Editor
…Confirm faithfuls at St Joseph Catholic Church, Adeleye, Ota
By Fabian Ogochukwu
The Catholic Bishop of Abeokuta Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Odetoyinbo, has urged Catholic faithfuls to be committed to the Mission of Christ, who called them out of darkness to His wonderful light.
Odetoyinbo made the call at St Joseph Catholic Church, Adeleye, Ota on Sunday October 20, 2024, while delivering a sermon to celebrate Mission Sunday and to administer the sacrament of confirmation on members of the church.
According to him, everyone is invited to the Kingdom and mission of Christ, whether you belong to the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), Catholic Women Organisation (CWO), Catholic Men Organisation(CMO), etc, etc.
“Everyone is invited to preach the Good News to set the downtrodden free, to heal the sick and to encourage those who are weak.
“Jesus urges all of us to go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News.
“We are urged to proclaim liberty to worship God and to encounter God,” Odetoyinbo said.
He said that it was God’s desire that we celebrate Mission Sunday by confirming our Children in the Holy Spirit.
“Our celebration today is a reminder that each one of us is committed to the mission of Christ.
“It is a parental responsibility to bring your children forward for the reception of the sacraments, Odetoyinbo said.
The bishop noted that there are different missionary organisations that promote the mission of Christ in the world.
“This shows that the church is alive,” Odetoyinbo said.
He said that every year, the Mission Sunday collection goes to Rome and it is shared among all the Catholic churches in the world to promote the work of mission and evangelisation.
“The one that came to us last year came to us from the children of Columbia.
“Abeokuta Diocese came 7th position last year for the mission Sunday collection made throughout the country.
“This shows the solidarity in the mission of the church and subsidiarity in sharing the goods of the church,” Odetoyinbo said.
“The basis of our total commitment is mission, outside that there is no Catholic church.
“We are sent on mission to preach and to teach the Good News of Christ.
“That is why the church has remained committed to the mission of Christ for over 2000 years.
“Every commitment and contribution you make to the church is for the sake of promoting the mission of the church.
“Every society in the church, therefore, is working and must be seen to be working for the greater glory of Christ through the mission of the church.
“There should be commitment, dedication, peace, charity because we all are working in the mission of Christ,” Odetoyinbo said.
The bishop frowned against rivalries among and between societies in the church, adding that it was a sign that those concerned do not understand the mission of the church.
He charged the newly confirmed to go into the world to confront sin and conquer the works of the devil.
He urged them to be through soldiers of Christ and committed members of the church.
The bishop urged members of the church to constantly and consistently invoke the Holy Spirit to enable them accomplish the mission of the church.
The bishop advised the newly confirmed and the entire youths in the church to run away from hard drugs in order to live a better life.
He admonished parents with the following words:
“Don’t say my child does not know; your child knows more than you know.
“My dear children don’t take it, don’t sniff it and don’t smell it.
“If you do it, your life will be wasted, your parents investment in you will be wasted and your faith will be wasted.”
He urged the young ones to go to school and be serious with their studies, adding that the Holy Spirit will help them to succeed.
