Archbishop Abegunrin: What we see God do, we are expected to carry on

The celebration of the birth of Christ has been described as a missionary mandate on the part of the Christian faithful to continue Christ’s redemptive mission by extending the love and mercy of God to neighbours, especially the poor and the needy.

This was the central message in the homily of Nigeria’s Catholic Archbishop of Ibadan, Gabriel 'Leke Abegunrin, during the celebration of the 2016 Christmas Day Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral Church, Oke Padi, Ibadan, Oyo State.

According to the Metropolitan of Ibadan Archdiocese, the example of great love, the mercy and humility of Jesus, who in spite of being God, came into the world assuming human flesh and was born in the manger becomes a mission for all the faithful to extend the same to all persons. He emphasised:  “What we see God do, we are expected to carry on.” The Archbishop continued, “there are no few opportunities to do this. The current state of our nation; the circumstances of the lives of individuals makes this an essential duty for all Christians. “What Jesus brings to us at this time is peace. Peace among men,” said Archbishop Abegunrin.

The Archbishop also urged the faithful to think and care for the less privileged.

 “We must remember that many people go to bed hungry every night; some people are living with disability; there are communities without health care centres; people spending hours looking for a bucket of water and those abandoned because of sickness, old age or other conditions of life,” the Archbishop said.

The Metropolitan of Ibadan called upon the faithful to be concerned about the happenings around them and to be security conscious; eschew hatred, avoid rumours; shun selfishness, greed and materialism. He urged the faithful to be watchful, careful, patient and courageous. The faithful must be Christ-like in all facets of Life.

 (CNSNg.org)

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