Challenges Facing the Understanding the Eucharist as Sacrifice Among the Luo Catholics of Homa Bay Diocese, Kenya

Abstract

One of the perennial anxieties of human beings is the need for peace, prosperity, and harmony in society, where people can truly accomplish their God-given mission in life. In other words, there is a human yearning for an environment, where life can be honourably celebrated in its fullness even while awaiting its ultimate consummation. Both the African traditional believer and the Christian in their quest for the realization of such a noble aim and desire have often identified sacrifice and appeasement as cardinal instruments of societal transformation. For them to appreciate this full life and total wellbeing, both the African and the Christian know they must keep in close touch with the Supreme Being who is the author of life and the determiner of destiny, by maintaining the various opportunities of regular communication and dialogue with the supernatural world through sacrifices. Sacrifice is the heartbeat of every religious ritual. This study seeks to establish why some Luo Catholics still value their traditional sacrifice instead of fully manifesting their beliefs in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Do they still find something valuable in it which seems to be lacking in the Eucharist sacrifice? When confronted by stressful events, many Luo Catholics often abandon coping strategies and revert to patterns of behaviour used earlier in development, especially the traditional sacrificial system. In doing this, the person ends up practicing two different forms of religion. The study also seeks to bring out the Luo cultural elements which can be inculturated within the Eucharistic sacrifice so that the Luo Catholics may practice their faith fully, consciously and actively, instead of indulging him/herself in syncretistic tendencies.