By Stella Zulu-ECM
Catholics from world over last Sunday celebrated Vocations Sunday, a day set aside to pray for different vocations in the church and encourage young people to take up the path of Christian discipleship by joining different vocations that exist within the church.
Malawi Catholic faithful from all the Parishes joined the rest of the world in celebrating the day with the national celebration taking place at St. Dennis, Rumphi Parish where His Lordship John Ryan, Bishop of Mzuzu Diocese presided over the Eucharistic celebration.
In his homily, Bishop Ryan challenged Catholic youths to join various vocations in the church and that they (Youths) should desist from bad behaviours that could cost their lives.
He cited excessive beer drinking, stealing and smoking as some of bad behaviours that can lead them into trouble hence cost their lives by either ending up in jail or not being accepted in a society.
“There are various vocations within the Catholic Church that you have to join as one way of cementing your relationship with God. You can choose to become a Priest, Nun or a Religious Brother. A Christian family is also one of the vocations the Church advocates for,” said Bishop Ryan.
He said the future of the Church and the nation at large lies in the hands of the youth and joining such vocations, simply translates that one is able offer services to God, the Church and the nation.
“Youths are alive, they have energy and they are active which is good for the future of the church. This country is full of gifted young people. Harnessing and developing their talents will result into transforming this country, he said.
Adding his voice, the National Director for Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi, Fr. Vincent Mwakhwawa said youths ought to make good decisions in life.
“This day is an important day as the church teaches and encourages the youths to grow in the spirit of service to the society and the world than being wrongly used by technology and other selfish individuals or groups. Sometimes the elders the society and other institutions disregard the youth and have negative attitude towards them.
As such, the youths do not give their best services and other duties at their level to the society. The Catholic church and the Holy Father want the youths to feel part of the church and the society at large, and have to be give space to do apostolic and other social services today,” said Fr. Mwakhwawa.
He added, “We also pray for the youths because as believers we know that we grow and become effective human beings when we have the spirit of God in us. So, we pray for all the youths, even those youths who do not go to church that they can have a good spirit of God that can transform them into good citizens who participate in development of the society”.
This year’s Vocations Sunday was celebrated under the theme Led by the Spirit for Mission.