By Odiwuor Opiyo
KAFANCHAN, OCTOBER 14, 2022 (CISA) – Rev Fr Jega Daniel Romanus, of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Nigeria, in a presentation made on October 13, to priests and laity of the diocese advanced that the Eucharist occupies a central place in the life of the community.
“It invites all to live as one. Seeing every member of the community as part of the one family of God. As sons and daughters of God residing in southern Kaduna, we can fully witness to Christ when we forgo ethnic and denominational sentiments and pursue brotherhood. The name of Christ should be our common umbrella,” the presentation read in part.
The cleric also called upon residents of the region from all denominations and religious affiliations to love and serve one another as it is the mandate of Christ, “When we love and we serve one another, issues of differences would not arise and whenever any danger comes our way, together as a community, we would be able to surmount it.”
He insisted that residents of Kaduna ought to revert to the spirit of the Eucharist as some of its lessons such as common brotherhood may be the solutions to the numerous challenges they have been facing including insecurity and religious persecution.
“The Eucharist reminds us that since Christ is the centre of everything that we do, we must see every human being as a child of God. In the Eucharist, Christ gave himself in love for us, we also must learn to give ourselves in love to those we encounter daily. Since the Eucharist is a meal of communion, in it, Christ invites us to be brothers and sisters of each other,” he wrote in the presentation adding, “We can truly witness to Christ in the Eucharist when we see in every southern Kaduna man, including those who do not share our faith, the image of God who created us. This was the mentality we were given at creation. A mentality clearly explained by Christ through the Eucharist.”
He, however, cautioned against the abuse of the Eucharist, which he noted in the presentation was propagated by both the laity and clergy.
He wrote, “Despite the celebration of the Eucharist, we have a fragmented church. There are many churches today that certain selfish people have hijacked under the guise that they are owners of the land or sons and daughters of the soil. In some of these churches, these people feel and believe that it is what they say that must happen, those who came from other places and are residing in the community have no right to lead them.”
He also appealed to the clergy to give the Eucharist the desired attention it deserves and to take time to prepare for the celebration of the Eucharist, dress well and participate in the celebrations wholeheartedly as “The church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the church.”
