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Easter season for love, not for material celebrations—Bishop Ezeokafor

 




By Okechukwu Onuegbu


As Christians all over the world celebrate Easter, the Catholic bishop of Awka Diocese, His Lordship Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor, has admonished Nigerians to love one another, stressing that it was what God demonstrated to mankind by offering his son Jesus to be born and crucified for our salvation.


Ezeokafor, in an Easter message he delivered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Awka, said that Easter is the greatest Christian celebration, as it called for sober reflection and preparation for life after death.


He, therefore, urged Nigerians to deemphasize the quest for materialism and inordinate ambition to make it by all means, which according to him often time, expose people to evil and fake prophets.


“Esther is the greatest celebration to Christians. It is when we should reflect on how God gifted His son to mankind; to come and die for our redemption. It is greatest time to show love. He came, suffered and died for our salvation. Christ foresaw what he was to pass through yet he persevered.


“ But today, some don’t want to suffer. They are being brainwashed not to believe that they should suffer once they are Christians. It is not true. We must suffer if we must achieve or gain something good in life. Christ carried the cross for us and allowed Himself to be killed beside robbers. We should rather be praying for God not to give us the cross we cannot carry. We should forgo material gains to those things that can make us see heaven,” Ezeokafor stated. 


On COVID-19, the Bishop praised God for sparing Africans from it devastating impacts as earlier expected , even as he enjoined Nigerians to embrace COVID-19 vaccination.


 ‘'Humans, as images of god have dual personality, the physical which is temporary and spiritual which is eternal and there is need for us take more care of ourselves. As we celebrate, let us call to mind the situation in our country and make conscious effort to make it better.


“It is for the grace of God that we were not wiped out by COVID-19 because considering the death toll in Europe and America, it was expected that when it comes here, we will all be dead. Thank God for sparing us, now they are talking about vaccine, I encourage everyone to take the vaccine because they are good antidotes to health issues. Government can help address vaccine hesitancy by being more sincere with the people so that can be trusted the more,” he added. 


On the security challenges and deaths in Nigeria, the prelate called for decentralisation of the police to enable states and regions have greater influence on the protection of life and property of the people,  arguing that the current structure had failed.


He further condemned attacks on communities and security agencies across the country by unknown gunmen, urging the government intervention.


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