By Olivia Obijiaku
Rev. Isaac Illah of the Catholic Diocese of Zaria has tasked parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to confess their sins sincerely and to receive the Holy Eucharist worthily. Delivering the homily on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Tuesday, 8th September, 2026, the deacon catechized them on the consequences of unworthy reception of the Eucharist, discouraging penitents from hiding under the guise of ‘for these sins and those I do not remember,’ since no sin is hidden before the All-knowing God.
He reflected on the intentions of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and her prophetic messages, noting that most of her messages are centered on praying the Rosary and on repenting from sins, especially the sins that grieve the Heart of her Son, including sexual immorality, secularism, abortion – termination of lives, injustice, unhealthy competition and unworthy reception of the Holy Eucharist.
In addition to imploring them to emulate the virtue of service from her, the homilist saddled them with the responsibility of giving her a birthday gift of twenty decades of the Rosary; praying for the intentions of her Immaculate Heart; meditating on her cooperation in the redemptive mission of her Son, her powerful role in the history of salvation, her prophetic messages and also meditating on the challenges and troubles she endured, and “the sorrows she passed through, because her sorrow can strengthen us when there are trials.”
Rev. Illah asserted that the feast is not only a celebration of the birthday of the Mother of the Saviour, but also that of the Mother of grace, Refuge of sinners, Comforter of the afflicted, Queen and Mother of families, Sweetest Advocate and Most Fervent Intercessor. “So, today, we have come to give thanks to God for giving Our Mother Mary to us. Let us also thank her for all the graces we have received through her intercessions.”
