Christians urged to remember their roots

By Remmy Nweke

Parish priest of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Awba-Ofemili in Awka-North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Reverend Father John Chibuike Offor, has urged Nigerian Christians to always remember their roots and mostly the home parishes wherever they may be.

This he said, could be done both in spiritual life through prayers and God’s blessings.

He also urged them to sustain their brotherhood so as to be a source of encouragement for one another.

Speaking at a sermon last Sunday at a special session with parishioners of St. Paul’s in Lagos State, Fr. Offor tasked Christians and the parishioners particularly to always give thanks to God no matter the situation, because its only God’s spirit in man that sustains him.

According to him, Christians living outside their home towns must realise that the source of whatever they have become originates from God Almighty and their home towns, stressing that if at the beginning they were not well-raised, it would become problematic to the society and even the town itself.

“Whatever you have ordinarily looks common but its something special in other environment,” he declared, citing for instance that in Awba-Ofemili most indigenes could afford to reject rice as a common food because it is abundantly produced in that community.

“But for those who do not have it as common food, they would grab it with two hands when offered,” he noted.

Hence, he reiterated the need for them at all times give thanks to God for his mercies, adding that their status in life as of today, did not start today or where they are residing presently, but their roots.

“Whatever you are does not start today, but from your origin or root. So this must be recognised, in order to appreciate your home town. From time to time show appreciation to God for whatever you are and what you have,” he pointed out.

Fr. Offor further asked the parishioners to stand out in their various calling by remaining good citizens and contributing their good quota in moving the nation forward.

In addition, he said that 2007 annual bazaar has been fixed for Thursday, December 27, at St. Paul’s parish compound, Awba-Ofemili and invited them to take active part in this year’s event.

Welcoming the priest on behalf of St. Paul's Awba-Ofemili parishioners in Lagos, their leader, Mr. Bernard Chidebe, assured of their unequivocal support for both the upcoming bazaar and other projects on-going in the parish.

He added that God willing, most of them would be home to physically grace the occasion and expressed appreciation for the priest’s visit to know how his faithful are doing outside the parish.

Readings were taken from Kings 5: 14-17, letter of St. Paul to Timothy 2: 8-13 and Luke 17: 11-19.

‘Muslims, non-Catholics can belong to JDPC’

By Remmy Nweke

Muslims and other non-Catholics could belong to the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), according to the chairman, Publicity and Enlightenment Committee of the commission at St. Jude’s Catholic Church, Mafoluku-Oshodi, Lagos, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke.

“Muslims, Pagans and non-Catholics can be members of the JDPC,” she declared.

Speaking at a one-day annual animation workshop for JDPC members in the parish, on “Foundation of JDPC,” she said that even before the creation of JDPC by Pope Paul VI in January 1967, the church had always talked and advocated about justice and peace in the society.

She stressed that the fathers of the church were precise in their choice of the commission as an instrument to boost harmonious living of all in the society despite their religious background.

She pointed out that following the adoption of the commission by the Synod of Bishops’ second general assembly on November 30 1971, JDPC teachings cut across the society, thus, “Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the gospel.”

In other words, she noted that the church’s mission is for the redemption of human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation through actions of JDPC, and advised members to see their contributions as part of evangelism.

Mrs. Nweke quoted Luke 4:18-21 to buttress her point, saying “The spirit is upon me because he has chosen me to bring goodnews to the poor. Proclaim liberty to captives, sight to the blind and to set free the oppressed.”

Equally speaking on “Human rights, justice and the church” Mr. Elona Agu, noted that the evolution of human rights began since time immemorial with human societies holding basic notions of fairness, freedom, equality and justice.

“Over time, countries of the world began to promulgate human rights through various instruments,” he said, highlighting that the famous instruments in this regard included the Magna Carta of 1215 in England which was a charter meant to put the then King under the law and limit his powers.

This, he also said, included the provision of the rights to fair trial in the famous words, followed by the English Bill of Rights of 1689, American Declaration of Independence of 1776 and the French Declaration of the rights of man and citizen of 1789 among others, which emphasised on the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, even as the Nigerian constitution with particular reference of the rule of law and fundamental human rights sessions cannot be over emphasised.

He therefore enjoined members of JDPC to ensure they are proactive, knowledgeable about current affairs in the society so as to keep pace with events in their communities and eventually contribute their quota in growing the society.

Earlier in his comment, Coordinator, JDPC at St. Jude’s parish, Mr. Charles Ukwuoma, while harping on the role of civil society groups in transformation of the society, outlined that what happens in a given society is determined largely by how the society is organised.

“The forces in operation in the society makes things happen the way they happen,” he declared.

According to him, the root causes of social injustice rest on how a given society is structured through the evolution of upper, middle and lower classes respectively.

He explained that most civil society like JDPC exist basically to bridge this gap in the society so as to bring about transformation, hence they are agents of change and play vital role.