In his homily during the Priestly Ordination of Deacon Cosme Mukupa and the Diaconate Ordination of Seminarian Domingos Gravata, Bishop Muananoua cautioned against self-exaltation, saying, “A Priest or Deacon full of himself is a desolation for the Church.”
“As servants of the Church in the Order of the Servants of Mary, you are called to live your charism of humble and devoted service, inspired by the Blessed Virgin Mary,” the Auxiliary Bishop of Mozambique’s Catholic Archdiocese of Maputo said.
Humility, he added, “is the foundation of effective ministry, for it is only by stripping away vanity and ambition that the ordained can reflect the love of Christ.”
“This call to humility is an invitation to serve the community, always in harmony with the divine will,” Bishop Muananoua told the two members of the Order of Friar Servants of Mary (OSM) during the October 27 ordination celebration held at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish of Maputo Archdiocese.
He emphasized, “You are called to serve without seeking recognition, but with a pure and available heart. This service requires constant renewal of the heart and humility in recognizing our own limits as we serve others.”
“Ordained ministers must empty themselves of self, allowing God to work through them; they must empty themselves so that God acts in their lives, serving with a clear conscience and purity,” the Mozambican Catholic Bishop said.
He continued, “A Priest should inspire the community to maintain faith and hope, even in the face of adversity. His presence should serve as a constant reminder that God is present and active among us.”
The Mozambican Catholic Bishop, who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 2023 following his appointment the previous month called upon the newly ordained Priest and Deacon to seek to imitate God’s compassion.
“You are called to be participants in God’s compassionate and inclusive love. Therefore, the Deacon and Priest should approach their ministry with an open heart and mind, so that everyone, without distinction, may feel welcomed and guided with tenderness and love,” he said.
Bishop Muananoua went on to highlight the importance of the Clergy guiding God’s people with love and reverence. He emphasized, “It is essential, as you are called to serve without seeking recognition, but with a pure and available heart.”
“Let us always remember that service in the Church is a commitment to the community, where every action, no matter how small, should contribute to the common good and the building up of the Body of Christ,” he said.
As servants of God, Bishop Muananoua said, “we must have a keen ear, a sharp hearing, to listen to the cry of those who long to be healed from their ailments.”
Servants of God, he went on to say, “must have an attentive ear to hear the suffering of the faithful and respond with empathy to their physical and spiritual needs, promoting hope and healing in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.”
“We bear the grave responsibility of caring for God’s people with reverent awe before the Lord Himself. The ordained should imitate and embody the virtue of compassion in their lives, giving of themselves to lead God’s people with love and reverence.”
“A Clergy must be strong and courageous, placing in prayer all that surrounds him, facing challenges with faith and, above all, with determination. Recognizing his own weaknesses, a Priest is also subject to human limitations and must seek God’s forgiveness,” the Mozambican Catholic Church leader said during the October ordination celebration.