“Our day of glory will come”: Catholic Archbishop in Nigeria Calls for Patience, Hope amid Hardships

Archbishop Kaigama further encouraged Nigerians to cultivate a strong spirit of hope, inner strength, resilience and perseverance even in the face of frustration, demoralization, and discouragement.

He called on the people of God in Nigeria to utilize the Advent season by developing their inner tenacity and the spirit of resistance, which enables them to remain hopeful while preparing for the coming of the good with active trust.

“Every good thing takes place before it comes,” he said.

Archbishop Kaigama referred to the challenges and the time some developed countries took to transform, saying, “It took them long years, some even centuries, to discover the relevance of the rule of law and the importance of democracy. They went through wars, destruction, and inhuman treatment of one another before they reached their present stage of development.”

 “While it should not take Nigeria the same length of time and fierce destruction of lives, we are expected to do better than we are doing today, we should be able to afford the basics of life; good roads, potable water, good schools, hospitals, good social insurance scheme for all and not only for the few rich while the others are wallowing in hunger, poverty and social deprivation,” he said.

More in Africa

“Faith must be lived within a community”: Bishop to Parishioners of St. Austin, Kenya’s Oldest Inland Catholic Parish

Read the article

The Local Ordinary of Abuja encouraged Nigerians to work, as they remain faithful in God and patient as they await their turn, just as the farmer does with crops.

“Patience and constancy are truly a synthesis between human commitment and confidence in God. While our government, with the support of the international community, works hard to eliminate insecurity, we cannot trust only in human weapons of bombs, sophisticated guns, drones, and the latest technology of war,” he said.

“Establish your hearts”, Scripture says; help is not lacking; it is the Word of God. In fact, while everything else passes and changes, the Word of the Lord is not transient. If the events of life make us feel bewildered and every certainty seems to crumble, we have a compass to guide us, we have an anchor to prevent us from drifting away from the word of God, the vitamins for our souls,” he added.

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.