24 October 2026 | Our Lady of Africa – Maula Cathedral, Catholic Archdiocese of Lilongwe
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Word of God we have heard today, particularly the First and Second Readings, speaks to us about the work that people do in collaboration with God.
When we reflect on Sacred Scripture, we see that God chooses to work through His people to fulfil His plans and make the world a better place. He calls and chooses us in different ways so that we may serve in different areas. This is why, within the Church, there are different ministries and ministers, according to the vocation and calling each person has received.
The Second Vatican Council, which took place from 1962 to 1965, reflected deeply on the need to encourage, teach and provide opportunities for the laity to participate actively in the mission of the Church.
We find this clearly in Apostolicam Actuositatem, the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity. The Church teaches that the laity have a great responsibility in the Church and that their role and mission come from Baptism. From Baptism, the laity receive their mission.
Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has continued to encourage and form the laity, giving them opportunities to serve generously in the life and mission of the Church.
We thank God for the gift of the laity. You play a crucial role in the Church and in society. You have an important role in evangelisation, bringing the mission of Christ to places where the clergy and religious may not always be present or able to reach.
This is your secular character: your presence in offices, homes, marketplaces, businesses and many other places where the clergy and religious may rarely be found. The Church reminds you that you have a duty to evangelise, bring the light of Christ and be a source of that light wherever you are.
We thank God for the active lay faithful in our Archdiocese. At the same time, we recognise that there is still room for improvement. Some lay people remain spectators in the Church. They are physically present, but their participation is limited to talking, analysing and giving opinions from the sidelines.
Through this celebration, the Church reminds us of the need for ongoing formation so that the laity may continue growing in their understanding of the faith and their mission.
We must also continue to pray and discern our vocation by drawing closer to Christ, because it is He who calls us and guides us to where we are meant to serve.
The bishops and clergy provide formation for the laity in parishes, groups and at different levels. We must continue this formation so that more lay people can participate actively in the life and mission of the Church. But as we form you, the laity, you must also continue to form one another.
You have spaces where you meet and interact, places where the clergy and religious may not always be present. Therefore, you should also become agents of formation for your fellow lay people.
We all have a place and a role in the mission of God. Through Baptism, God calls us and gives us the grace to serve. Through the formation offered by the Church, He helps us understand where we are called to serve and participate.
Fundraising and mobilising resources for the needs of the Church is one area in which the laity can participate actively, but your mission is not only about fundraising. There are many other ways of serving God and His Church. We cannot simply listen in Church and remain spectators. We are called to participate actively in the mission of Christ.
Supporting our seminarians
This brings us to our seminarians, who are preparing to become ministers of God in the future. They have an important place in the Church, just as each one of you has an important role.
Priests have a particular responsibility. Jesus Christ calls them to act in His name, especially in offering the sacrifice of the Mass for the salvation of the world. Through the celebration of Holy Mass and the Sacraments, priests dispense God’s grace and help sanctify His people.
Priests also have the responsibility to teach and proclaim the Word of God. The world needs to be sanctified, but it also needs to be taught, especially in our time, when so many messages and so much information make it difficult to discern what is true, important and worthy of our attention.
The clergy are there to preach and teach, reminding us of the message we need to receive, reflect upon and carry with us throughout our lives. Priests also lead and guide us towards God in our parishes, deaneries and communities.
Because priests are important, we must remember that they come from among us—from our families, parishes and communities. We therefore have a responsibility towards the young people whom God may be calling to the priesthood.
The first thing the Church asks us to do is to pray for our seminarians. We must pray for young people so that they may discern their vocation and recognise God’s plan for their lives. We must also pray for those already in formation, that God may guide them throughout their journey.
They need our prayers because their journey is long and has many challenges and obstacles. They need the special graces necessary to persevere throughout their formation.
Dear lay faithful, when you pray every day, you remember your families, homes, work and personal needs. But let us not forget to pray for our seminarians. As you reflect on your needs and express your love for Jesus Christ, remember them and ask God to guide them.
If you know a seminarian personally, take him as your own son and pray for him every day. If you have the opportunity, tell him, “I pray for you. I remember you during Adoration.”
Let us also pray for those who aspire to become sisters and brothers in religious life. We invite you to remember them in your daily prayers.
We are happy that you have come to this seminary, our home. You are here not only to see us but, more importantly, to pray and show that we should not be separated from one another.
To love a seminarian or any pastoral agent is to love Christ Himself. When you say, “I love Christ. I love God,” another measure of that love is how you love His ministers, the pastors of the Church and the agents of evangelisation.
If we profess our love for God and Christ, we must also consider how we treat those whom God has called to serve. It is God who calls them, guides His Church and wants the world to become better than it is today. Our love for Christ should therefore be reflected in our love and support for seminarians.
Faith and generosity amid economic hardship
This is particularly important at a time when Malawi is experiencing economic hardship. We are struggling in many ways, and families are facing challenges in meeting their basic needs.
However, difficult economic circumstances do not mean that we should stop loving God or sacrificing for Christ and His Church.
Sometimes God tests our faith precisely in difficult moments. Experiencing economic hardship does not mean that we should stop loving God or supporting His Church. Rather, these circumstances challenge us to remain faithful and generous.
God wants to see whether, even in our lowest moments, we still remember Him and are willing to sacrifice what we have for His Church. At the same time, some people can forget God even when they have abundance.
Today, we are reminded that everything we do is for His glory and His Kingdom. Supporting the Church, our seminarians and novices is not simply giving something away. It is participating in the mission of God and investing in the future of His Church.
We must therefore continue to pray for one another, especially the laity, that we may discern and embrace our vocation. We also pray for those who have not yet discerned their vocation, particularly those who feel that serving God, participating actively in the Church and sacrificing for its mission is a waste of time.
May they experience a conversion of heart and come to understand that our time, talents and resources are gifts from God.
May we be willing to offer what we have for God, His Church and His servants.
Let us continue to support our seminarians. Let us pray for them, encourage them and walk with them.
Let us never forget that the mission of the Church belongs to all of us. God calls each one of us through Baptism, gives each one of us a mission and provides each one of us with a place to serve.
Let us not remain spectators. Let us become active participants in the mission of Christ and His Church.
May God bless our seminarians, our priests and religious, the laity, His Church and our country.
Amen.
[Transcribed by Brenard Mwanza]