As the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Board Meeting comes to an end, Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa, in his homily during morning Mass, reflected on holiness.

He began by recalling the Gospel story of the rich man who asked Jesus, “Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mathew 10:17). Bishop Mbuyisa explained that the question reveals the deepest longing of the human heart — the search for wholeness and eternal life.

“Even though he was surrounded by wealth, he still felt some form of emptiness,” the bishop noted. “He was a seeker who wanted to be sure he was on the right track to attain eternal life.”

Bishop Mbuyisa linked this Gospel encounter to the day’s memorial, which honours all the saints of Africa — both those “officially canonized and those whose holiness is known only to God.”

“Today we give thanks to God for gracing and gifting so many of our sisters and brothers from our beloved continent with the precious gift of holiness,” said the member of the Congregation of Missionaries of Mariannhill (CMM).

While holiness is ultimately a gift from God, Bishop Mbuyisa reminded the bishops that it is also a goal that can be “attained and won” through faithful discipleship. Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12), he highlighted the Beatitudes as the path to holiness, emphasizing especially the first: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“With this Beatitude,” he explained, “Jesus calls on all of us to embrace spiritual poverty — to free ourselves for the Kingdom.” He described this as an invitation to imitate Christ’s kenosis, or self-emptying love, as described in Philippians 2:6-11: “He emptied himself.”

“Without this kenosis practiced daily, we cannot hope to attain eternal life. Without emptying ourselves and surrendering completely to God, we cannot hope to be numbered among the saints,” said Bishop Mbuyisa on Thursday, November 6.

Bishop Mbuyisa who serves as the chairperson of the SACBC Social Action Department went on to reflect on the youthful witness of African saints and martyrs, such as the Ugandan Martyrs, many of whom were between 14 and 50 years old, Blessed Benedict Daswa of South Africa, and Floribert Bwana Chui Bin Kositi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who was martyred in 2007 for standing against corruption.

“How about our youth?” the bishop asked. “Do they desire and long for eternal life as much as that young, rich man did? Are they able to empty themselves as Christ did?”

The Local Ordinary of Kokstad Diocese urged the Church in Southern Africa to help young people see holiness as their deepest calling.

“Like the young man who approached Jesus on his knees; like the countless women and men of Africa over the centuries who have laboured for the Kingdom of Heaven; we too, together with our young men and women, make holiness our obsession and only goal,” he said.

Remembering both ancient and modern African saints — from St Augustine to Blessed Benedict Daswa, Sr Reinolda May OSB of Ngome, Abbot Francis Pfanner of Mariannhill, and Danny and Domitilla and Danny Hyams, founders of Little Eden — Bishop Mbuyisa called the faithful to follow their example of self-giving love.

“The Saints of Africa invite us to empty ourselves, thus allowing God to make a home in us,” he said.

He concluded with a prayerful hope:

“May the celebration of this Holy Eucharist strengthen the bonds that bind us together as a community of faith and with the Communion of all the Saints of Africa — until that day when we shall all feast with Christ at the banquet of Eternal Life.”