“First place belongs to God,” Kenyans urged to Seek Spiritual Joy over Earthly Comforts

The Catholic Archbishop encouraged the people of God to take up the Cross of Christ “even though it is heavy”, and to follow the God‘s commandments, adding, “It means we must deny   ourselves the things that pass away today, clothes, food, drinks, and even worldly pleasures of praise and power. These must be replaced by the power of grace, those joys that satisfy the soul, that fill even our thoughts, that make us feel satisfied. Those are the spiritual joys. Those are the blessings we seek.”

“Our world is filled with the pursuit of worldly desires and pleasures. Today we are reminded that we must change the order of importance in our lives so that we stop chasing after these passing things,” he added.

The Kenyan Church leader described the Cross as a sign of redemption and hope, saying, “The Cross is a sign that Christ the conqueror has defeated all evil and that evil will no longer have power.”

“Satan is defeated by the Cross. Death has been killed. The power of death is no more,” he said.

Archbishop Muheria urged the people of God to receive the blessing of the Cross through the tradition of the Sign of the Cross before the beginning of any ceremony.

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The Kenyan member of Opus Dei further explained, “In carrying the Rosary, there is the Cross. We also have Crosses in our homes. It is because the Cross gives us abundant hope to conquer.”

Archbishop Muheria also encouraged young people to “take up the Cross” by focusing on things that satisfy their souls rather than their bodies.

“Let us rejoice in the things that fill our souls, not in the things that only satisfy the body, pleasures, and desires,” he said. 

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.