Rumbek, 29 August, 2023 / 3:40 PM
A Catholic Missionary Priest ministering in South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Rumbek (CDOR) has urged the youth to embrace a life of prayer.
In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of a three-day youth retreat, which the Eastern Deanery of CDOR organized, Fr. Justin Ngbo underscored the need for prayer “to succeed in our life”.
“I have seen all our young people now, they don’t focus more on prayer. If you call a gathering for music, you will see the place will be full but when it comes to prayer, even to take one or two hours, young people struggle,” Fr. Ngbo said.
The member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ), who is the Assistant Parish Priest of Holy Cross Yirol Parish of the CDOR appealed to the youth, “I am requesting them really to know that prayer is the key to succeed in our life.”
“We organize this retreat because we think we need it to increase the faith among Christians to understand we are the Church and what makes us all together is a prayer,” Fr. Ngbo said in reference to the August 27-30 Eastern Deanery of CDOR youth retreat that is being held under the theme, “Prayer in the life of Jesus.”
The Congolese-born Comboni Missionary Priest emphasized, “Our young people who are here must realize that to succeed in life we need only prayer.”
“Jesus succeeded through prayer; before going to do something, He first prayed,” he told ACI Africa.
Fr. Ngbo challenged the youth participating in the three-day retreat to emulate Jesus Christ by “living a prayerful life which is vital to Christians to grow in their faith and remain connected to their God and (to their) Savior.”
“They must go with the idea that for us to succeed as Christians, we must be rooted in Jesus Christ through our prayer,” he reiterated, and explained, “When we are without prayer, we are like a tree without water; prayer makes our life rise together with Jesus Christ.”
The Congolese Missionary in South Sudan continued, “The time to be with Jesus Christ through prayer is better than other things.”
Prayer is an important key that enables Christians to grow in their faith Fr. Ngbo told ACI Africa on the sidelines of the youth retreat that has brought together 50 participants from the three parishes of the Eastern Deanery of the CDOR: St. Josephine Bakhita Mapuordit Parish, St. Anselm Bun-agok Parish, and Holy Cross Yirol Parish.
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