Fides Media Living the Faith
By Rev. Fr. Gerald Nwafor
The Easter Season is a time of celebration and happiness. This 2023 Easter Season was marred by a lot of local and international catastrophes, but I was very happy when I visited the tomb to see that Jesus was not there, and I asked the guard who informed me that He has risen truly. I questioned further to know where we shall see Him since He told the apostles to see Him in Galilee and we knew what happened in Galilee, the home of wine (uno nkwu).
That was the place of the wedding, a place where water was turned into wine, and a place where happiness is assured. The guard did not expressly say the place but from my deduction, the place must be Aso Rock. That place needed sanitization and cleansing before it could be used by anyone who would take over the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The lowest denominator of the message was the Resurrection. Because of the way things were going during Lent, I don’t know the intention of Judas Iscariot, nor do I understand the permutation going on between Pontius Pilate and Herod. I thank God that many of the disciples were on top of their game to make sure that the tomb provided by Joseph was used and that the elegant women of substance located it and were anointing it daily as planned and scheduled.
The last days were tough, but He has truly risen. The confusion that the Russian Government was bombing Ukraine left right and center with a threat that they would use nuclear warheads is a great source of worry to everyone who was awaiting the Resurrection; east, west, north, and south. What will become of the world if Mr. Putin put-in nuclear warheads in Ukraine or anywhere in the world? Easter celebration may be on hold because the death toll would be astronomical and many people, even Pontius Pilate, Judas, Mary, and many others, would die prematurely and the world would be filled with darkness.
Not only do we cry because of human destruction, we also saw the climate change disaster facing our time now. Tornados in the USA, typhoons in Japan, and melting of the ice in the Arctic. In Nigeria, we are seeing the first barge of the rain, and houses and electric poles are tumbling upon one another. Imagine what will happen in May, June, and July, the mother of all rainy seasons. God, please have mercy on your people because 2023 did not start well in many climes and countries. If I start telling you how we started 2023 in Nigeria, it would present me as a faithless creature. No money, no fuel, no good election, and finally no food on the table.
The bleeding of the election is still going on in our bodies and souls. Please, with this power of the Resurrection, heal your people. The country is unstable and uneasy but we knew and read what you did to the storm when you were sleeping on the boat. When you woke up, you scolded the storm and there was calm, and the boat got to the destination peacefully and calmly.
Please help Nigeria and many parts of the world where anarchy and strike actions have taken place. From Israel (ndi nke gi), to France, to Germany, and the UK. We know the reasons; it was simply because of the greedy politicians who wanted everything in their favour. Please Lord, may the spirit of Easter get into the leaders of the world and the subjects too. In Nigeria, please send a double spirit like Elisha requested from Elijah, because what we are going through now is unprecedented in the history of humanity.
Where a person who came fourth in a contest would be announced first. And where a person would be told to his face that he or she is not a native of where he was born and has a generation of over 400 years going back. We are heading towards destruction: Lord, please help Nigeria first with a double spirit.
Finally, the good elders of our generation said we cannot avoid war simply because people would die in battle (Ada eji mgbagbu aghara ogu). The forty days of Lent have come and gone. We did what was required of us which borders on prayer, fasting, and charity. We added Stations of the Cross and the Holy Week activities which bring the Passion of our Lord to the climax action of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
So, the children of God were ready for the Resurrection Sunday which brings joy and salvation. There were Vigil Masses in almost all the Christendom celebrations of the Resurrection of Christ to counter the challenges of 2023 all over the world. The new cars were not many on the road but we have some.
The new fancy fabrics that dominate the Easter Season weren’t present as we know it because the Government of Nigeria decided to take away the money from circulation in the name of monetary policy. Emefiele and Buhari should remember God when they are discussing the People of Nigeria or they shouldinvite Madam Patience Goodluck during the discussion so she can be reminding them always, “There is God oooo. There is God ooo. There is God ooo.”
Rev. Fr. Gerald Nwafor writes from Cal,fornia, USA.