Believers, Follow the Liturgical Guidelines

Adeladius Makwega, MBAGALA

Christians have been told that the proper conduct during the Holy Mass—whether to respond, kneel, or sit—is guided by the Church, and every believer is required to follow it, except in cases of necessity. This was stated on the Fifth Sunday of Lent by Father Thomas Akello on March 22, 2026, at the Small Church of Warosimini in Lushoto Parish, within the Catholic Diocese of Tanga.

“You may see a believer standing while others are kneeling; this is a long-standing directive of the Church and must be followed, while recognizing that exceptions exist in cases of necessity.”

While delivering the homily during this Mass, Fr. Akello said that when Jesus raised Lazarus, He wept. This shows that Jesus Christ lived a fully human life, experiencing sorrow over the suffering of those around Him:

“Today’s world faces many challenges—war refugees, diseases, and other issues. How do you and I respond to these challenges affecting those close to us and others? Do we take pleasure in them, or do we help in solving them? Christians must take part in addressing the challenges of others.”

Emphasizing a key point of his sermon, Fr. Akello said that human beings face death, but God’s intention is not for humans to die, but to live forever. However, sin is what led humanity into death.

“Death is not only physical; it also occurs when a person reaches a point where, humanly speaking, there seems to be no way forward and no alternative. If you have not yet experienced this, you will—but Jesus says He is the refuge.”

Fr. Akello further reflected on the Gospel of that Sunday, asking why, when Jesus was told that His friend Lazarus was in trouble, He acted in what seemed like a surprising way. Why did He wait two days before going?

“From a human perspective, if your friend is someone you love, you would hurry to see them and understand their situation. You would be eager to go. But we must recognize that God’s ways are not human ways.”

To illustrate this, Fr. Akello shared a story about a friend of his who was about 60 years old, whose elderly mother was around 80. One day, while he was in India, he received a call that his mother was critically ill. He requested permission to travel to see her, but unfortunately, he could not get a flight that day and had to book one for the following day. The next day, when he went to the airport, the plane did not arrive. At that time, there were also no means of communication to check on his mother’s condition. The following day, he arrived late at the airport and missed his flight.

Misfortune seemed to pile upon misfortune for this man. The plane he missed continued its journey but tragically crashed into the Indian Ocean. When he heard that the plane he had missed had crashed, he was greatly astonished. By God’s grace, he managed to get another flight the next day, arrived in India, and found his mother still alive. However, as soon as she saw him, her health deteriorated, and she later passed away. These, he said, are among God’s wonders. The man attended the funeral and later returned to where he had come from.

In conclusion, Fr. Akello said:

“Even when we ask God for something, it does not mean He does not hear us. Rather, God has His own purpose in everything. Today’s Gospel says: ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,’ but Jesus responds that whatever you ask of God, He will surely grant.”

The Mass continued peacefully to its conclusion at this small Warosimini church, which can accommodate about 150 seated believers. It was filled with several novices, four nuns, two brothers, and two lay faithful. At the end of the Mass, two visitors were introduced.

At the same time, the weather in Lushoto was 21°C, humidity at 60%, a high likelihood of rain at 87%, and wind blowing at 5 km/h.

Mwanakwetu, Are you still with us? Remember:

“Believers, Follow the Liturgical Guidelines.”

Wishing you a good day.

makwadeladius @gmail.com

0717649257