The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, the nation’s capital, His Grace, Ignatius Kaigama says it remains impossible for Nigerian government to fully tackle insecurity without involving women in policy-making and implementation.
Archbishop Kaigama stated this in his message as the Catholic Women Organisation mark the 2022 Mother’s Day at the Divine Mercy Pastoral Area, Karu, Abuja.
The Cleric who described mothers as the pillars of the home, also noted that they could positively influence their husbands and children to build a culture of peace, honest dialogue and harmony. In his words “Today, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, we ask God to bless all mothers and make them channels of God’s grace to transform our society, wounded and corrupted in many ways. The degree of violence visited on Nigerians, recently, in many parts of the country shows clearly the lack of compassion and forgiveness by the perpetrators. Nigerians are yelling, grumbling and complaining about the deteriorating situation of poverty and insecurity, they are very eager that university students should return to school, people should feel safe in their homes, markets, schools, public gatherings, airports, trains and highways. Preachers, at any given opportunity, condemn the lack lustre performance and the mismanagement of resources by government officials.”
He added that “Preachers must not however forget to urge individual Nigerians to an examination of conscience. The Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 only saw the sins of the tax collector, not his own! While we agree that the hardships we are encountering are a result of the incompetence, insensitivity and mismanagement by political leaders, we must not fail to be self-critical, to flash the torch on our hearts to see the sins that the Bible says come from inside our hearts and defile and pollute us and our nation.”
He further stated that, “today, the sense of sin is gradually being eroded. Sin is rationalised. Conscience seems to be dead.”
The day was celebrated alongside Divine Mercy Sunday globally.
It could be recalled that Saint Pope John Paul II declared that the Sunday after Easter be called “Divine Mercy Sunday”. St. Faustina who was a Polish nun received a vision of Jesus wearing a white garment with beams of red and white coming from His heart, which came to be known as the image of the Divine Mercy.
On the degree of violence visited on Nigerians recently in many parts of the country Archbishop Kaigama likened such to “lack of compassion and forgiveness by the perpetrators of such violence. On this day therefore, we focus on the gift of mercy and love given through the death and resurrection of Christ. In Isaiah 54:10, God says, “For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you.”
Our first reading records the activities of the believers during the initial moments of Christianity. Through the words and works of Peter, many were added to the group of believers (cf. Acts 5:14), and as the second reading says, even during trials and tribulations, He who was dead but now lives is always with the believers, surrounding them with mercy at all times. In the vision of John during his banishment on the island of Patmos, the Lord spoke to him as He speaks to us, ‘Do not be afraid; it is I, the First and the Last; I am the Living One’ (Rev. 1:18-19). As Jesus visits his timid disciples assembled with troubled minds, He said to them: “Peace be with you” and He breathed on them saying: “Receive the Holy Spirit” and gave them the power to forgive sins (cf. Jn 20:23)
He therefore invites Nigerians to forgive each other as God forgives the sins of mankind” just as He forgave the woman caught in adultery and the thief crucified with Him and when we go to confession, we should also be willing to forgive others their failings; to show mercy to others (cf. Luke 6:36), as Christ assures us that they are blessed who are merciful for they shall obtain mercy (cf. Mt. 5:7). We must avoid the attitude of the unforgiving servant whose massive debt was forgiven by the king but would not forgive a smaller debt owed to him by a fellow servant (cf. Mt. 18:21-35).”
Ime N
