"Build Family and Nation in Dignity… Today’s Seeds, Tomorrow’s Harvest" are the opening words of the message that the Bishops of Kenya have written this year for Lent. In the document, signed by Archbishop Zacchaeus Okoth, president of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace, the Bishops begin by pointing out that "the family is the first cell of human society," the "school of humanity," the "domestic church," and, therefore, "with strong families we shall build a strong nation." In light of all these elements, the Church of Nairobi urges valuing family prayer, because "the family that prays together stays together", while the catechism in the home is to be promoted through sacred images, books about saints, children's education, the good example and testimony.
It is also essential–the message continues–to accompany engaged couples on their way to marriage: "Many concentrate on their wedding day and forget the life-long commitment they are about to enter into. As Christian families, we need to look into this preparation by following the guidelines already provided." Moreover, marriage preparation–the Bishops write–must start much earlier, even in childhood, in order to transmit and instill in young people "authentic human values, respect for others, and a solid spiritual and catechetical formation."
The Bishops of Kenya, who will focus the reflection in the third week of Lent on the "Family and Morality," also encourage "accompanying, from the pastoral viewpoint, married couples in the initial years of marriage," a "particularly sensitive period," thus going beyond the actual celebration of the Sacrament.
