Lusaka, 29 November, 2025 / 11:15 PM
The staff at the Zambia Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCCB) have been urged to promote hope even as the Southern African nation grapples with both economic and political issues.
In his Advent Season Message dated Thursday, November 27, the ZCCB Secretary General reminds staff members of the Lusaka-based Secretariat that even though Zambia’s challenges are real, they do not supersede God's promise of the establishment of His kingdom.
“Advent has come to challenge us to be bearers of hope amid economic struggles and political tension that weigh heavily upon all citizens,” Fr. Francis Mukosa says in his three-page 2025 Advent Season Message.
Fr. Mukosa urges the Secretariat staff to witness to hope, saying, “Let us not surrender to despair but proclaim with our lives that Christ is ‘Emmanuel’ - God with us.”
He appeals referring to St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Remember, hope in the Lord Jesus Christ never disappoints.”
Fr. Mukosa further tells the ZCCB Secretariat staff members that the ongoing debates around constitutional integrity and governance in the country should remind them that their civic responsibilities are inseparable from their Christian witnessing.
“The Season of Advent is here to teach us that history is not abandoned to chaos; it is guided by the Lord who comes to save us,” he says in his November 27 Advent Season Message.
He reiterates the link between Advent and hope, saying that the Season is not only one of waiting with hope but “also a call to lift our eyes beyond despair and to walk in the light of peace, justice and solidarity; for the Lord himself assured us: 'Take courage; I have conquered the world" (John 16:33).”
Just as the chosen people of God awaited the Messiah with longing, the ZCCB SG says that “so too does the Season of Advent call us to await the renewal of our lives and nation with hope. The birth of Christ that Advent announces and prepares is the assurance that darkness does not have the final word.”
In his Advent Season Message, Fr. Mukosa urges the Secretariat staff to deeper prayer and vigilance, adding that Advent is a time “to prepare our hearts for Christ by renewing our commitment to prayer, meditating on the Word of God, and receiving the sacraments.”
“Let us relentlessly invoke the Holy Spirit upon our nation by echoing the words of the Psalmist: ‘Send forth your spirit, Lord, ... and renew the face of the earth (Psalm 104:33)’”, he says.
The Zambian Catholic Priest goes on to urge the Secretariat staff to practice Christian solidarity during the Advent Season and referring to the Gospel according to Matthew says, “In the face of economic challenges and social-political turbulences, let us uplift one another, embodying the Gospel of love, compassion and tolerance.”
Fr. Mukosa urges ZCCB Secretariat staff to defend the truth, especially during the ongoing constitutional debates. “Let us remember that civic responsibility is also a Christian duty,” he says.
He emphasizes, “We must all stand for integrity, peace, justice, unity and the common good, while rejecting violence, corruption and division. As the Prophet Amos admonishes: ‘Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24).’”
“Let us therefore walk together through the Advent season with hearts open to Christ. May our waiting be active, our hope be steadfast, and our love be generous,” Fr. Mukosa says.
He goes on to reflect on the Christmas Season, calling it a period of hope, joy, and renewal. The Christmas Season, he says, “reminds us of the power of generosity, the importance of family and community, and the light we can bring into the lives of others.”
He encourages the Secretariat staff “to utilise the period of recess to rest, to celebrate with loved ones, and to return refreshed for the opportunities that await us in the coming year 2026. Let us carry forward the spirit of unity and service that should always define our institution.”
“I wish you a fruitful Advent season, a blessed Christmas, and a joyful and prosperous New Year,” ZCCB Secretary General tells the Secretariat staff, adding, “Thank you for all that you have contributed to the growth of the Church and enhancement of the mission of evangelisation in Zambia.”
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