The Archbishop of Nairobi Archdiocese in Kenya has encouraged those not married in Church to solemnize their marriages and to stop postponing the Sacrament so as to get closer to Christ.
In his Friday, December 1 homily during the consecration and blessing of the Adoration Chapel at St. Catherine Of Alexandria of the Archdiocese of Nairobi, Archbishop Philip Subira Anyolo encouraged the use of the Chapel for prayers aimed at promoting marriage among other uses.
Archbishop Anyolo pointed out the tendency for some individuals to hold their material possessions in high esteem at the expense of marriage, and ultimately neglecting the importance of solemnizing their marriages in the Church.
“The sacrament of marriage is postponed again and again until it becomes a song of tomorrow which never comes,” the Archbishop said and added that such procrastination drives away Christ from the couple's lives, rendering them defenseless.
In his December 1 homily, the Kenyan Archbishop encouraged the people of God to use the Adoration Chapel to thank God and promote marriages, especially offering prayers to tackle impediments against marriage.
“Use the adoration chapel to promote marriage by praying that those who still find it difficult to solemnize their marriage in the Church may receive God’s grace to do so,” said the Catholic Archbishop who has been at the helm of Nairobi Archdiocese since November 2021.
Archbishop Anyolo urged the Priests at the Kenyan Parish not to tire of encouraging marriages and through adoration.
He called for the adoration of the chapel by all people, saying, “Encourage your children to come and worship here in the adoration. What we can do to thank God is to utilize this adoration chapel.”
The Kenyan Archbishop emphasized the significance of Jesus Christ's Kingship, particularly as revealed in the Eucharist.
“Christ's Kingship is intricately woven into our hearts and profoundly intertwined with every aspect of our lives, extending its influence to our families and the endeavors we pursue,” Archbishop Anyolo said.
The 66-year-old Kenyan Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in February 1996 as the Local Ordinary of Kenya’s Kericho Diocese regretted that material possessions have blinded people thereby driving them away from Christ.
“Good health, enough children, and property should not lead us into ignoring Jesus Christ. When we ignore Him, He moves out of our lives and we enter into problems,” the Kenyan Archbishop said in his December 1 homily.