Today, August 3, 2025, marks the 17th anniversary of my priesthood-a profound gift from God that I accepted with humility and without merit. Therefore, this weekend, I kindly request the opportunity to depart from the tradition of reflecting on the Sunday Gospel. Instead, I would like to share an excerpt from the homily delivered by His Excellency, the late Bishop Nestor Timanywa, Bishop Emeritus of Bukoba, on the day of my ordination.

"Esteemed brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Today, as we celebrate and express our gratitude to God for blessing us with a priest, a prophet, and a leader in the person of Deacon Thomas Kagumisa-who is also a son to some of us-Mother Church has important words to share with us and our future priest. These words pertain to both his situation and ours before God, as well as his role among us and our role in relation to him.

The first reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel illustrates that Thomas has been chosen by God and sent to us as His messenger. He is here to convey God's message and reveal the truth to us. When we stray from the right path, he should not hesitate to offer correction; conversely, when we excel, he should provide encouragement and motivation to help us continue our good work.

As a protector, he must consistently communicate the current state of affairs to those entrusted to his care. When there is an impending danger, he should provide the necessary information to keep people alert and enable them to defend themselves. He should not feign, nor allow us to feign, that we are in a time of peace.

It is essential for him to recognize that the safety and well- being of the sheep entrusted to him directly relate to his own safety and salvation. His salvation is intricately linked to his priestly vocation. This principle extends beyond the priestly calling to encompass all vocations. For example, in the context of marriage, the Lord stated, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Consequently, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Matthew 19:5-7). He further affirmed, "I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery" (Matthew 19:9).

The punishment facing those who recklessly violate the tenets of their vocation is clearly mentioned by Saint Paul, saying, "Do you know that the unjust will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanders nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God (1Corinthians 6:9-10). And he advises Timothy, saying, "Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given to you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Timothy, 4:13-16).

[Thomas], you are destined to be an elder, not merely in terms of age, but by the dignity inherent in your priesthood. View all people as part of God's family, to whom you are assigned as a guardian. Therefore, do not be surprised if they refer to you as Father, for as Saint Paul states, "Even if you have countless guardians in your Christian journey, your Father is one, as I have spiritually given birth to you through the preaching of the good news in union with Christ" (1 Corinthians 4:15). We ask the believers to recognize you as such. Make every effort to "Proclaim the word; be persistent; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching," as Saint Paul says (2 Timothy, 4:2)."

The statement that resonates with me is, "His salvation is intricately linked to his priestly vocation. This principle extends beyond the priestly calling to encompass all vocations." Each time I reflect on this homily, I am reminded of the importance of fulfilling my priestly duties in a way that earns the approval of God, so that I do not jeopardize the salvation of my soul. As you join me to celebrate my 17th anniversary of priesthood, let us renew our commitment to ensure that our respective vocations serve as pathways to our salvation.

In God's service and yours,

Fr. Thomas Kagumisa

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