Page 37 - Reflexions of African Bishops and Priests

“It Is Today

That We Must

Commit

Ourselves for

the Liberation

of the Poor”

Bishop Fridolin
Ambongo, O.F.M. Cap.

of the Democratic
Republic of Congo

Homily of Most Rev. Fridolin Ambongo, O.F.M. that He said: “This mission is accomplished today.”
Cap., bishop of the diocese of Bokungu-Ikela in the The Kingdom of God has to be lived and actualized
Democratic Republic of Congo, at St. Michael’s par- today. It is not a mission that we can put off until after
ish church in Rougemont, Monday, August 30, 2010, our death but a mission that has already begun. Jesus
on the occasion of the week of study which preceed- inaugurated it and left the responsibility to His dis-
ed our Congress. He is a priest since 1988, a bishop ciples to continue to carry out the mission of libera-
since 2005, and is currently the President of the Jus- tion of their brothers and sisters. We are the disciples
tice and Peace Commission for his country: of Jesus Christ. This call to accomplish the Kingdom
ear brothers and sisters, the Gospel today of God today is addressed to us. We, the faithful
(Luke 4:16-30) is very Christians and particularly, we
D enlightening and can be who have found ourselves at
adapted to the reflections that this week of study about the fi-
we have been studying since nancial question and its conse-
Friday of last week, regarding quence on the life of the world.
our mission. It is to us that the Gospel is ad-
This mission that is ours dressed. The actuality of the
follows the mission of Jesus Kingdom of God, it is this invi-
Christ. Jesus opens the book tation for each and everyone to
and randomly picks a text from take on his responsibility and
Isaiah. This extract brings to the make visible today the Kingdom
forefront the mission of Jesus of God that Jesus inaugurated.
Christ, the reason why Jesus Jesus started this mission,
came into the world. The text He did not finish it. He could not
says: “Jesus came to bring us, finish it. The Apostles did what
who are small and weak, con- they could and then they left.
solation, well-being and a bet- Now it is up to us to to actual-
ter life: liberation to prisoners, ize this mission. The reflections
food to those who are hungry, we have made so far during the
sight to those who cannot see”; week of study shake us up – at
“He opened the book and found the
in short, a new way of living, a place where it was written, ‘The Spirit of the least we who came for the first
new fraternity, a new way to live Lord is upon me, because he has anointed time to talk about the “invisible
together. hands” that govern our world
me to preach good news to the poor.’... And and create situations with dis-
It is the mission of Jesus. he began to say to them, ‘Today this scrip-
And the most interesting part is ture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (continued on page 32)

www.michaeljournal.org 2010 session 37