Zambia: Solwezi Diocese launches locally translated Luvale Sunday Missal.

Fr. Wilbroad C. Musonda, - Solwezi, Zambia.

Bishop Kasonde urged Christians to safeguard the newly translated and published Luvale Sunday Missal properly. He emphasised that the Missal contains the Word of God and is a conduit for spiritual nourishment of God’s people in the Diocese of Solwezi.

God communicates himself to us

During his homily at the launch, held at Mount Carmel Parish in Kabompo District, Zambia, Bishop Kasonde underscored the need for priests, the religious and laity, in the Diocese to internalise the Word of God in their daily lives. The Bishop said that God’s wish is to communicate and reveal Himself to everybody in the Church.

“God wishes to communicate and reveal Himself to all His children, individually and communally,” said Bishop Kasonde. He added, “The onus is on every faithful to pay particular attention to His Word…A Missal, such as this one, that is, the Luvale Sunday Missal, enables all of us to savour the richness of the Word, especially during the sacrifice of the Holy Mass throughout the liturgical year. This book is intended to help prepare us to participate in and live the weekly celebration of the Eucharist,” said the Solwezi prelate.

The Luvale Sunday Missal.

The Missal is not for use only at Mass

Bishop Kasonde, however, reminded the lay faithful that the use of the Missal must not only be limited to the actual celebration of the Mass. “It should help all of us, the lay faithful and those responsible for prayer and worship, to prepare adequately for Mass by facilitating meditation on the meaning of the scriptural texts,” he said.

“This prior reflection enables us to better assimilate the Word of God, appreciate the Eucharist more deeply, and participate more actively in the Liturgy. This could be done especially in families and Small Christian Communities,” he said.

Gratitude to translators

Bishop Kasonde has since thanked all those who participated in translating and compiling the Luvale Sunday Missal.

“By way of conclusion, may I extend hearty and well-deserved thanks to the Pastoral and Liturgical Commissions of our Diocese for the great work of translating and compiling this Sunday’s missal. Notable among them, Fathers Stephen Kapalu Samukhuku, Werner Iten, OFM Conv., George Lopez, Jose dos Santos, priests, Brothers, seminarians, Catechists and the lay Faithful who benevolently contributed to bringing his great work to this successful conclusion,” the Bishop of Solwezi said.

Bishop Kasonde also thanked the Suwon Diocese of South Korea for financial assistance in the printing and transportation of the Luvale Sunday Missal from South Korea to Zambia.