{"id":17734,"date":"2022-04-10T20:53:10","date_gmt":"2022-04-10T20:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.withinnigeria.com\/broadnews\/?p=17734"},"modified":"2022-04-10T20:53:10","modified_gmt":"2022-04-10T20:53:10","slug":"kaigama-enjoins-christians-to-renew-their-commitment-to-serve-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.withinnigeria.com\/broadnews\/2022\/04\/10\/kaigama-enjoins-christians-to-renew-their-commitment-to-serve-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Kaigama enjoins Christians to renew their commitment to serve God"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0The Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Ignatius Kaigama, has advised Christians not to judge and condemn but to renew their commitment to stay with Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

He said that Christians<\/a>` victory lay in their endurance of hardship, suffering and pains.<\/p>\n

Kaigama made this known on Sunday during a pastoral visit to St. Michael\u2019s Parish, Jikwoyi, for the Feast of Palm Sunday where he also administered the Sacrament of Confirmation on 121 candidates.<\/p>\n

Palm Sunday commemorates the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem<\/a> where palm branches were placed in his path, before his arrest on Holy Thursday and his crucifixion on Good Friday.<\/p>\n

It thus marks the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Lent.<\/p>\n

According to Kaigama, the highest demonstration of the love of God for humanity is captured in John 3:16 where it is stated that \u201cGod so loved the world that he gave his only begotten so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life\u201d.<\/p>\n

He also said that the undefiled and unconditional love Jesus<\/a> showed us was the same love we are to show to the poor, the lowly, the marginalised and the less privileged in the society.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the story of the suffering and death of Jesus, we understand that suffering is part of our human existence.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes in the midst of what we suffer we tend to
\nthink that God has forsaken us but God does not neglect us.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe suffering we sometimes undergo is meant to help us get to where God wants us to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhenever we see ourselves going through some forms of suffering, let us remember that our Lord Jesus Christ had the same experience, but emerged victorious<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He urged Christians to unite their sufferings with His in order to also share in His glory.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus teaches us humility today. We are told that Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey<\/a>, a symbol of peace.<\/p>\n

\u201cJesus`s humility contrasted with the majesty of worldly leaders, who would ride on horses and sometimes over the prostrated bodies of their foes.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy this, Jesus is teaching leaders to live simply and to give up a lot of their excesses for the good of their people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The archbishop said the poor and needy, largely the victims of bad and corrupt governance, were often made to suffer and sacrifice for the comfort of their
\nleaders.<\/p>\n

He further said they were victims of social, economic, political exploitation and manipulation.<\/p>\n

Kaigama said the corrupt<\/a> leaders sought their personal interests instead of what brought progress, national growth and sustainable development.<\/p>\n

He advised leaders to show their followers, especially the youth, the example that wishing and dreaming big alone were not enough to make them who they wished to be.<\/p>\n

He advised leaders to let the youth understand that they could only achieve this through hard work and honesty.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe victims of kidnapping, banditry and Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria are crying and asking: \u201cMy God, My God, why have you forsaken us?\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that it was the same cry in the hearts of many Nigerian youths and students who were forced to stay at home due to no fault of theirs.<\/p>\n

Kaigama, however, said that in spite of the pains and fears, Nigerians were hopeful of triumph<\/a> someday, somehow, by God\u2019s grace.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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