Rev. Fr. David Okolie
Dearest friends,
It has really been up to hundred years since the advent of CATHOLICISM in many parts of Nigeria and other countries, if not all; but a great number of the faithful do not yet know the Ten Commandments, responses at Mass, and how to pray the basic Catholic prayers like: the Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be, Angelus, etc. Do you doubt it? Just make a random selection of about twenty Catholics or even less and listen to them on the above, I assure you, your discovery would make you cry. Where are we really heading to? What could actually be the cause?
Well, quite often we neglect the CATECHETICAL PREPARATIONS of Candidates for the reception of the Sacraments or abandon these Candidates in the hands of carefree Instructors. These candidates then receive little or no instructions on the above and their likes. Oh! What an Irreligious act! Some parents are also guilty of the above through the negligence of the religious formation of their children at home. Indeed, “Foundation once destroyed, what can the just do?” (cf. Ps 11:3).
👉🏼Thus, every DECEMBER 3, the Church celebrates ST FRANCIS XAVIER who remains outstanding in all that we highlighted above. His Missionary experiences contained in the Office of Readings today call us to urgent consciousness towards our RELIGIOUS DUTY. Hence, he writes:
… So, since I came here, I have had no rest. I have been going from village to village… But the Children would not let me say my office or eat or rest till I had taught them some prayer… I could not reject so RELIGIOUS a request without myself being IRRELIGIOUS. I made a start with the sign of the Cross, and taught them the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father and the Hail Mary… (cf. Office of Readings, December 3).
👉🏼If only we would go back to sincere Initial and Ongoing CATECHETICAL INSTRUCTIONS in our homes, schools and parishes, we would be doing the Church a lot of good and then helping these our people become true Christians and Catholics. Pope St John Paul II, expresses this heartfelt concern in his Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, thus:
…with all my strength I beg you, ministers of Jesus Christ: Do not, for lack of zeal or because of some unfortunate preconceived idea, leave the faithful without CATECHESIS… (cf. Catechesi Tradendae, n. 64).
The above would be better appreciated if we consider the following words from St Francis Xavier himself: “Millions might be easily converted, if there were more preachers who would sincerely mind the interests of Jesus Christ, and not their own.”
Therefore, parents, pastors, teachers, etc. must really rise up, especially, in matters of Religious Formation/Education (Catechesis) of those under their care. This would go a long way towards eradicating this widespread ignorance of the basics of the Catholic Faith among the Faithful.
St. Francis Xavier, pray for us🙏🏼
Remain blessed!
