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Bishop Ng’ang’a cautioned the Deacons he was about to ordain Priests against the tendency to feel inadequate as they begin their Priestly ministry, saying, “God does not call the qualified; but He calls and qualifies; He will make you better through the call.”

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop urged them to live their Evangelical Vows, emulating the person of Jesus Christ, who he said was human and divine. He said, “It is not easy to keep to these vows but with God’s grace, it is possible.”

“Be human and remember that you are a human being; God did not come to us as an Angel; He came to us as a human being like us, only that He never sinned,” Bishop Ng’ang’a said, adding, “From your humanity, God wants to use you to bring the divine to people.”

He continued, “A Priest is born from the family among the people; he is anointed and sent back to the people; so he is not perfect but God has called him to serve Him that way.”

The Catholic Church leader urged Deacons Martin Njung’e Kamau, Samuel Muthoka Mutua, and Austine Namusende Muteshi to live a life of prayer, which he said will help them counter their human weaknesses, remaining faithful to the Evangelical Vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty.

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“You have to live a life of prayer; our main mission is prayer and prayer is the foundation of our Priesthood,” he said, and added, “Priesthood is busy but do not miss to pray; do it with community members or alone if you are not with the community members.”

Bishop Ng’ang’a also emphasized the need to prioritize God’s will in order “to experience happiness”.

He said, “For us to experience happiness in this Priesthood call, we need to have constant reflections and do God’s will. We are called to do God’s will and not our own will; we must be ready all the time to do God’s will.”

“The moment we start doing our own will, that is why you will find some people complaining that they are not happy in the ministry,” the 51-year-old Catholic Bishop said, adding, “You will find joy and happiness in your Priesthood if you respect others, especially in the communities where you will be posted to serve.”

In his June 13 homily, he also cautioned families against expecting financial benefits from Priests, saying, “Some family members think that Priests have money and they tend to burden them with so many responsibilities; please don’t stress them.”

“If there are people who are supposed to give Priests peace are their siblings and family members and friends,” Bishop Ng’ang’a said.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.