The Prelate of Opus Dei, Bishop Echevarria convoked 2015 as the Marian Year of the Family. In line with this, today Friday 13 March 2015, the second Mass for the families (this time for house-keeping staff) was celebrated in the University Chapel.  The well-attended Mass, also offered in thanksgiving for the anniversary of the election of the Pope, was celebrated in Kiswahili.  Commenting on the First Reading[1] and the Gospel of the day[2] the priest encouraged the housekeeping staff to have hearts that are full of love;  then when they carry out their house-keeping work, mingled with their prayer and concern for others, then it would be as if they were offering God from the altar of their hearts sweet smelling offerings which are more eloquent that the offerings of Abel.  The offerings then serve to draw down upon them and upon their loved ones, blessings and graces of their Heavenly Father.

 

It so happened that the housekeeping staff made a collection and bought two bottles of altar wine together with thousands of wafers for the University Chapel.  The Chaplain thanked them for this  generous gesture, the first one since we began to say the Masses for families.  The Mass was followed by the Way of the Cross thereafter being a Friday in the Lenten season.