Preaching at a confirmation mass at Our Lady of the Wayside parish, the Archbishop of Harare, His Grace Robert Ndlovu said all Christians are called to bear witness to the good news and that the call is not only for priests and the religious.
In what he called a narrow understanding of discipleship, His Grace said by the virtue of baptism, everyone assumes the responsibility of evangelisation.
“Quite often when we hear the words (of Jesus calling the first disciples), we immediately think that they may be referring to those who are called to be priests or to be religious, that is a very narrow understanding of discipleship,” said the Archbishop.
“Every one of us has been called to follow our Lord and to be a fisher of women and men.
“By the virtue of baptism and empowerment by the holy spirit at confirmation we have all been called and sent to bear witness to the good news, to be the light of the world, to bring our brothers and sisters out of darkness to the light of life,” he added.
The strong call to repent remains valid for people of all times and it is an invitation to a new relationship with God who does not desire the death of a sinner but that they repent, His grace Archbishop Robert Ndlovu continued.
He noted the call to be fishers of men means freeing them from the dark forces of evil which the good shepherd fulfilled in Isaiah’s prophecy that the people who walked in darkness, have seen a great light, those who live in a land of deep shadow, a light has shown.
Archbishop Ndlovu added that Christians are called to unity and should have witness to the oneness of the human family, united in their belief and practice as Paul urged in his epistles, and only then can they talk of a synodal church.
“It is all empty rhetoric if Christians cannot work in communion with the participation of everyone in the call to deliver out those who are still leaving in darkness,” he said.
Pope Francis’ call to evangelise to those gone astray
Recently in his address at the General Audience address in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Pope Francis said the Church is called to evangelise and “seek out those who have gone astray.”
The Pope noted that the Christmas gospel defines Jesus as the “Word of God”, and said this fact highlights that Jesus was “outgoing.”
This characterisation of Jesus somehow explains how Pope Francis perceives the current Synodal process, a process he has described as “a journey of spiritual discernment” guided by God’s word.
It is fascinating to hear how many issues people raised during the synodal process but it is equally important for the church to reflect on how this process is helping with grassroots evangelisation.
While the Holy Father makes the call to evangelise to those who have left the church, one is prompted to ask if the synodal process will equip and energise the Church in Africa and in Zimbabwe to evangelise to both lapsed Catholics and those “gone astray.”
The current synodal process which was scheduled to end in 2023, emphasises the need for participation, communion and mission.
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