By Olivia Obijiaku and Prosper Atim
Rev Fr. Kelvin Makama of the Catholic Diocese of Zaria has cautioned parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria against pride, describing it as a blocker of blessings.
The priest who gave the caution on Saturday, March 29, 2025, during the Mass for the one day Parish Lenten Retreat tagged, ‘A Life That Pleases God,’ hinged his message on the Gospel of Luke 18:9- 14, on the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.
He discouraged participants from imbibing the attitude of the Pharisee who prided himself as a righteous person, calling for an imitation of the tax collector, who acknowledged his sins before God, and David as seen in the day’s Psalm 51.
“Pride blocks a lot of blessings from us.” The priest intimated. “Pride led to the fall of Adam and Eve. They wanted to be like God. They wanted to show that they can do without God. If we must encounter God, we must remove every crown the devil has given us, because we are nothing before Him. There is no work of righteousness that we can do, that can equate the blessings of God.”
“Humility is the soil upon which the grace of God takes root. Without humility, you will not receive, because you will be too proud to ask from God. Whatever David did, he was still was referred to, in the scriptures as the man after God’s heart. He knew how to approach God. He knew how to tap into eternity.”
Fr. Makama reminded them that no one deserves mercy because they all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. He prayed the mercy of God upon them, their loved ones, the subjugated, the marginalized and upon the country Nigeria. He also prayed that despite the persecution against the Church in the North, that the faith of the Christians there will not fail and that their hope will be constant again.
