Online Reporter
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
ON any given Sunday, worship at St Joseph’s Mission in Kezi is intimate and familiar, with a congregation small enough for Father Innocent Makawule to read the room with ease.
When he glances at the pews, Father Ndlovu recognises almost every face.
He sees the villager who spends sleepless nights worrying about stock theft or the elderly woman troubled by why her children have suddenly stopped sending groceries from South Africa.
On Independence Day, at the main celebrations held recently at Maphisa Town, however, the priest found himself in a vastly different setting. A sea of thousands led by President Mnangagwa gathered under open skies, united in the collective expectation of celebrating the nation’s independence.
For a man accustomed to the quiet cadence of parish life in Matobo District, the shift was profound.
“Obviously, this was a different crowd from what I am normally used to and I think that was reflected in my preparations for the prayer and the sermon,” Fr Makawule said.
“As a priest, preparation for the sermon begins much earlier than most people realise. You start forming it in your mind as you think about what you will say when you stand before the people. This time it was before the President and an entire stadium, not just my congregation.”
Yet while the scale of the audience changed, the essence of his message did not.
Rooted in scripture and guided by tradition, his sermon drew from the enduring wisdom of King Solomon and the teachings of Jesus Christ, a deliberate choice for a nation marking another year of sovereignty.
“I chose to teach about the wisdom of Solomon and Jesus because I believe that, as the country moves forward, that is the kind of wisdom we need,” he said.
“This was not just a prayer for the country but for our leaders, who I believe will demonstrate Solomonic wisdom whatever challenges we may face in the future.”
Behind the calm delivery lay a process steeped in ritual, discipline and spiritual introspection. In the Catholic Church, homilies are not improvised speeches but reflections carefully woven from scripture, prayer and centuries of theological interpretation.
“Sermon preparation is guided by the Holy Spirit and divine inspiration. First and foremost, we are guided by the Church. The Church is universal — especially the Catholic Church. That is what Catholic means: universal,” he explained.
This universality manifests in the liturgical structure that shapes daily worship worldwide. Each day comes with designated readings, ensuring that a priest in rural Zimbabwe reflects on the same scriptures as one in Rome or Manila.
“There are scripture readings for each day throughout the year, each season,” he said.
“We use them as guidelines. But by and large, the preparatory stage begins with prayer, asking the Lord for wisdom and understanding of the scripture of the day.”
From there, the process deepens into meditation and study. Scripture is read and reread — not just for comprehension but for revelation.
“You read the scripture, meditate on it and seek divine will. Each scripture is the word of God, the Lord speaking. Therefore, you seek divine interpretation and intervention in explaining it,” he said.
That explanation, he emphasised, must always bridge the ancient and the present.
“You elucidate, you exhort, you encourage people and you apply it to the current situation.”
For Independence Day, the chosen readings carried a resonance that required little stretching. Occurring within the Easter season, the national celebration naturally aligned with themes of liberation and renewal, central to Christianity.
“Independence Day falls on 18 April and the scriptures usually resonate very well with the Easter theme, since our independence always occurs during the Easter season,” he said.
Central to his sermon was a passage from the Gospel of John, recounting Christ’s appearance to his disciples after the resurrection — a moment of reassurance after fear and uncertainty.
“That passage speaks of Jesus appearing to the disciples after the resurrection,” Father Makawule said.
“It applies very well to the theme of independence, which is liberation from sin. Jesus came to liberate people, to restore them to life.”
In that sense, he saw a parallel between spiritual redemption and national freedom — both journeys marked by struggle, sacrifice and eventual renewal.
“Hallelujah means ‘praise the Lord,’ for He has restored us to the life desired by God through suffering, death and resurrection. And it equally applies to Independence Day,” he said.
Still, despite being a seasoned preacher, standing before thousands brought its own moments of vulnerability. The crowds in Maphisa, both inside and outside the brand-new stadium, were daunting.
“Of course, Independence Day was a very big function for me to give a spiritual input. At times you panic, at times you doubt whether you will manage,” he admitted.
“But through divine inspiration, through divine help, you go through.”
Even then, the solitary act of preaching is never entirely solitary. It is informed by centuries of scholarship and reflection. In the end, Father Makawule’s Independence Day sermon was more than a message delivered to a crowd.
It was the culmination of prayer, study and faith — a reminder that even in moments of national celebration, the quiet work of spiritual reflection continues, shaping words meant not just to be heard but to guide a nation forward.
“You also look at other commentaries, because each scripture has already been explained in the history of the Christian Church. So, you need to see what other scholars have said, how they interpret the passage of the day,” he said.
