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Beware of “Petrine temptation”: Kenyan Bishop Cautions Sisters against Discouragement in Religious Life

Silas Isenjia

By Silas Isenjia

Nairobi, 19 December, 2024 / 11:03 pm (ACI Africa).

Bishop Joseph Obanyi Sagwe of Kenya’s Catholic Diocese of Kakamega has cautioned Religious Sisters against giving in to discouragement in their vocation, making reference to Peter’s doubts after he spent the entire night without catching fish.

In his homily during the perpetual profession and silver jubilee of members of the Congregation of the Franciscan Missionaries of St. Joseph (Mill Hill Sisters), Bishop Obanyi reflected on Peter’s discouragement before the miraculous catch of fish in the Gospel of St. Luke.

“Dear Sisters, those who are making your profession, don’t fall into Petrine temptation thinking it’s you who must do the fishing. Thinking it’s you who must get the fish,” the Bishop said during the Wednesday, December 18 event that was held at St. Joseph Parish, Luanda of his Episcopal See.

He cautioned against falling into despair during moments of failure, noting that such challenges might lead to not only questioning one’s vocation but also creating discord within the congregation.

“Sometimes you fall into total failure until you start thinking if you made the right decision. Was I supposed to be a fisherman? Why am I not getting any fish?” said the Local Ordinary of Kakamega Diocese.

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He emphasized, “We are in those communities to live fully that life that Christ has called us into and to make the best use of it because it is not our work.”

Bishop Obanyi reminded those in Religious Life that once presented to the Church by their parents, they become Christ’s servants called to listen to His will throughout their lives as the consecrated.

The Kenyan Catholic Bishop asked the Sisters to avoid creating personal laws within the framework of their congregations due to despair or during times of difficulty.

 “As you take this journey, will you be making your laws within the laws of the congregation?” he posed, reminding them that Religious Life involves surrendering personal will to fulfill God’s will.

“You have given up your will so that you can do the will of God. You can question what exactly the will of God is when things are not okay,” the 57-year-old Kenyan Catholic Bishop, who has been at the helm of Kakamega Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination in March 2015 said.

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He warned against pride, which he said contradicts the vows taken in Religious Life, saying, “When you begin to think of your success and greatness, that is when things begin to go wrong.

Bishop Obanyi also cautioned against selfishness, describing it as the tendency to view oneself as superior to others and the inability to appreciate the unique and possibly greater gifts that others possess.

He urged the Sisters to make their vows in the spirit of humility and self-abandonment to God’s call. “Religious Life is all about abandoning ourselves. This country and this world need people who abandon themselves to serve others,” he said.

The Kenyan Bishop urged the Sisters to serve others with love, without expecting personal benefits from their roles as Religious.

Using the example of Peter’s decision to follow Christ, Bishop Obanyi highlighted the transformative power of surrendering to God’s will.

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“The time Peter decides to follow Jesus Christ is when he gets a lot of fish. This means that if we abandon ourselves to Christ, we can do a lot more things than we can imagine,” he explained.

In his December 18 homily, Bishop Obanyi also expressed gratitude to missionaries for their evangelization efforts, saying, “We continue thanking the missionaries wherever they are for fostering the continuation of God’s word. God’s work has not ended.”

He called on young people to remain attentive to God’s call, adding, “Young people, be on the lookout for God’s call because you could be the one God is calling. Be ready to respond.”

Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.