The Jesuit Retreat Moderator, Rev. Fr. Edmund Agorhom, SJ, has challenged the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus (HHCJ), Ghana Province, to allow their lives and actions to reflect the Gospel they profess, stressing that authentic Christian transformation begins from within.
Fr. Agorhom made the call in a homily on the third day of the HHCJ annual retreat on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Our Lady of the Annunciation Novitiate of the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus, Ghana Province, Nsoatre-Sunyani.
Reflecting on the influence of example in Christian formation, Fr. Agorhom observed that much of what shapes people is not simply what they are taught but what they see and experience in the lives of others.
Drawing inspiration from St. Paul’s teaching on imitation, he encouraged the sisters to recognize that Christian life is communicated powerfully through witness. According to him, religious life calls for consistency between what one professes and how one lives.
Fr. Agorhom noted that he had heard young religious sisters express concerns about experiences within religious life, sometimes speaking prophetically about how they would act differently if they found themselves in similar situations.
He challenged the sisters to take such experiences seriously and ask themselves why, when they eventually find themselves in positions of responsibility, they sometimes repeat the very behaviours they once criticized.
“If we experience what we do not like and find ourselves in such a position, why don’t we change?” he asked, urging the sisters to become agents of the transformation they desire to see in their communities.
He stressed that transforming religious communities cannot begin with others but must first begin with oneself and from the heart.
The Jesuit priest cautioned religious against the danger of becoming like the Pharisees, who spoke about God’s law but failed to allow their actions to correspond with their words.
According to him, the contemporary world needs more than words from Christians and religious; it needs authentic witnesses whose lives demonstrate the message they proclaim.
“We live in a world that demands action, not too much talk. They want to see us walk the talk,” the retreat preacher emphasized.
He, therefore, invited the sisters to undertake a sincere examination of conscience by looking into the mirror of their lives and asking: “Do I embody the Gospel?”
Fr. Agorhom further encouraged the retreatants to pray for the grace to live lives that truly embody the Gospel, stressing that Christian witness requires more than preaching or speaking about Christ.
He reminded the sisters that their communities, apostolates and relationships can only experience meaningful transformation when each person takes personal responsibility for living the values of the Gospel.
The homily concluded with a call to authentic Christian imitation—following Christ not merely through words but through daily actions, attitudes and relationships.
The Sisters were encouraged to become living witnesses of the Gospel so that those who encounter them may not only hear about Christ but also see Christ reflected in their lives.
By Sr. Emmanuella Dakurah, HHCJ, (Catholic Sister Communicators network-Ghana, CASCON-GH)
