17TH PRIESTLY ORDINATION ANNIVERSARY OF REV FR CHARLES NYARWA LIGHT ABOOKI OF CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF FORT-PORTAL UGANDA ON THE FEAST OF TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, AUGUST 6, 2011
The Mystery of Divine Manifestation or Epiphany is concrete in the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This Mystery of Transfiguration is concrete in the sacerdotal ordination which is manifested ontologically in the candidate at ordination of Catholic Sacred Priesthood. Christ as the Eternal High Priest, through the apostolic succession given to the Bishops, changes, transforms and transfigures man ontologically into a priest (Spiritual-Moral-Bridge between God and man). This is exactly what you (Rev Charles) experienced on the Solemnity of Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ on August 6, 1994 at CHRIST THE KING PARISH KITUMBI through your then Bishop, Most Rev Dr KALANDA PAUL AKIIKI. The family of MR FRANCIS XAVIER NYARWEGENDAHO AKIIKI and MRS NYARWA JANE ROSE MASIKO AKIIKI of KITARASA FORT-PORTAL in UGANDA, remembering their promise to God on January 15, 1965 when Charles was born, were highly grateful that in the family of a School teacher, God has chosen a teacher of Faith, Moral and Spiritual things in the person of their son REV FR CHARLES, Oh what a great privilege God has bestowed on this family. Indeed, years passes like a twinkle of an eye. Meditate on the aura of your “ontological-transfigured-personality” as a priest which you experienced sixteen (17) years ago. It seemed like a dream when the Lord delivered his Lord from bondage the Psalmist says. To you what does the priesthood seem like especially now that you are into the vineyard for 17 years? Does it still seem a Mystery and Transfiguration before you? Are you so familiar with the Eternal High Priest that the mystery of the priesthood is meaningless or common to you? The solemn promises you made before Christ, represented by the Bishop and the Christ’s faithful, how far have you gone with them within these 17 years in the service of the Lord? Do you still have the transfer of obedience which you promised the then Bishop to your present Bishop, Most Rev Dr ROBERT K. MUHIIRWA AKIIKI? Do you still remind yourself that you an ALTER CHRISTUS acting IN PERSONA CHRISTI and at the same time you are an IPSE CHRISTUS, who celebrates the TRINITARIAN LOVE daily in the sacraments? Therefore, always remember that solemn ordination exhortation: BELIEVE WHAT YOU TEACH, PRACTICE WHAT YOU TEACH AND IMITATE THE MYSTERY YOU CELEBRATE. Ipso facto, we wish to remind you that your whole life ought to be that of SACRIFICE, OBEDIENCE and HOLINESS OF LIFE, which is a form of IDENTIFICATION AND IMITATION OF CHRIST, THE ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST. The mystery surrounded by the priesthood of Christ is such that we ought to be constantly thanking God for choosing mere creature to be “HIS-SAME-SELF”. We ponder and meditate upon the power of absolution of sins, so great a mystery which is same with the power of creation, for in this mystery Christ the Priest re-creates, renews, re-born and make present SIMILACURUM DEI into an excellent and most pure form of humans. This privileged human enjoys being in a state worthy to commune and stay with his creator in the SANCTISSIMUM SACRAMENTUM celebrated yet by his “transfigured creature”, the priest. The power in and of the Word makes visible the “Invisible” in a very concrete form full of divine and celestial aroma. The FEAST OF TRANSFIGURATION vis-à-vis your priestly ordination ought to be seen in your daily life clearly from the word TRANSFIGURATION thus:
T – TRANSFORM all who come to you by what you are for Christ.
R – RESIST any form of unworthy inclination contrary to the Priesthood of Christ.
A – ADMIT your mistakes humbly even when they are made public.
N – NOTHING whatsoever should put off your mind from showing and giving people Christ all the time.
S – SANCTITY is the key to successful priestly ministry.
F – FORTIFY yourself always with constant union with God in your prayer life.
I – IDENTIFICATION with Christ is a sine qua non.
G – GOD ought to be projected in your service to humanity and not you as a person.
U – UNION with your Bishop and the Church is tantamount to humility to God.
R – REMAINING chaste all the time is a true celibate life.
A – ACCEPT the things you cannot change in life.
T – TEACH always with your life.
I – IMITATE your patron saint, it is also a way to IMITATE Christ.
O – OBEDIENCE to your Bishop at all time.
N – NO to sin always.
Therefore, looking back these seventeen years in the Lord’s vineyard, we wish to say congratulations and at the same time remind you of your endeavours to Christ’s faithful in these areas:
1) KAHUNGE PARISH September 1994 – December 1994, as Curate how was your ministry in your first year as a priest?
2) KAMWENGE PARISH January 1995 – January 1996, as Curate how did you exhibits your obedience and loyalty to the Bishop and his successors?
3) BUKWALI PARISH February 1996 – August 1998, as Parish Priest, did you still remember the good things you wished to do excellently whenever you are made the Parish Priest and were faithful to them?
4) YERYA SISTERS’ NOVICIATE August 1998 – October 2004, as Chaplain, can you imagine how many vocations you fostered by your sanctity of life or in the contrary how many that left the religious life because of you?
5) MABIRA PARISH October 2004 – August 2009, as Parish Priest, at this point do you still have the strong desire to work for the people of God irrespective of their ingratitude or were you insensitive to their flight and was only interested in your self?
6) ROME FOR STUDIES August 2009 - 22nd June 2011. How, has the change from Pastoral environment to Academic environment edified and brings in an increase or growth in your priestly life outside your diocese and country too? What are you thinking regarding the orientation and ongoing formation you accumulated academically and otherwise, more importantly as you have now specialized in Spiritual Theology in the enviable PONTIFICIA UNIVERSITÁ DELLA SANTA CROCE ROMA? Congratulations Rev Fr Charles Nyarwa Light Abooki. Tui est sacerdos in aeternem secundum ordinem Melchizedek.
From, REV FR PAUL IKECHUKWU OGUJIOFFOR (OKIGWE DIOCESE NIGERIA)
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