A Catholic Priest in Soroti Catholic Diocese has called on Christians to revive their spiritual lives, warning against shallow, inconsistent faith and urging believers to live out the Gospel beyond Sunday Masses.
Delivering his homily during Sunday Mass, Rev. Fr. Dr. Robert Amoni the Assistant Parish Priest at Immaculate Conception Cathedral Soroti told congregants that many Christians have become “like pumpkins and watermelons”, outwardly appearing to belong to the faith, but hollow or inconsistent within.
“Let’s not be pumpkins or watermelons in our faith,” he said, drawing murmurs and nods from the packed congregation.
He explained that just as a watermelon or pumpkin has an attractive exterior but can be empty or tasteless inside, so too are some Christians who appear devout during church masses but live contrary to Christian values once they leave the pews.
“Some Christians come to church to pray, but go back worse than how they came,” he lamented. “The purpose of being a Christian is to work towards heaven, but several Christians are working towards hell.”
He noted with concern that some believers treat the church as a means to advance personal interests, rather than as a place of worship, repentance, and transformation.
“Some people are using the church to get to where they want to reach,” he said. “We toil and labour for what will perish. People have run away from God. The question is, when the Lord returns, where will He find you?”
He further cautioned against prioritizing material possessions over spiritual growth.
While acknowledging that God provides resources for human welfare, he urged Christians not to let wealth and possessions become obstacles to salvation.
“Do not put material things ahead of God. Use them in a way that helps you go to heaven,” he said. “They should not block us from loving God, seeing God, and offering to God.”
Fr. Amoni further remarked that some Christians bypass the church on Sundays and head straight for bars to drink waragi.
“This can be avoided by choosing peace, joy, and prayer,” he said. “Offer your burdens to God and He will take away that load.”
He also called on the faithful to become role models in the community by living out their beliefs in word and deed.
He encouraged them to listen for the voice of God and allow it to guide their daily decisions.
“We must be models of faith by listening to God and living according to His word,” he said.
Warning against apathy in spiritual matters, he criticized what he called the “I don’t care attitude” among some believers.
“It shows that your thinking is limited to the nose and mouth,” he remarked pointedly. “Instead, the real question you should ask yourself is: ‘Will I go to heaven as a faithful servant of God?’”
He challenged the congregation to wake up spiritually, saying the time for complacency was over.
“We need to rise from our spiritual slumber and take our faith seriously,” he said. “Christianity is not just a label; it is a way of life that requires commitment, sacrifice, and obedience to God.
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