By Uchenna Eletuo
Rev. Father Anthony Okereke of Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Onireke, Ojo, Lagos, has urged Christians to use the Lenten period to plead for God’s mercy and exoneration of sins.
Okereke, made the declaration on Wednesday in Lagos during the parish’s morning Mass to mark the 2022 Ash Wednesday.
He said the Lenten period was unique for its observance of intermittent prayers, fasting and sacrifices that could move God’s benevolence toward man.
According to him, the period is when God’s grace is mostly released for miracles and atonement of sin, for supplication to be attended to and uncommon miracles to be received by mankind.
The priest, who administered ash on the foreheads of the faithful, urged people to use the period of lent to seek Gods face in repentance of sins, saying such prayers would be heeded now than before.
He also tasked leaders worldwide especially in the country to use the 40 days of the Lenten season to make sacrifices in management of the country, to lessen social strife in the country.
“The season is one that people are expected to fast, pray and pour out their hearts to God and come out of sins and show love and care to one another for a better society.
“The sign of ash administered on the faithful is to show that from ash we come from to ash we shall go back to.
“That goes to show that people should live simple and service-oriented life devoid of bad blood, hate and acrimony.
“The mother church is using this period to urge people to pause from materialism, carnality and interface with God through consecrated prayers, fasting and self denial,” he added.
The priest decried the unwholesome organised crimes among the youth and admonished younger ones to emulate the life and times of Jesus Christ that impacted positively on mankind as a youth.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event attracted worshippers from other denomination that came to be consecrated for the season.(NAN)
