On 27 August last, the Ordinary Public Consistory was held in St. Peter's Basilica in which Pope Francis imposed the capelo and gave the ring to 21 new cardinals. Among them was S.Em. Peter Ebere Okpaleke, Bishop of Ekwulobia (Nigeria), who came to our College, where a seminarian from his diocese is being formed, a couple of days later.
After lunch, the Cardinal gave a speech which can be consulted by clicking on the link below these lines. It was entitled "The seminarian, on the way of Jesus", and was an interesting and profound reflection on the purpose of the formative period we are living as a time of personal configuration with Christ. He focused on the words found at the end of the second chapter of Luke's Gospel: "Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature and in favour with God and with people" (Lk 2:52), and commented on them, explaining how this growth in wisdom, age and grace that characterised the first youth of Jesus could be translated into the life of each seminarian.
With his words, Cardinal Peter Ebere helped us to renew with enthusiasm our decision to respond each day with a stronger yes to the call to configure ourselves to Christ the Good Shepherd, always remembering that prayer is a fundamental key in the following of the Lord.
