A Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. James Ahanaonu, of the Holy Spirit Parish Onireke, Lagos, on Sunday urged Nigerians to pray for God’s healing of the land against the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.
Ahanaonu, an Associate priest, made the call in a virtual Mass celebration in Lagos to mark the 2020 Feast of the Pentecost,
He said that there was no better time to request for God’s healing of the land than this period.
He noted that the world and Nigeria in particular were experiencing difficult times of COVID-19 plague.
Pentecost, which was celebrated by Catholics with fanfare, is the 49th day from Easter Sunday and the seventh Sunday after Easter.
It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles 2:1.one of the books of the Holy Bible.
Pentecost signifies a transformation of the lives of the Apostles ahead of their gospel mission.
The theme of the message was “Replenish The Land O God”.
The priest urged Nigerians to use the period to pray to God to heal the land.
“The feast of the descended Holy Spirit as being marked today, we should pray for God’s total cleansing and purification of the land for a better human habitat.
“Examples of nations that were at a time traumatised by diseases but went to God in prayers for healing and got results, were legion in the Bible.
“He is the same God today and will be the same forever. Therefore, as His children, it is our duty to call him to heal our nation and indeed the world of the virus,” he said.
Ahanaonu charged Nigerians, especially Christians not to jettison their faith in God because of difficulties and rather should be resolute in the practice of Christianity living life worthy of emulation by others.
He added that as Jesus Christ followers, people should exhibit the tenets of love to one another, especially these difficult times.
“A lot of people can barely fend for their families but by reaching out to the have-nots with basic necessities, will encourage them to persevere,” he said.
Ahanaonu noted that as a people, the nation should ask God for forgiveness of all wrong doings and for Him to send the comforter to drive away all sicknesses in Nigeria.
Christian faithful, since the inception of the lockdown to flatten the curve of the spread of the virus, have been observing Mass from their homes through virtual sessions.
