Priests and Religious of the Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate in the Kwahu Afram Plains, Eastern Region of Ghana, under the able leadership of the Most Rev. John Alphonse Asiedu, SVD, have held their annual Advent Recollection under the Theme: “Our Call to Leadership” (cf. Hebrew 4:14-16; Mark 10:32-45).
The December 14, 2024 Advent Recollection facilitated by Rev. Fr. Leopold Ettuh, Chancellor of the Vicariate, culminated in a solemn Holy Mass in the small Chapel of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Donkorkrom.
Preaching during the Mass, Fr. Ettuh charged his fellow priests and religious present, to not only focus on the physical preparation for Christmas as many others do, but to be preoccupied more with the spiritual preparation so that they can be able to recognize Christ when he eventually comes.
“Our awaiting for the Christ is more or less, spiritual. It is no more in the flesh, but we are going to meet him in the spirit and the only thing we can do to better meet Christ in the spirit is to prepare ourselves spiritually, not materially as many people are doing,” he said, adding that “If we limit ourselves to the material preparation alone, then we are going to miss the Saviour whom we are awaiting”.
He prayed that all will really use the Advent Season to search for Christ (in prayer), dispose themselves and their hearts for God to come and meet them, among the people He has entrusted to their leadership.
Making allusion to the Biblical King David, who always went to the Lord to pray and to seek counsel, the preacher challenged the Priests and religious, who in one way or the other, have been called to leadership, to use this period of Advent to reflect on some soul-searching questions about their lives: how have they been living their lives to attract people to Christ? what kind of leadership have they exercised over the people placed under their care? How do they intend to achieve their purpose/mission of being in the Afram Plains?
“We all know that the purpose of our being here, is to bring Christ to the people in the Afram Plains,” he noted.
The Chancellor further reminded his fellow priests and religious of the need to practice forgiveness, underlining the forgiveness of sins as one of the things that makes a prayer perfect and efficient. “That is what we are called to do if we want people to follow us,” he reiterated.
The Priests and Religious were further reminded that their apostolates are not meant to be about them, but Christ the Lord.
“We are not doing the Apostolates for our own fulfilment but we are doing it so that Christ will reign among his people for ever and ever. So may his grace continue to enable us to fulfil the mission for which we are here in the Afram Plains,” the priest implored.
Other activities featured during the day of Recollection included Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Confessions, an input on “Our Call to Leadership,” among others.
Rev. Fr. Philip Gyapong, the Vicariate Liturgist and Parish Priest of St. Anthony Parish, Amankwakrom, on behalf of the Bishop and all the Priests and Religious present, expressed immense thanks to Fr. Ettuh for the rich input and for facilitating the day’s activities.
By Sr. Sylvie Lum Cho, MSHR (DEPSOCOM, Donkorkrom Apostolic Vicariate)
