THE NOBLE ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS AND LADIES OF MARSHALL
ADDRESS BY THE GRAND LADY, MRL ALICE STELLA AYEBI
AT THE…………………………… REGIONAL CONFERENCE
HELD AT ……………………………………..ON …………………………………..2017.
Beloved brothers and sisters of the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, I bring you warm felicitations from the Grand Court, Kumasi.
We wish to assure you of our unshaken hope and we share our comforts and peace with you in Christ.
Our theme for the year “A call to Unity, Charity, Service and Fraternity, the role of the Marshallan”,reminds us of the lives we are expected to live as Christians and Catholics.
Above all, the theme opens our minds to reflect over our past life styles and reawakens us to change our attitudes to conform to the virtues of our motto.These virtues are expressed in God’s commandments and revealed in the Holy Scriptures. Brothers and sisters, permit me to analyze the key words of the theme and stress on a few points.
UNITY
Jesus Christ fulfilled his obligation to destroy the hostility between us and God and between individuals to call for unity among us. God’s purpose for us therefore, is to unite and worship him as explicitly expressed in Philippians 3:9-12.
Christian unity is also vividly expressed in the New Testament, as the image of the early Christians posed.They worshipped and prayed together, and took decisions in harmony.
We are thus called to live harmoniously with each other with shared vision irrespective of our individual differences, background, statuses or divergence opinions. Romans 12:4-6. In unity lies strength.
CHARITY
The love of God and neighbours is theologically expressed in Catholic Cathecism to have been the purpose of God’s creation. Kindness to a person is expression of love and affection towards that person,for in Cor. 13:13, St. Paul explains that love, kindness and truth are attributes of charity.He objects to jealousy, rudeness, arrogance, irritability resentfulness, boastfulness and rejoicing over people’s failures. These attributes St Paul’s describes as vices that oppose to charity and love of God and man.
My dear brothers and sisters, why then should true Marshallans, live with hatred, vindictiveness, revengefulness, pull him/her down syndromes that scare people away in our Noble Organization?
Remember, charity is indeed a call to sacrifice. Rom 12:1. Let us sacrifice our interests and favourable desires to satisfy others.
SERVICE
Service is the ability to access the needs of our fellow beings and provide them with the needed support. Service to mankind is service to God. Gal 5:13, Col 3:23. True service to God and mankind is exemplified by Abraham, Moses, Jacob, Mary Madgalene etc in the Holy Scriptures.
Service is a necessary characteristic of Christian stewardship. Its attributes are humility, obedience, truthfulness and sacrifice. These are essential tools that lead us to eternity.
Luke 22:26 Mark 10:15.Hence, services that we render and boast of them, cheat people indirectly or publicize it to undermine the integrity or personality of people we help are spiritually valueless.
Service is synonymous with Christian stewardship.Marshallans who are in authority must be servants rather than to be the Lords, for, “Who so ever must be great among you must be your servant”. Mark 10:45. Justice,firmness,fairness and trustworthiness are hallmarks that maintain peace and order in groups and in contemporal society.
FRATERNITY
We are called to be in close partnership with the leaders of our faith and the community at large for the common good of mankind. It is crucial therefore to support our weaker brothers and sisters, priests, the religious, the church and the vulnerable in society. Brotherly and sisterly love, means making an effort to rejoice with each other over one’s achievement and to bear agony with one another in time of sorrow.
To conclude our strength lies in the sacraments of our faith. The graces we receive nourish our lives to attain the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We must therefore endeavour to live self-giving Christian lives and be united, charitable serviceable and fraternize among ourselves and with people beyond our friends, faith, family, ethnic groups and political bounds.
We are called to be truthful in all our endeavor without fear of favor. Our call demands that we must confront unjust society, wrong structures and all negativities.
Remember, Marshallans, that our perceptions, attitudes, behaviours and choices portray our qualities and characteristics that identify us to be true Marshallans and for that matter Catholics.
May the Holy Spirit, our Mother Mary and St. Anthony of Padua guide us in our responses to the call to Unity Charity Service and Fraternity.
Thank you.