By Olivia Obijiaku
The Parish Priest of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Rev Fr. Sebastian Vincent has charged the faithful to return to God so that He may restore them to His Family.
He hinged his message of Saturday, 2nd March 2024 on the Gospel reading on The Parable of the Prodigal Son in nudging them to seize the opportunity provided during the Lenten Season to make a U-Turn as the repentant one did tagging Lent as their Season of return.
The clergyman told them, “The prodigal son looked away from his father’s love, mercy and compassion and all his father was giving him. He derailed and severed his relationship with his father. He stripped himself of his dignity. There are times we strip ourselves of our dignity before God and make ourselves dirty.
But a time came when he came back to his senses. When it became so bad for him, he looked inward. He looked towards his father’s love, mercy and compassion and his father accepted him. His decision to return to his father was his saving grace and turning point.
When he came back, his father restored him to his original position – he restored him to his household. That is what happens to us when we return to God.When you look inward, you will rediscover yourself. You will come to terms with the fact that you have sinned and you take a bold step to return. Do your best in this Season of Lent and return to God and He will accept. Take that bold step and He will accept you.
Make confessions and return to God. He will restore you to His Family, the sheepfold.”Fr Vincent warned against playing the role of the other son, by thinking that some others who are coming back to the track are not worthy of God’s mercy and compassion or that they are beyond redemption.
He reminded them that they too can stray even as he prayed for the grace to assist those struggling to retrace their steps.
