EMY – January: Praying for Catechists - Catholic Diocese of Manzini
Catholic Diocese of Manzini > Extraordinary Mission Year > EMY – January: Praying for Catechists
Benedict Daswa lived his Christian vocation with contentment and enthusiasm, but at the same time with modesty and humility, as shown by his Christian witness in various areas of his life. Benedict became a guide for the young and spent many hours and weekends with them to catechise and teach them. He helped teach catechism to children and adults, leading the Sunday celebration in the absence of a priest, visiting the sick and the non-practicing, and helping the poor and needy. In church, he helped start a nursery school.
The small Christian community gathered at his home and during these meetings the Rosary was recited and the Word of God was shared. In the family, Benedict was a model husband and father, totally devoted to ideal of the family being a “domestic church.” In the classroom, he was not only concerned with providing students with a good level of education, but above all instilling in them fundamental moral values so as to form their personalities.
Benedict understood that there were aspects of African culture, such as the widespread practice of witchcraft, magic, and ritual murder, which he could no longer accept. His position against these profound and obscure problems of his culture led him to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom. Benedict Daswa never compromised but always adhered to his Christian faith. He defended those who refused to pay to consult the sangoma (the shaman), because he did not want people to pay for something that was false. As Benedict’s faith was growing all the time, so also was the opposition to him at the Headman’s Council and among the people in the village. This definitely led to his martyrdom. His brutal death by stoning and beating has made him a hero to all Christians in Africa and to all those throughout the world who struggle to be free from the slavery of sorcery.
Gospel is above all cultural beliefs and practices
Teach about faith
“Show me the way to Ars and I’ll show you the way to heaven.”
This video has been prepared by the Extraordinary Missionary Year (EMY) team inviting us to pray for our catechists and for the gift of having more catechists in our parishes
Banedict Daswa waphila imphilo yakhe ybukholwa ngekwenetiseka nemadlandla, kodwa khona lapho ngekuzitsa nekititfoba lokwavetwa butakazi bekukholwa kwakhe etinhlanngotsini letehlukene temphilo yakhe. Benedict waba ngumcondzisi walabasha wacitsa sikhatsi lesinyenti netimphelasontfo nabo abafundzisa lukholo nalokunye. Wasita ekufundziseni lukholo kbantfu labancane nalabadzala, ahola inkonzo yangelisontfo nakungekho umfundisi, ahambela labagula ko nalabanga sontsi, asita labamphofu nalabadzingile. Esontfweni wasita kusungula inkhulisa yekufundza.
Umphakatsi lomncane wemakholwa bewuhlanganela ekhaya lakhe kutsi kuleyo mihlangana kushiwo liRosali kuhleshulwe livi laNkulunkulu. Emndenini Benedict bekayindvodza nababe lasibonelo, atinikele ngalokuphelele kulenkholelo yekubona imndeni njengelibandla lelisekhaya. Endlini yekufundza, abengakanaki nje kuphela kunika bafundzi lizinga lelifanele lemfundvo, kodvwa ngetulu kwako konkhe atjala kubo tisekelo letimcoka tekutiphatsa lokungiko kute kwakheke timilo tabo.
Benedict wacondza kutsi kunetingoni tsite telisiko lebuAfrica njengebutsakatsi, umlingo nekusontsana lebekwandzile, labekangeke asatemukela. Kuphikosana kwakhe naletinkinga letijulile naletisitsekile telisiko lakubo tamholela ekukhokheni inhlawulo lephakeme yebufelukholo. Benedict Daswa akancephetanga kodvwa wabambelela njalo elukholweni lwakhe lwebukhristu. Wavikela labo labala kukhokhela kuyophengula esangomeni ngobe angafuni kutsi bantfu bakhokhele intfo lengemanga. Njengobe lwalukhule njalo lukholo lwaBenedict, kanjalo nekungahambisani naye kwabandlancane wesikhulu nebantfu emangweni. Ngiko kanye lokwaholelo ebufelukholweni bakhe. Kufa kwakhe ngesibhuku sekugcotjwa ngematje nekushaywa kumente waba lichawe kuwo onkhe emakhristu eAfrica nakubo bonkhe emhlabeni jikelele labashikaneka kutsi bakhululeke ebugcilini bekuloya.
Papa Francis, esijubeni sakhe sekubusisa, wachaza Benedict njengemfundzi lukholo lotimiselako, umceceshi locabangako, fakazi wetindzaba letimnandzi kwate kwaba sekucitsekeni kwengati yakhe.
LiVangeli lingetulu kwato tonkhe tinkholelo nemihambo yemasiko
“ Ngilayele indlela leya eArs, ngitakulayela indlela leya ezulwini.”
Solemnity of Christmas →