HOMILY ON THE EVE OF BURYING FR. ALBERT B. BYARUHANGA

HOMECOMING FOR FR. ALBERT B. BYARUHANGA

Dear Friends,

I take the opportunity to welcome you all in this celebration of the Mass, as we fondly say farewell to Fr. Albert B. Byaruhanga Abwoli as Mountains of the Moon University.  Indeed, words betray us to express what we truly feel as individuals and as an institution.

Indeed, death has always and will continue to be part of our human condition.  Since Monday afternoon this week, death, though we kind of knew something about it, has defined itself in another strong way for us and the entire community and people of goodwill: taking from us the best of the best among us, that is, Fr. Albert Babuuza Byaruhanga Abwooli.

Though sad and grief stricken, death will not succeed in taking away our faith, our hope and our unshakable firm belief, namely, that death, as ugly, painful and sorrowful as it may be, is not an end in itself.  Death, as it were, is leading us to the Father, the source of true and lasting life.

Hence, my dear friends, as we bid farewell to Fr. Albert, a man who believed in the fullness of God’s life, we cannot afford to lament and cry helplessly for a man who tried to live his earthly life to the fullness in expectation of the true life to come.  Therefore, the tempting questions that come to our mind such as: why did it happen? Why at this time? Why Fr. Albert? And why the way he died, in an accident?  All these questions are misplaced in the context of our faith in a loving God, who still cares in spite of what, has happened.

Let this moment be one of celebration of a life lived in anticipation of a fuller life to come.  Fr. Albert’s life so much lived in fullness and blessings cannot now end in the hopelessness of grief and sorrow; but rather, my dear friends, let it end in the loving celebration for the gift of a man whom God gave to us for the last 58 years.  It is God who gave sometime in 1951, and it is Him again who has taken back in October 2009.  May His name be praised.

Sad as we may be, let us also be happy and thankful that Fr. Albert lived his life fully as he envisioned it to be as a human being, as a Christian baptized in the death and resurrection of Christ, and as a priest sharing in the life of Christ – the High Priest.  Friends, allow me to explain these three aspects, which, in my view, summarize the life of the man before us.

Yes, we are all human beings, created in God’s image.  Fr. Albert was consciously aware of his status as a human being, and how he shared this human condition with the rest of humankind.  Because of this conscious awareness of what he shared with other human beings, Fr. Albert always recognized, respected and treated each human being with profound dignity.  Out of this respect, Fr. Albert treated all as if they were his true brothers and sisters, irrespective of their nationality, tribe, religion or social status.  Because of his deep appreciation of his humanity, Fr. Albert was color blind to tribe, to religion, to all things that artificially divide us.  That is how big and wide the heart of this man was.

As a Christian, Fr. Albert truly loved in the FUATA NYAYO of Christ – the High Priest.  Yes, Fr. Albert followed in the FOOTSTEPS of his Master.  His love was seen on his face, always smiling, always having an answer to what others thought was an insurmountable problem.  Fr. Albert’s love especially for people in need such as the poor, the orphans and widows could not be hidden.  But his love went even beyond the needy: For some of us, Fr. Albert’s home was our home whenever we went to Kampala.  His sharing spirit of what he had, without expecting anything in return, was indeed a true sign of his Christian love.  His good spirit of connecting people here and there, paying school fees for this one and that one, reconciling friends; all these demonstrated for me that Fr. Albert was a true Christian, truly marked with the love of Christ.

But above all, Fr. Albert was a priest who understood what it meant to share in the priesthood of Christ, the High Priest.  As Christ offered himself on the cross as a sacrifice for the sake of many, so did Fr. Albert understand his role as a priest, a role that would lead him to his death, just as his Master, in self-sacrifice.  A “regular” person would have rested, had a siesta on that fateful Monday evening after having had a number of meetings in the morning, and taking someone to the passport Office to secure him a passport.  Not so with our Albert, in the afternoon of that Monday, he headed to Fort Portal to have more meetings in the diocese.

The words of Jesus in Jn. 10:10 come to mind as I think more of this man:  “I have come so that they may have life to the fullest.”  Fr. Albert’s life, for lack of words, was to assist his fellow human beings have more of this life.  He understood that he must bring not only spiritual but also social-political and economic life to the people.  When he involved himself in the development of projects, for example, of HEWASA, Fr. Albert wanted people to have safe and clean water; by involving himself in ESAP (Environment and sustainable Agricultural Program), Fr. Albert wanted a clean environment and food for all; the beginning of HOFOKAM was for him to empower financially the marginalized poor who could not easily access commercial banks; his involvement in Kabarole Research and Resource Center (KRC) was to empower young people become job creators by focusing on research and people’s resources.  His involvement in Virika Pharmaceutical and Virika Hospital, all was to show that he wanted to add on to the health of the people he served.

When Mountains of the Moon University was conceived, Fr. Albert understood the great contribution the university would bring to Tooro as a region and the country at large.  In his style, he connected with the Volunteer Missionary movement which sent us Dr. Patrick Davey as the first Vice Chancellor of MMU.

We may not mention all the projects that Fr. Albert started or was involved in.  But allow me to mention one last project which I believe was close to his heart: the project for the production of intravenous fluids.  With this project, Fr. Albert believed Tooro region would play a major role in providing intravenous fluids not only to her region, but also to the rest of the country and beyond.  Keep this project in mind especially in view of the malaria pandemic that still robes us especially of young children.

These projects and many more others give witness that Fr. Albert wanted to play a major role in making people of our region and the country, live their lives to the fullest.  In so doing, Fr. Albert strived to do what Christ – his Master did.  He did this through self-giving, without expecting anything in return.  Indeed, displaying true service that is a rare value in our society today.

All the things that Fr. Albert did show you and me that his dream was to relieve people of their burdens; to carry the weight of social, political and economic ills that burdened the people he served.  Thus, where he saw pain and suffering, Albert endeavored to bring healing; where he saw poverty, Albert strived to create wealth; where he saw despair and hopelessness, Albert came in with tons and tons of hope; where he saw hatred and conflict, Albert neutralized the situation with sincere love.

This man sided with the weak and with the willing hand gave arms, with loyal heart and with purest hands; he faithfully discharged all public interests.  Indeed, he was a worshipper of liberty, a friend of the oppressed.  He believed that happiness was the only good, reason the only torch, justice the only Virtue, humanity the only religion, and love the only value.  Indeed, Fr. Albert in so many different ways added to the sum total of human joy and happiness.  That was our Fr. Albert, always striving to transform things around him for the better, for the sake of bringing full life to the people he loved and served.

Here in Tooro, there is a saying that “n’owalima harungi ainuka.” When one sets to do something, however, good it might be, a time will come for him/her to return home for rest.  In as much as Fr. Albert has done so much for us, and indeed the opportunity to do more was there, the time to return home happened on Monday.

Therefore, Fr. Albert’s death should remind us of St. Paul’s words in 2 Cor 5:1-10, namely, that our earthly home is not our true home.  The way we are in flesh and blood will give way to another home.  We are here on temporary terms, “tuli mu rusiisira.” Our real home is our building from God.

My friends, our true home is where Fr. Albert has gone.  Our home is across there, where there is no more sorrow, sickness, road accidents and death.  Much as Fr. Albert has departed from us painfully, he has gone home to his eternal Father.  While on earth he struggled to please God in so many different ways, now at home he is enjoying God’s blessings that come to people who have tried their best to share their love with others.  I know that Fr. Albert is before God, pleasing Him and worshipping Him eternally.

Fr. Albert was a person who wanted to connect people.  He wanted the best for the people he knew.  Dear friends, now that he has gone before us, linked eternally with the source of life and good things; we are rest assured that his work of linking us with God has already started.  Fr. Albert who loved us, cared for us, thought about us more than himself, when he was still on this imperfect world; how much more will he do for us now that he has crossed to the other perfect world?

Let us be consoled by the fact that through Fr. Albert the connector, we are again linked with God.  For all of us, our man is there, our connector is there.

I want to end with the words of Jesus in today’s gospel; and I want to apply those words to Fr. Albert and us who are bidding him farewell.  “Father, the hour has come…..That hour came on Monday this week around 4pm; the hour to return home to his Creator was then.  To each one of us, that hour is still pending.  Are you ready for it?

“I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.”  All the things that Fr. Albert did while still on earth, was to accomplish not his mission but the mission of God, the Father.   What is your mission?  How much of your mission have you so far accomplished? Are you accomplishing the mission of God, or you are accomplishing your own selfish plans?

“Now glorify me.”  This is the prayer of Fr. Albert to God through Christ, His Son.  Our sorrows and our pain will not assist him in this cry of his.  Assist him with your prayers; assist him by imitating his example in doing good actions for others.  Our good actions in memory of Fr. Albert will assist in God having mercy on his soul.

“Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them.”  The death of Fr. Albert should by now have revealed that whatever Fr. Albert was able to do is because God used him as an instrument.  God can also use us if we give him a chance; using us especially through the many gifts He has given to each one of us.  Are you ready to be at God’s disposal, to be used as he wills?

“The words you gave to me, I have given to them.”  The “really” has passed on from Fr. Albert to all of us; we are all running towards the finishing point.  Are you ready to reach that finishing point?  Are you aware that the “really” stick is now in your hands?

“I pray for them.”   I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours.”  As much as we pray for Fr. Albert, let us also be consoled that actually he is also praying for us; and he is seeing our pain and the lap we are each to take to reach where he is.

“And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you.”

Napoleon’s last words to his gallant soldiers may summarize best Fr. Albert’s last wish: “I go, but you, my friends, will continue to serve France.” For Napoleon, it was “Alutta continua” for his soldiers.  These are the same words that Fr. Albert is telling us: “I have gone, but continue serving faithfully and lovingly wherever you are for the good of humanity and for the glory of God.”

REST IN PEACE, OUR FRIEND, FR. ALBERT

BY DR. FR. CHRISTOPHER B. MUKIDI

29^th OCTOBER, 2009