Home / Faith / Lent, Ash Wednesday: Reflect on life, make amends – says Cleric; Churches offer prayers for Nigeria; Fish sellers make brisk business  

Lent, Ash Wednesday: Reflect on life, make amends – says Cleric; Churches offer prayers for Nigeria; Fish sellers make brisk business  

Rev. Fr Paul Jatau, of the Catholic Archdiocese of Port Harcourt, has called on Catholics all over the world to see the Lenten period as a time to reflect on their lives and make amends.

Jatau made the call on Wednesday in Abuja, during his homily to mark the ‘Ash Wednesday’ at 12 Apostles Catholic Church, Central Area.

Ash Wednesday is one of the most important and significant holy days in the church’s calendar as it opens lent, a season of fasting and prayer which lasts 40 days.

The clergy said that there was no perfect being on earth hence everyone should make efforts daily to repent from committing bad deeds and forgive others.

He also urged Catholics to be more prayerful during the period, fast and make more effort to give alms to the less privileged.

“It is not only from food you can fast, staying away from things you derive pleasure from and cannot do without like alcohol consumption, gossiping, fornication, adultery, telling lies and so on is also a form of fast.

“Fasting is a time to mortify the flesh because all desires come from the body. Let us take our prayer life seriously and repent from our bad ways.

“When you repent, you live according to the gospel values. Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return; the church calls us today to reflect on our nothingness.

“If you look at the time you spend in dressing and taking care of your body which will one day be eaten by termites but spend less time in service and worship of God what are we really planning for ourselves.

“Lent is a time to look inwards to see what mistakes you have made, reflect on your life and weaknesses and those things holding you back from living a good and Godly life.

“This season marks the beginning of a 40 day journey with God. No matter what material things you acquire in life and your level of education, when you die none of it will go with you except your good works.

“You must live everyday as if it is your last that is the only way you can truly prepare for life after death,” he said.

Jatau explained that the period of lent has been practised and observed in the church since the time of Jonah who in the bible told the people of Nineveh that God would destroy the city in 40 days if they did not repent of their sins.

The cleric urged Catholics to allow God use them to be blessings unto others around them by giving alms and sharing what they have with others.

Ash Wednesday takes place 46 days before Easter Sunday and is chiefly observed by Catholics although many other Christians are now known to observe it too.

The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God created man.

As the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

Easter Sunday is scheduled to be celebrated on April 21.

Meanwhile Christians in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Wednesday joined their counterparts around the world to mark this year’s Ash Wednesday, a day that marks the commencement of the Lenten season for Christians.

During the Lent, Christians are expected to fast for 40 days to strengthen their faith.

As usual, church services were held in Ilorin to usher in the period with clerics praying for a united Nigeria where peace and unity would reign.

In his message, Prophet Christopher Oduwaiye of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church in Osere, Ilorin,  stressed the need for Christians to participate actively in the religious exercise and strive to live a holy life.

Oduwaiye also called on them to use the period to give alms to the poor and help those in need.

The cleric charged them to pray for a hitch free governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday.

The Primate of the Resolution Church of Christ in Ilorin, Dr Martins Olobatoke,  admonished Christians to use the period to seek divine intervention for breakthrough in the challenges confronting the nation.

According to Olobatoke, nothing will be impossible if the faithful look up to  God when passing through difficulties.

Pastor Segun James of Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Imole, Amoyo,  called on Christians to be prayerful and refrain from sin.

Pastor Aremu Abioye of the Ark of God Covenant Faith Bible Ministry, Amoyo, also  urged Christians to imbibe the lessons  of the period beyond the Lenten season while demonstrating  a fear of God in whatever they do.

The General Overseer of the New Life Holy Trinity Chapel, Gaa-Akanbi, llorin, Pastor ldowu Constain,  appealed to Christians to eschew acts inimical to the progress of the nation.

Some fish sellers in Enugu metropolis are making brisk businesses as Christians all over the world observe Ash Wednesday to usher in the 40 days Lenten period.

Some Christian denominations abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesdays as an act of penance to repent from sin.

Some fish sellers, who spoke to NAN in Enugu on Wednesday, said that the fish business started recording high patronage from Tuesday, the eve of Ash Wednesday.

A fish pond owner, Mr Augustine Ibe, said he made huge sales from the eve of Ash Wednesday, even when the prices did not change.

“The price of the fish, dried or fresh depends on their sizes. A kilo of the catfish cost N1,000 while the largest size of catfish cost between N3,000 and N5,000 per kilo.

Mrs Josephine Okwu, an ice fish seller at Garki Market, who confirmed the boom in fish retail outlets, said she was going for her second carton of the fish.

Okwu said that a carton of big size of ice fish, weighing 30kg cost between N18, 000 and N19, 000 while one ice fish depending on the size, could be sold for between N350 and N600.

She added that the 20 kilos of the same fish goes for N12, 500.

“We are always prepared for this day because it comes annually and it is an opportunity for us to make good sales and be happy at the end of the day,” she said.

Meanwhile, some meat sellers told NAN that the patronage in meat business was low due to Ash Wednesday.

Mr Okechukwu Ozo, a meat seller at Mayor Market, Enugu, said that Enugu residents who are mostly Christians and dominated by Catholics and Anglicans were passionate about Ash Wednesday.

“Majority of the Enugu residents are Catholics and Anglicans, they are zealous about Ash Wednesday. We cannot sell as usual but we sell in small quantity,” Ozo said.

At Mayor Market, another meat seller, Mr Chika Eze said he was not expecting high patronage, as after the Ash Wednesday, meat sales would pick up as usual.

“For me, today is just like a Sunday when business is dull, as you can see, most of the meat sellers are not having much on their table and customers are not coming as they should,” he said.

 

 

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