Consecration Into A Noble Service Of Praise

Lord, grant the prayers of your people. Prepare the hearts of your servants for consecration to your service. By the grace of the Holy Spirit purify them from all sin, and set them on fire with your love…

Customised yellow and blue canopies of the Benedictine Monastery, Ewu-Esan, along the Benin-Auchi Road, Edo State, gaily, formed a loosed rectangular parade on the event arcade of the religious community. And the atmosphere was truly vivacious: gaily dressed men and women; youngsters running uninhibited, here and there, manifesting innocuous fun; the mirthful and dutiful staff of Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories inching their way onto the grounds, with darting glances on a lookout for their ubiquitous supervisors, and sitting, deliberately, on the back rows, to make it easier for them to pick their way, in quick paces, to their official posts.

The hymnal rendition of the choir that has been thrilling guests on the arcade stops, rather abruptly, as the Benedictine Monks worm their way in short, measured and practiced steps from the well-tendered lawn of the private guest house behind the public chapel, chanting! Leading the Rev. Brothers is a fellow monk, a Novice, bearing a medium-sized ancient African earthenware pot, emitting dark-grayish smoke in melodious somersaults of pleasant fragrance of incense, signaling the beginning of the religious event of the day.

Monks! These gentlemen, who minutes earlier smiled and exchanged cautious pleasantries with their guests, appeared, momentarily elevated into some sort of religious firmament. All of them, as if on cue, bore a withdrawn, sober and deeply introspective mien. The order of proceedings in their hands, they treaded their way onto the arcade, chanting harmoniously, while ignoring the probing eyes of the palpably curious guests.

The day is Saturday, November 21, 2009: the event is the solemn monastic profession of Rev. Bros. Francis Oguche, OSB, and Leo Onyidu, OSB. It was the day both gentlemen took their final monastic vows of obedience, solitude, prayers, and supplication and thanksgiving to God in heaven, to live thereafter in a life-long communal fellowship of the Benedictine brotherhood.

The Superior of The Ewu Benedictine Community, Fr. Prior Vincent Mordi, welcomed guests who had come to witness the solemn profession of Bros. Frances and Leo. He swept his gaze through the canopies, nodding gently at the guests, before explaining: "1500 years ago, St. Benedict would have a man profess his monastic vows once for all after one year in the novitiate. Church law since then has deferred this life-long commitment for some years, but the essence of the vows remains the same. To support these young Brothers who are about to commit themselves to God in accordance with the Rule of our Holy Father, St. Benedict, may we join them in prayer and reflection".

He paused and breathed: "Up at Last!" He then gave a brief exultation from the Prologue of St. Benedict.

"Now is the hour to rise from sleep!

Today, if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts!

Come, my children, listen to me, I shall teach you the fear of the Lord.

Run while you still have the light of light, that the darkness of dead may not overtake you!

While Bro. Francis read the First Reading, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening", from the book of Samuel, Bro. Leo, did the Second Reading, "Over all, to keep them together and complete them, put on love", from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians.

The Gospel: "We have left everything and followed you", taken from the Holy Gospel, according to Mark was read by Rev. Fr. Benedict Nkwuda. The Prior began his injunction, with a song: "This is the day that the Lord has made". Guests, thoroughly impressed, sang, clapped and danced warmly with Fr. Mordi as he danced and shook away the infirmities of old age.

He told a moving story on what transpired when students of the Assemblies of God Church visited the monastery in the course of their excursion. Some of the students, he disclosed, asked what young men like Bros. Francis and Leo, were doing in a sequestered place like St. Benedict Monastery in Ewu. Some of the visiting students, he continued, were so surprised they remarked that the relatively young brothers must be mad to choose a Spartan life of perpetual solitude.

Fr. Vincent raised up his head; paused momentarily for effect; with the audience in rapt anticipatory silence, he stressed; "One of the senior Brothers, also a Rev. Fr. then replied the students: 'We are mad for God'. Monastic life is a life of community. Your child is no longer your child. Both Bros. Francis and Leo have by their solemn vows become the children of God."

He stated: "By virtue of their consecration, God has made them like himself and they now carry with them the voice of God. God has today filled them with his Holy Spirit and imbued them with His wisdom. Henceforth, they will now live in the way of the Catholic Church in the Holy Monastic Tradition".

Then, he paused again, so, that the families of the two young monks can soak in the impact of the day's event: "They are now like arrows of the church, moving forth and forward; they will live here with us, work with us and fellowship with us. It is a journey in solitude: always moving forward and never looking backward. They will henceforth live and practice love."

"We are not conducting a graduation because there is no graduation in the monastic life. They will continue to share our legacy of love which is our greatest attribute as monks. I hope and pray they will grow in the grace of the Lord and be remembered in the future for their love", he emphasised to signal the end of his homily.

Then a heightened shuffling of feet in the altar indicated that the solemn rite of profession to launch Bros. Francis and Leo, by their own volition, to resolve to unite themselves more closely with God by a bond of perpetual profession was about to commence.

The sun shone brightly in the sky and the heat was scorching. Fellow brothers prevailed on Fr. Prior to conduct the solemn rite from the altar but he politely declined, insisting he would move down to the foot of the altar in furtherance of the monastic tradition. He did assisted by Fr. Joseph Udo Udo, OSB, Bro. Micheal Asogwa, OSB, and Fr. Aurelius Jibril, OSB,who is also Master of Ceremony for the Benedictine Community in Ewu.

Seated under an umbrella held for upward of an hour by Bro. Asogwa, OSB, The Prior reeled out four traditional questions to the affirmative response of the professing Brothers, including this question that drew infectious emotions from the guests and family members: "Are you prepared to live for God alone in stability, monastic life and obedience"?

With everyone kneeling down, including all finally professed monks, who wore their cowls and formed a circle that terminated where The Prior was seated; the Litany of the Saints was chanted in Igbo, while Bros. Francis and Bro. Leo prostrated on a mat, covered with a white loin cloth that had two palm fronts placed on them.

After the Litany of the Saints which is chanted to invoke the spirits of the departed saints to intercede on behalf the professing Brothers, they read their charts, written by them expressing their willingness to live forever as monks. The Prior asked them to sign them which they did on the altar and show them to the senior Brothers, individually, then the guests, which express their appreciation for the courage of the professed monks with a lingering applause when each Brother lifted up his chat.

Bros. Francis and Leo kneeling down, hands across their chest, resting on the opposite shoulder, the audience joins them in singing the Suscipe: Uphold me, Oh Lord as you have promised, and I shall live; Do not let my hope be in vain.