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“Our joy must outweigh every sorrow”: Catholic Archbishop in Nigeria on Gaudete Sunday

Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama with parishioners of the Holy Trinity Catholic Parish of his Metropolitan See. Credit: Abuja Archdiocese

By ACI Africa Staff

Abuja, 18 December, 2023 / 9:00 pm (ACI Africa).

“Our joy must outweigh every sorrow,” Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese in Nigeria has said in his homily on December 17, Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday of Advent that invites the people of God to “rejoice always” as is captured in Philippians 4:4.

Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama, who was presiding over Holy Mass at the Holy Trinity Catholic Parish of his Metropolitan See emphasized the significant place of the person of Jesus Christ in God’s plan for human salvation.

“No catastrophe can diminish or extinguish the joy of God’s greatest gift to us in Jesus Christ,” Archbishop Kaigama said, and continued, “Even amid life’s uncertainties, sufferings, and hardship, we are called to Christian joy. Our joy must outweigh every sorrow.”

He went on to highlight negative effects of life devoid of joy. He said, “When there is no joy, people easily turn to crimes of all sorts as we are witnessing.”

“Crimes in Nigeria keep increasing because there is poverty, social deprivation, unemployment, and lack of social security,” Archbishop Kaigama said.

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He continued, “Our experiences of violence, bloodshed, the inhuman behavior of kidnapping, corruption, unemployment, high inflation and cases of terror attacks and other problems Nigeria is facing may seem to blur this holy joy, plunging many into hopelessness and sadness.”

The Nigerian Catholic Church leader went on to underscore the need reject evil, treat everyone with dignity, and speak out against injustices and all wrongdoing in the country in the example of Jesus Christ and at His command.

“When we embrace Christ, our lives undergo a remarkable transformation; divine light illumines our path, and we can navigate life’s journey with greater clarity,” said the Local Ordinary of Nigeria’s Abuja Archdiocese since November 2019.

He added, “Even when we face persecutions like John the Baptist, we should remember that though weeping may last through the night, great joy comes before dawn.”

Humility is the greatest virtue that Nigerians can learn from John the Baptist who understood that he was not the light but a humble witness, Archbishop Kaigama said, and urged the candidates he was to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation to be witnesses of the light of Christ.

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“As soldiers of Christ, your faith must be strong and love for others genuine, beyond boundaries or barriers. Speak the truth and shame the devil; demonstrate that there can be joy of heart even in the face of adversity,” the Catholic Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in April 1995 as Bishop of Nigeria’s Jalingo Diocese said. 

ACI Africa Staff

ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. ACI Africa is proud to offer free access to its news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, and websites, in order to increase awareness of the activities of the universal Church and to foster a sense of Catholic thought and culture in the life of every Catholic.

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