From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Catholic Bishop of Lafia Diocese, Most Reverend David Ajang has charged clergymen to preserve the gospel of Jesus Christ in its originality by preaching the truth for the salvation of mankind.
Ajang, gave the charge on Friday in an interview with journalists immediately after the Lafia Diocesan Eucharistic Congress, held at St William’s Cathedral, Lafia, Nasarawa State.
According to him, some preachers of the gospel were no longer emphasising the message of salvation but prosperity, in order to please their congregation.
In his words: “Today there is no emphasis on salvation but prosperity. Some Christians have induced the priests into telling them what they want to hear because there is a crave for miracles by Christians even when they are being manipulated.
“There is need to maintain the originality of what was handed down by Christ Himself. That is why in the Catholic church, the Eucharistic celebration which is popularly known as the mass is seen as the source and summit of our faith. It is the centre of the entire catholic worship.
“Everything we do in the Catholic church revolves round the mass and that is why it is a tradition that every single day in a calendar year, mass is celebrated except on Good Friday because it was on Good Friday that Jesus died on the cross.
“We must therefore, try to preserve the gospel of christ in its originality as an obligation given to us by God.”
Speaking in a separate interview, Revd Fr Emmanuel Ukata, urged Christians to be holy at all times, in order to gain eternal life.
Ukata, who is a member of the Claretian Missionaries of the East Province of Nigeria, said for Christians to receive the Eucharist worthly, they must learn to forgive those who offend them.
“Any time we celebrate the Eucharist antagonising people and not forgiving those who offend us, we are abusing it. When we eat the Eucharist and forget those who are sick and could not go for mass, we are abusing it.
“The Eucharist is a place we come to appreciate, adore and worship God and when we are before Him, humility, simplicity and meekness are required of us,” he said.
The Voice reports that the Eucharist, also known as Holy Mass is a Christian rite that is considered as a sacrament in the Catholic church.
