28 th of January, the Church celebrates the Memoria of one of her outstanding scholars. St. Thomas Aquinas: A genius by all standards; a humble Dominican Priest; a philosopher; a theologian; a doctor of the Chu...

Fr. Casmir Odundo Fr. Ithondeka Yesterday, the Catholic Church celebrated the very first Sunday of the Word of God as promoted and proclaimed by Pope Francis in his Motu Proprio “ Aperuit illis”. " This Sunday," according to Pope Francis, "and the subsequent 3 rd Sunday’s of the ordinary time, will be devoted to, the celebration, study and dissemination of the Word of God.”     Of course the word of God has been translated into many languages, (beginning from the Septuagint and the Vulgate) but the greatest of these translations: is the one carried out by Christians’ every day in fulfilling their ordinary duties. That is, translating God’s word into life. Making God’s word alive again! As the Universal Church marked this day, some of the   priests of the diocese of Nakuru also remembered one of its faithful sons: Rev. Fr. Michael K Ithondeka, who was brutally murdered exactly 12 years ago. Fr. Ithondeka went to be with the Lord on the 26 th January 2008 at...

By Fr. Casmir Odundo We always celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Advent; just as we always celebrate the Solemnity of St. Joseph, her spouse, in Lent.   It is something providential because the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the great icons of Advent. While we are in Advent for just around four weeks…the Blessed Virgin Mary was in Advent for nine months. Or we can say for even more years, as she was a Jew and therefore shared together with all the Jews the hope of the coming of the Messiah! Perhaps that is why her solemnity of the Immaculate Conception fits so well during this season. Through her Immaculate Conception the Church celebrates just how God prepared her for her unique mission of being the Mother of God. And Advent is also a season of preparation…and of waiting. As we prayed today in the Preface, because of her Immaculate Conception, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the model for holiness. Also, in three to four d...

  By Rev. Fr. Casmir Odundo, Kibet   “Still bearing fruits when they are old; still full of sap, still green…” (Psalm 92: 14) One of the great milestones for any priest…I know because I am a priest…is the celebration of the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Priestly Ordination.  Well, Nakuru diocese’s first priest Most Rev. Peter Joseph Kairu is exactly one year shy of this momentous event. Today is the 8th Day of November, exactly 49 years ago, Bishop Peter Joseph Kairo, was ordained into the Holy Priesthood in his home parish, St. Mary’s Molo by the then Bishop of Machakos Rt. Rev. Ndingi Mwana’ a’ Nzeki. Nakuru Diocese was erected as a diocese on 11 th January 1968. The diocese remained without a Bishop till on 30 th August 1971 when Bishop Ndingi, previously the Bishop of Machakos was appointed by Pope Paul VI as the Bishop of Nakuru. It was during this period of Sede Vacante that he was ordained a priest. Reflecting on his priestly ordination,...

By Fr. Casmir Odundo The bell to the rectory rang. Fr. Maxwell, the Parochial Vicar (Curate) ran to open the door. It was Mrs. Edna. “ Good morning Father Maxwell, I am looking for Fr. Protus, the Parish Priest. ” She said. “ Good Morning, he is not around, he has left for a one week seminar. Is there anything I can help you with? ” Asked Fr. Maxwell. She kept quiet for a while, then she said she will come back next week. Fast forward to the next week, she was again at the rectory. This time it was Fr. Protus, the Parish Priest who opened the door. “ Mrs. Edna, glad you are here, I was told you were looking for me, last week, what’s up? ” “ Father, I just wanted you to bless my rosary. ” She said pulling out her rosary. “ And you had to wait for a whole week. Why couldn’t you ask Fr. Maxwell to bless it for you? ”   “ Well, ” he is just a Curate, you are the Parish Priest. ” She added. “Mrs. Edna, the “Real Parish Priest” is in the tabernacle, we are only ...

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...