Good Start to Demanding Week

As much as I love Holy Week, Paschal Triduum, Easter, with the Divine Mercy Novena and Divine Mercy Sunday itself, this blessed period still poses a huge challenge to any pastor who wishes to do everything in his powers to make sure that the celebrations are well prepared and rehearsed, parishioners prepared spiritually throughout the Lent spiritual and corporal exercises, in particular - parochial lenten retreat, meditations of the Stations of the way of the Cross and Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Palm Sunday we celebrated yesterday gave me solid reason to look forward to this year Holy Week and Easter celebrations. Father Godfried (from Makoko Seminary in Musoma) and myself were able to celebrate three Holy Masses each, with very good participation of the faithful. The weather was clement, though bit on a hot side, but no rain. Our vehicles did not break down, we came back in the afternoon to Kiabakari.

Today is Musoma safari day as always. Later this evening we will have a short meeting of chairpersons of districts in Kiabakari to finalize itinerary to visit the sick and elderly tomorrow and prepare them spiritually for Easter. On Holy Saturday they along with poor, sick and elderly who are not Catholics, will be presented with Easter gifts from our parochial community - money, clothes, shoes, food etc - donated by the parish and the faithful.

More news in coming posts. Have a blessed Holy Week!

The Seed

When we communicate with God, we tend to ask Him for prefabricated goods, final products, toys that do not demand much input or effort on our part, but bring us instant pleasure and gratification. Unfortunately, God has only one thing to offer. The seed...

Divine Mercy Sunday In Kiabakari

I'm too tired to write in-depth report of today's celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday in Kiabakari. Hopefully, tomorrow when I go to Musoma and find a couple of hours to sit down and focus, I will post a report. But for now just a few pictures from today's celebrations...

In The Jungle

That's exactly how I felt today when I was celebrating the last (third) Mass in Mwibagi outstation. The faithful from three outstations gathered together for the common celebration of Palm Sunday in Mwibagi and their sheer numbers and fancy palms, some of them genuine masterpieces, decorated artfully, made for a feeling of being 'in the jungle'. Great feeling, great celebration, an hour + confessions before the Mass, long liturgy (over two hours), totally exhausted and dehydrated in extreme heat and humidity in a fully packed church. Exactly like in a real jungle! Check some of the photos we took there...

Schizofrenia

A Sunday with two names and two Gospels. Palm Sunday / Passion Sunday. Same crowd, same mouth. Two contradicting messages. 'Hosanna, Son of David!'...then 'Crucify Him!' A valid lesson of ongoing and thriving spiritual, moral and social opportunistic schizophrenia in our lives as followers of Christ. Shame on us.