By Olivia Obijiaku
The Catholic Bishop of Zaria, His Lordship, Most Rev Dr Habila Tyiakonaboi Daboh presided over the Mass at the 2024 Prayer Camp of members of Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement in Nigeria (CCRN) which brought their thirty-one day prayer project to an end.
At the event which took place at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Pastoral Centre, Graceland Zaria from Thursday 8th to Saturday, 10th February 2024, the chief shepherd leaned on the theme, ‘My Year of Greater Light,’ in tasking them to beam their light all around them.
He also charged the needy not to become used to receiving alone but to give out something good to others.He said, “We are fortunate to know those who are suffering. I cannot say that this is my year of light when my brother is suffering and I say to him, ‘it is well with you’. It goes beyond that. I cannot say, ‘This is my year of faith,’ when my neighbor does not even have garri to soak and I have it in abundance. I cannot say, ‘This is my year of greater light,’ when I cannot help my neighbor.
We have people among us here who are suffering. In making Christ our Greater Light, it involves our acts of kindness and compassion. Do not just be somebody that receives. If you become used to receiving and receiving, then it is useless. You too should give something.
Everybody has something to give. Listen to your neighbours and know their challenges.”Rev Fr Cyriacus Onwuharanye of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto spoke on, ‘The Beauty of Holiness’ intimating that the strength of a believer is not in prophesy nor in speaking in tongues but in living a life devoid of any satanic property. He revealed that, “The devil will always wait for you at your weakness.
So we must repent; we must forgive one another so that the plan of God will work according to His will.” He listed success, remembrance from God, healing as some of the benefits of repentance and forgiveness conditioning them that them the beauty and holiness of God can be found in them if they live a life of repentance and forgiveness.On his part, Bro Gabriel Ahmed Akor of the Archdiocese of Kaduna dwelt on, ‘A Living Sacrifice’ in reminding participants that the Church has continued to exist because some people lived as a living sacrifice.
He lamented that the Church in the present generation is dying because many Christians go after material gains rather than the expansion of God’s Kingdom on earth. He then urged them to look beyond the vanities of the world and allow the will of God to be done in their lives.
The Diocesan Secretary of the group, Evang Fidelis who ministered first at the exercise, hinged on, ’I Am Light walking Through Darkness,’ He told them that the Word of God is a powerful weapon to overcome darkness because it has the ability to dispel every form of darkness.
He asserted that no number of demons can defeat a man with the Light because, “Greater is He in you that he in the world. As Christ is in you, His Light reflects through you. You need to stay with the Light to overcome darkness.”
