TAFAKARI JUU YA KUTUBU NA KUIAMINI INJILI

Karibuni tutafakari pamoja kipindi cha kwaresma ni mwafaka kwa tafakari kama hii. Yesu anapotuambia tubuni na kuiamini injili (rej. Mk 1:15) anasisitiza kutubu dhambi siyo “kubuni dhambi.” Tunatambua wazi kuwa kuna watu kati yetu wanaobuni dhambi daima iwe kipindi cha kwaresma au la. Kuna watu wanabuni namna ya kubomoa nyumba za watu au mabenki (majambazi). Kuna watu wanabuni mbinu mpya za kikahaba (makahaba). Kuna watu wanabuni mbinu za rushwa (mafisadi). Watu wengine wanabuni namna ya kuwaudhi wenzao ili wao wafurahi (sophists). Wengine wanabuni bomu la kulipua ubalozi (magaidi) na mambo mengine mengi. Tuombeane sote hasa kipindi hiki cha kwaresma.

Kusema kweli haya ndiyo baadhi mambo ambayo Yesu anatufundisha kuyaacha. Hii ndiyo kazi yake kubwa na ya kwanza. Tukitafakari masomo ya jumapili kama tatu hivi kabla ya jumapili ya kwanza ya kwaresma tutaelewa vizuri sana. Tunaona kuwa Mama Kanisa anatuanda vizuri kuupokea ujumbe wa kutubu na kuiamini injili. Yesu anatenda miujiza mingi ilimradi tu watu watubu na kuiamini injili. Kimsingi miujiza ilikuwa ni namna ya kuelezea lengo lake (by the way). “ ‘Watu wote wanakutafuta’ akawaambia ‘twendeni mahali pengine katika vijjiji vya jirani nipate kuhubiri huko pia.’ Hiyo ndiyo nia ua kuja kwagu.” (Mk 1:38). Mtume Paulo naye anasisitiza “ole wangu nisipoihubiri injili”(1Kor 9:16). Kuiamini na kuiishi injili ndiyo njia pekee ya kutuepusha kuwa wabunifu katika dhambi, kuondolewa pepo na kupewa mikate haitoshi.

Kipindi hiki cha kwaresma tusibuni dhambi badala yake tuwe “wabunifu katika kuungama dhambi” yaani; kumwomba Roho Mtakatifu, kutafuta dhambi moyoni, kujuta dhambi, kukusudia kuacha dhambi, kuungama dhambi, kupokea maondoleo ya dhambi na kutimiza malipizi. Habari ya mwana mpotevu inatutafakarisha hatua hizi za wongofu (metanoia  - Rej. Lk 15:11-32). Tuwe wabunifu ndani ya nafsi zetu wenyewe tukijiuliza mbona nikiudhiwa kidogo tu napata hasira kali sana, moyo unajaa gesi inayoweza kuua? Tukumbuke kuwa kuna mahusiano kati ya dhambi na maisha ya udhalimu. Kadiri mtu anavyokuwa mbunifu katika dhambi ndivo anavyokuwa mtumwa wa mambo mengi mabaya yanayomuasili yeye na jamii (Rej Dan 9:3-20; Ezr 9:6-15; Mt 3:7-9; Rum 6:23). Maana ya kukusudia kuacha dhambi ni kuazimia kuacha dhambi na kuepa nafasi zake (Rej Mt 5:29-30).

Tumwombe Mungu mwenye huruma ili kwaresma hii tuitikie vyema mwaliko wa Papa Leo Mkuu katika mahubiri yake kipindi cha Krismasi akisisitiza; “Ewe mkristu, tambua cheo chako umeshirikishwa hali yake Mungu mwenyewe kwa hiyo usianguke tena katika fedheha na ubovu wa maisha yako ya kale…” (Sala ya Kanisa uk.94)

Tumsifu Yesu Kristu!

Asante kwa kutafakari & kwaresma njema!

Na. Frt Hillary Faraja - Theology III - (Geita Diocese)

 

MARY AND THE NEW YEAR

On January 1^st of each year, the Church keeps the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. The principal reason for marking the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God on January 1 is that the beginning of the New Year coincides with the Octave Day of Christmas, and Christmas was made possible through Mary. Our Salvation, therefore is directly linked with Mary. The name “Jesus” means “Yahweh saves” or simply “Saviour”. The Son of Mary had to be called “Jesus”, for He and He alone perfectly fulfills the intrinsic meaning of the name. Recall that Jesus’ name was assigned by eternal decree since as St.Matthew’s Gospel reveals, “it is he who will save his people from their sins”

The first day of January is also Mary’s special day because Bethlehem constituted a new start for the world and again, our Lady made this possible. In the Epistle to the Romans, St.Paul tells us that Jesus is the new Adam; through Him, the world was recreated, made new again. Since freshness of life is so apposite a thought to the start of the New Year, the Church invites us to begin in the company of the Virgin Mother of Nazareth.

So can our New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions, for example, to live our faith better: by going to confession monthly or by trying to pray better each day. Or we could resolve to do something specifically Marian, such as a Marian pilgrimage this year (or make such a pilgrimage each year, for the rest of our lives); or (if we are not already committed), say the Rosary daily the rest of our lives.

“Specifically Marian” always means, “oriented to Christ”. Mary always points to Jesus, as she did at Cana of Galilee, when she told the waiters: “Do whatever he [Jesus] tells you” (Jn 2:5)

Devotion to Mary can only increase our faith. Mary is the model of faith par excellence; in fact, she is the person of faith, always believing, never doubting, yet at the same time not fully understanding. Faith is a universal requirement; no human creature, not even Mary, has ever been excused from it. Just as we must pilgrimage in the grey, in this world of sixes and sevens and obstacles and disappointments, so Mary also had to do. But she preceded us; as Mother of the Church, she walked paths that we have no alternative but to walk. And she walked, despite apparent contradictions we shall never experience: the contradiction of Calvary, where she stood beneath the Cross-, for example.

Solid devotion to Mary the Mother of Jesus can only result in a happy and meaningful year for us, since it can only help unite us more closely to Mary’s Son, Jesus our Lord. We begin the New Year with this thought and prayer.

There is a final point pondering. Jesus as chose to enter our world through Mary, so He wills to grace us through her. An ancient title of our Lady is “Mediatrix.’’ Vatican Council II reaffirmed this title. It means that anyone who yearns for God-Life but ignores the Mother of the Lord, Mary, yearns in vain.

Prepared by:

Frt BikolwaMungu A, Stephen 

(Archdiocese of Mwanza)

KANISA NI MOJA KWA SABABU YA ROHO MTAKATIFU:

Roho Mtakatifu yuko katika Kanisa na neema zake zote. Mt.Ambrose asema kwamba, Kanisa lilijengwa na Roho Mtakatifu. Roho Mtakatifu  ndiye anaunganisha viungo vyote vya Kanisa vilivyo mwili wa Kristo na Kuleta umoja. Hili tendo la kuunganisha kanisa laendelea kukua na kuhusisha kila mmoja. Hivyo, Kanisa likihusisha kila mmoja ,litaendelea kukua kupitia kwa Neno, Sakramenti, vipaji na huduma mbalimbali, lakini hasa kwa upendo.Tutafahamu zaidi huu uhusiano tukirejea maelezo ya Kanisa katika imani tunayosadiki.

Roho anayeishi kwa kila Mkristo ndiye anayewafanya waunganike kikamilifu katika kristo.Hiyo ndiyo maana ya kuwa .Sote tumebatizwa kwa Roho mmoja katika huo mwili mmoja (1kor1:2, 13; Efe 4:4).

Kanisa kama alivyoeleza Mt.Sipriano “ni watu waliokusanyika katika umoja, Baba, Mwana na Roho” Roho Mtakatifu ndiye nguzo ya umoja wa Baba anayeunganisha wote katika Kanisa waliobatizwa katika mwili mmoja, yaani mwili wa Kristo. Roho Mtakatifu ni mmoja asiyegawanyika na hivyo huleta wote pamoja na kuwafanya kuonekana kama kitu kimoja ndani yake.

Roho Mtakatifu anaunganisha kwa maana upendo huunganisha.Twasoma ya kwamba, “Mungu amekwisha mimina mioyoni mwetu upendo wake kwa njia ya Roho aliyetupatia. Roho Mtakatifu ndiye mwimarishaji wa umoja siyo tu kati ya watu binafsi na wengine, bali pia kati ya Kanisa binafsi na lile Kanisa moja pekee” (CCC879).

Hapa ushirika wa Kanisa kama ulivyoanzishwa na mitume kumi na wawili waliounganika na Kristo chini ya uongozi wa Petro,unadhihirika wazi (LG 19)

Kila Kanisa mahalia ambalo ni sehemu ya watu wa Mungu inapata kutambulika ikiwa na Baba Mtakatifu  aliye mtumishi wa cheo cha Petro pamoja na Baraza la Maaskofu nchini kwa nguvu ya Ekaristi Takatifu. Kila Kanisa binafsi ni Kanisa moja zima likishirikiana na mengine yenye kuungama Ekaristi moja.

Roho Mtakatifu yupo katikati ya muungano kamili wa Kanisa. Katika Mtaguso wa Pili wa Vatikani, Kanisa lilitangaza kwamba makanisa yasio ya kikatoliki na jumuiya za wakristo wa Kanisa Katoliki zimeunganishwa ndani ya Roho Mtakatifu kwa vipaji na neema za Roho Mtakatifu. Kwa nguvu za utakasaji amewaimarisha wengi wao hata kufikia kumwaga damu.

Hivyo Roho Mtakatifu huleta umoja wa Kanisa  na pia mgawanyiko ( sio utengano) kwa kuwapa waumini vipaji mbali mbali na Makanisa binafsi

imeandaliwa na:

Frt BikolwaMungu A, Stephen (Jimbo kuu la Mwanza)

JUMATANO YA MAJIVU (ASH WEDNESDAY)

Maana yake na Umuhimu wake!

Ili kuelewa vizuri maana na umuhimu wa kipindi hiki, tutazame kwa ufupi haya yafuatayo: 

Sala ya mwanzo:

“Ee Bwana utujalie sisi waamini wako tuanze vita vya roho kwa mfungo Mtakatifu. Nasi tulio tayari kupigana na pepo wabaya, tujipatie nguvu kwasababu ya kufunga…”

Mahubiri:                   Padre Victor Tumaini akifafanua maana ya Kwaresma

Padre alifafanua kuwa...

“ ‘Majivu’ tunayopakwa siku ya leo ni ishara ya kufanya toba, ni ishara ya kumrudia Mungu! Tukitazama kwa ufupi baadhi ya vifungu katika Biblia tunaona ukweli huu:

-         Jer 6:26

-         Daniel 9:3

-         Yona 3:6

-         1Wamakabayo 3:46, ambapo Mathatia pamoja na wenzake walijipaka majivu kichwani kabla ya kuanza vita dhidi ya ukoloni. Ilikiwa ishara ya kumrudia Mungu ili awe nguvu ao katika mapambano waliokusudia kuyaanza dhidi ya ukoloni/ukandamizaji waliokuwemo!

-         Mt 10:13, Kristu naye alijua utamaduni huu wa toba wa kujipaka majivu pale alipoionya Korazin na Betsaida!

Mapokeo ya Kanisa Katoliki yameendeleza utamaduni huu wa toba:

-         Mnamo Karne ya 6 hadi ya 11 utamaduni huu ulifanyika, hata karne ya 12, papa Urbano wa Pili aliidhinisha majivu yatumike yale yatokanayo na matawi ya mizeituni yaliyotumika katika Jumapili ya Matawi.

Nabii Yoeli katika somo la kwanza (Yoe 2:12-18) anasistiza turarue mioyo wala si mavazi yetu…yaani, tufanye mabadiliko ya ndani na siyo ya nje tu!, kwa maneno mengine, mapinduzi ya kweli yaanze na yatoke mioyoni mwetu na si maonyesho ya njenje tu!

Injili ya leo (Mt 6:1-6, 16-18) iametuasa juu ya suala hilohilo la kufanya mfungo wenye msukumo wa kiroho unaotoka ndani ya moyo wa toba wa mtu na si kufanya kama Mafarisayo walivyokuwa wakifanya. Wao walifunga na kusali ili watazamwe na watu.

Tunapoanza kipindi cha Kwaresma kwa kupakwa majivu siku hii ya leo, tukumbuke wajibu wetu; -kufunga

-         Kusali zaidi na

-         kutenda matendo mema (matendo ya huruma) kwa jirani zetu!

Basi, tumuombe Kristu ili zoezi hili la mfungo wa Kwaresma lisiwe tukio la historian a la kupita tu, bali lizae matunda ya kiroho ndani mwetu, tufanye mapinduzi ya kweli ya kiroho na hatimaye atustahilishe kushiriki utukufu wake!”

 

Padre Tumaini akimpaka majivu Baba Rector

 

Frt P. Libongi mara baada ya kupakwa majivu(picha-juu)&Frt E. Mwita akipakwa majivu (picha-chini)

 

Sala ya kuombea Dhabihu:...Sala hii nayo hutukumbusha dhamira kuu ya adhimisho la leo.

“Ee Bwana tunatoa sadaka hii ya kuanza Kwaresma na kukuomba tuzishinde tamaa mbaya kwa matendo ya kitubio na mapendo. Nasi tukishatakaswa dhambi, tuwe na ibada ya kuadhimisha mateso yake mwanao…”