Use Lenten Practices To Improve World Peace, Harmony—Bishop Badejo

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Monday, February 28th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo has advised Christians to use the 2022 lenten practices such as: self-examination, fasting, prayer, almsgiving and reconciliation to make the world more peaceful, charitable and harmonious.
Badejo stated this in his lenten message he gave ahead of the Christian lenten period that would start on Wednesday, March 2,
in Lagos.
African Examiner reports that the 40 days’ period of lent prior to the celebration of Easter, begins on Ash Wednesday and is an annual call to conversion, prayer, fasting and almsgiving among Christians .
According to Badejo, lent is a period of renewal, retreat and spiritual rehabilitation which everybody needs.
This period, he said, is always helpful to cleanse the human soul and the spirit of the permanent pleasure and fun that had corroded it as the new year begins .
“It is also a period of reconciliation since, wherever we live and relate with others, we are bound to offend or hurt each other.
“Nigerians need so much of that today in order to reduce wickedness, injustice, anger, conflict and bloodshed in our nation.
“We must take better care of the poor and needy, repent and change our ways for the better and so be made ready for our salvation because that is the purpose of the period of lent,” Badejo said.
He, however, noted that those who did not celebrate lent in prayer, almsgiving, self- denial and fasting had an entirely different understanding of Jesus and their relationship with him.
The bishop stressed that Christians simply should not be taking only what is pleasant in Christianity while leaving aside the salvific suffering, fasting and prayer aspects.
“One can ask, if we celebrate only Christ’s glory and victory, how can we participate in his mission and salvation?
“Our world is not yet perfect, so the friends of Jesus need to constantly make themselves better and partake in his mission of making the world a better place for the conversion of sinners and saving of souls.
“In daily life, true friends and lovers desire to share each other’s lives, pains, sorrows, joy and victories and listen to one another.
“Christians who are truly friends of Jesus must desire to experience what he experienced, to share his life and live in his love,” Badejo said. (NAN)