Bishop Emmanuel Badejo of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo has appealed to Nigerians to pray during this Christmas season for the release of people undergoing various persecutions.
The bishop specifically urged them to pray for the release of Leah Sharibu, the Chibok and Dapchi girls and others still with their abductors.
Badejo made the appeal in his Christmas message made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday.
He said Christmas celebration would be incomplete if Christians do not remember those who were still in the captivity of their abductors.
He said: “Christmas must remind us of the refugees and migrants and displaced people, for Jesus himself was one of them.
“Our Christmas must not pass without consideration for the poor for Jesus who came to us, including the poor.
“A Christmas of true worship will focus our compassion on persecuted children, families and peoples because the baby of Bethlehem himself suffered persecution.”
The prelate said Christmas messages were rolling in, crafted in the image and likeness of their authors.
He said: “However, none can be better than the very first one delivered by the angels at Jesus’ birth.
“They said: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men who are God’s friends.’”
Badejo said Nigerians’ messages to God’s glory and peace on earth would be essential to the Christmas event and to why Jesus came when they remember the less privileged and others in need.
“Only then, in our little efforts to give succour, can we find true joy, love and peace for having done our bit for the least of our brothers and sisters regardless of where, when and by whom Christmas is celebrated,” he said.
Badejo said people would then be giving joy to the world by helping to destroy sin and wickedness wherever they were found.
He said: “Oh, how so much we need those blessings in our lives and country today!
“Oh worship the King, all glorious above…Joy to all in spite of current hardship. Merry Christmas to all. God bless Nigeria.”
Badejo said all other messages without considerations for the poor and the needy were mere commentaries.
He said that the authentic spirit and message of Christmas were being challenged in contemporary times by what he described as overwhelming consumerist, buy-and-sell culture.
“It is also compromised by our pervasive entertainment mentality which abhors contemplation and sobriety,” he said.
He reminded all that the first task of Christmas is to worship and adore the baby Jesus, God-made-man, the King.
He said: “That is why the words of the original carols were… ‘O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord, Come and worship Christ the King of Kings.’”
Badejo said too many carol events happening currently in the society were more of rallies, parties and entertainment than worship.
He said people were celebrating dignitaries, orators, musicians, comedians and artistes rather than Jesus, the “Beacon of the season”.
He said: “We lash about in vain but only true worship of the King of kings can restore our sanity and humanity, make us grateful, repentant and generous.
“We paddle here and there but our canoe stands still.
“Only true, sincere worship of God will make us loving and compassionate and make us realise that God, indeed, so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son for our salvation.”
Also, Rev. Fr. Tony Onyebuchi Umana of St. Thomas Catholic Church, Papa Ibafo in Ogun State advised his parishioners to be humble and righteous in their lifestyles for them to meet the new-born baby, Jesus Christ.
The priest in his homily during the Mass on Tuesday said the wisemen and the Maggi saw Jesus because they were righteous.
“Herod and his men did not see the new baby because of their deceit and negative intentions,” Umana said.
Umana implored the parishioners to always look up to Jesus at every time so that he could transform their lives, businesses and carreers.
“Jesus touched the various tools of the trade being used in his days from the inherited curses of the old and changed them into articles of blessings for those using them till date,” he said.
NAN.