Sometimes life confronts us with options that are very hard to choose from. Again, one of the age long enigmas is the fact that, at every given time, we are compelled to choose from these options even when they are unfriendly. Such was my lot in quite a recent while.

I got up that morning feeling so unfriendly towards myself. I tried figuring out what the problem was but every attempt to do that proved abortive. Certainly, I did not know what the matter was but obviously, I knew there was something I was yet to discover.

With the above feelings, I came home after morning Mass and told my cook not to care fixing my breakfast. With this, I made my way to my room and without pulling my legalise I prostrated on my bed to take care of the sleep deficit I had the previous night. Just then my phone rang; it was the Bishop’s secretary. Without the usual pleasantries, he calmly said ” Fr Mike, the Bishop wants to speak with you” with this, he handed over the phone.

At this point, I remembered immediately what one of our lecturers, Fr. Dr Bona Ugwu use to tell us then while in the seminary, that ” a Bishop does not call a priest just to ask him how he is doing or whether he has eaten” I knew there was something. I waited to hear what it was. A voice from the other end said ” Fr Michael, see me today in my office by 11 AM on the dot. Which priest will not say yes ‘My Lord in this case?

I got there quite earlier than the time he gave me. Patiently I waited while seconds became minutes and minutes metamorphose into hours. Then it was the hour. While I was about to go into the office, the woman suddenly appeared with a baby. She passed as though she never took notice of me. She opened Bishop’s office and went. Her face wore the confidence that spoke clearly that she was also invited by the Bishop and that was her hour to go in.

After about ten minutes ( if my calculation was correct any) I was called in. I went in, and without much ado, the Bishop began ” Fr Michael, there is a problem”. “It’s been a year and, since the spiritual Director at St Kizito Seminary died. Seminarians are in dare need of a replacement. After broad consultations, we have agreed that you are appointed the seminary spiritual director in addition to other functions you are handling. This woman is the seminary cashier, she will take you to where the Rector is fixing his car so that two of you will agree on how you are to go about the function if you agree to help us out in that capacity.

One of the functions I hate in my life as a priest and have always prayed never to go near is seminary formation, haven tried it once. Here was I, confronted with this request. Again, I remembered one of my lecturers then in the seminary who once told us that when a Bishop says ” could you please, do this ” that we should never mistake it for an appeal. That it is a command. With this in mind, I said, yes to the Bishop I am willing.

This was how I ended up having all these children you see here.

My joy however lies in the fact that I may succeed in incarnating in them the desert Voice. With such several desert Voices, the world will certainly hear us.