“Give up every privilege, be at service of others”: Catholic Bishop in Guinea-Bissau to Newly Ordained Priests, Deacons

The Catholic Bishop added, “Being a Deacon means being someone who, during his life, in the light of the Word of God, with the help of others, has tried to discover the reason for his life, above all his path that God indicates and with the help of others he ends up discovering his vocation and gives the best of himself and his life so that others can have life and life to the full.”

“Being a Priest, and going through the seminary, you end up discovering that to be a man, in the true sense of God, is to practice charity. And the strongest charity is to say: I was able to be me because God gave me life, he gave me talents, and now what is the best way to say thank you to God,” Bishop Lampra Cà said.

The Local Ordinary of Bissau added, “The best way to say thank you is to give God what he has given us, ourselves.”

In his homily, the Catholic Church leader urged the Deacons-elect and Priests-elect to give themselves to God “in the practice of charity. Everything will disappear, but charity, like a precious stone, will prevail.”

The Catholic Bishop said, “Without God, man cannot be man, and if he is man, it is as if he were non-existent, but that is not the case with you.”

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“The Diaconate and Priestly Ordinations that are about to take place are gifts offered to our Church for the Glory of God and for the sanctification of our brothers and sisters at a favourable time,” Bishop Lampra Cà said.

He urged Deacons-elect and Priests-elect to “be simple, following the example of Jesus, who, despite his divine status, presented himself to the world as a simple man.”

“The Gospel presents the model of Jesus' humanity: although he had the same condition as God, Jesus presented himself among men as a simple man, and even more, he gave up everything to obey God and serve men,” Bishop Lampra Cà said referring to Philippians 2:6ff.

He added, “Jesus served to the end, losing his honour by dying on the cross as if he were a criminal. That's why God resurrected him and placed him at the highest point that can exist, as lord of the universe and history.”