Lent: Catholics end retreat with charge to pray for Nigeria

Some Catholic faithful of the Saints Peter and Paul Church Tedi, Ojo Lagos, on Sunday ended a five-day Lenten retreat with a charge to make the country’s challenges daily prayer points.

The priest in charge of the coastal parish, Rev. fr. Godfrey Udeh, gave the charge at a mass celebrated to mark the end of the retreat that began on Tuesday.

FELLOW PRESS reports that it has been a tradition for the mother church to organise retreats to prepare the faithful ahead of the Easter.

The retreat daily anchored by different resource persons, ignited the faithful spiritually as fervent supplications were made to atone sins and halt national challenges.

The church directed its members rather than focusing on self, that the prayers should be made for peace in the society.

Udeh asked the people to forgive one another just as Jesus Christ forgave the adulterous woman brought before him in the bible.

“The reconciliation has to begin in the family by man and woman making amendments in every facet they have erred in their marriage vows.

“The reconciliation having taken base from the family units that make up the community is then expected to extend to the entire society and permeate the fabric that holds the society with people tolerating others’ weaknesses and complement such for the common good.

“With a national reconciliatory mood prayers to God’s will be answered and the afflictions of the society will be halted,” he said.

He said the best time to present the nation’s troubles to God is now; calling on faithful to make it a national obligation to render reformation prayer for the good of the people and society.

He regretted the recent bomb attack on the Kaduna-bound train where human casualties were recorded.

He tasked the faithful to be steadfast in prayer for God’s intervention, saying that prayers of a few has the power to liberate a whole people.

Lenten period is a vital one in the church calendar, marking a season of sober reflection and self repentance.

It is accomplished by fasting and prayers for divine intervention in the lives of the people and ends with the advent of the Holy Week.