Zimbo visitor makes 56!

Icon of Saint Bernard Mizeki by Robert Lentz, OFM
Feast Day June 18
Image via Trinity Stores

A hearty welcome to today's visitor from Zimbabwe. It has been four days since a new flag has shown up on the counter and I am delighted to see the Zimbabwean flag show up.

Yes, I do have a 3'x5' flag of Zimbabwe in my physical flag collection. The connection is as follows:
A seminarian from Zimbabwe was studying at CDSP (that's The Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California) and was friends with JoAnne Bennett. JoAnne was doing her field ed at St Cuddy's and I invited Mark Malisa to come preach. This was very exciting as it was his first time preaching. His father was a priest in Zimbabwe and through Mark we briefly had a sister-parish relationship with St Anne's, Gokwe.

I wanted to learn some music and it took lots of effort but I finally learned one Gospel chant that I still love to sing whenever I can. We sang it sometimes on Pentecost. I was the only one attempting it in nDebele but I translated it into English for the congregation. This may be a faulty version since I am doing it from memory and I know I don't have the orthography right.

Leli vangeli bo
ayisilo lokudlala
leli vangeli
lihamba ngomoyo oyingcwele
selihamba
lihamba ngomoyo oyingcwele

This holy Gospel; it should not be taken lightly.
This Gospel; the Holy Spirit gives it power.
It is moving; the Holy Spirit gives it power.


With this joyous perspective, let us pray for the people of Zimbabwe who are dealing with social upheaval, an iron-fisted regime of a president-for-life, a shattered economy, and a church torn with strife as well.

O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

May the cross of the Son of God, who is mightier than all the powers of evil, abide with you in your going out and your coming in! From the wrath of evil people, from the temptation of the devil, from all low passions that beguile the soul and body, may it guard, protect, and deliver you: and may the blessing of God the Almighty and Merciful, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.
—Adapted from the Book of Common Prayer
of the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma, and Ceylon


"Kalibusiswe Ilizwe leZimbabwe"
"Simudzai Mureza wedu WeZimbabwe"
"Blessed be the Land of Zimbabwe"

UPDATE:
I forgot to mention. I was ordained a minister of the Gospel (as a Baptist) on the feast of Bernard Mizeki, catechist and martyr in Mashonaland.

UPDATE2:

Thanks to Padre Mickey who remembered Mark's last name.  With the memory jog I can affirm that it was Malisa.
--the BB