Your excellences,

My brothers and sisters.

It is my esteemed privilege to preach the homily on this sad occasion, when we bid farewell to one of the icons of the Catholic Church in Uganda.

After nearly 64 years as a priest and 55 years as bishop, almost reaching 90 years in March 2021, Archbishop James Odongo has truly lived as a shepherd of the multicultural mosaic of many tribes in Tororo Archdiocese.

We have come to give him a honourable send off and to celebrate his life, and, at the same time, wish him safe journey to eternity, where in the word of the book of Revelation, he will enjoy the vision of God with throngs of people from all the nations (Rev. 4:1ff), and, in Christ’s words, join the heavenly wedding banquet (Mt. 22:1-14).

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, eternal life has been promised to Archbishop James Odongo and to each one of us. This promise, although a free gift on the part of our Creator and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, obliges us to fulfil certain conditions as a sign of our acceptance and commitment. The scriptures challenge us that if we are to attain heaven we must:

leave everything and follow the Lord as shown in the story of the rich young man (Lk. 18:18-30);

carry the cross and follow Jesus (Mt. 16:24);

love others and feed them, clothe them, empathize with them in their pain and suffering, and make them welcome when they are strangers because they represent Christ’s own situation (Mt. 25:31-46);

turn the other cheek when we are struck (Mt. 5:9; Lk. 6:29);

forgive seventy times seven (all the time) (Mt. 18:22), and as Jesus himself forgave his tormentors on the cross (Lk. 23:34);

proclaim the kingdom of God, teach and baptise in the name of Christ (Mt. 28:19);

witness Christ’s death and resurrection (Acts 1:5-8);

welcome the kingdom like little children (Lk. 18:16; Mt. 19:14);

witness the truth by the power of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:12-15; Mt. 10:19; Mk. 13:11);

reconcile with others by preaching and living peace (Mt. 5: