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Bishops in Nigeria Urged to Embrace Prayerful Living for “divine strength” in Ministry

Bishop Martin Igwe Uzoukwu. Credit: Nigeria Catholic Network
Silas Isenjia

By Silas Isenjia

Abuja, 23 February, 2024 / 9:20 pm (ACI Africa).

Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) have, on the fifth day of their First 2024 Plenary Assembly, been urged to embrace a life of prayer to attract “divine strength” in their Episcopal Ministry.

In his Wednesday, February 21 homily during the 16-22 February Plenary taking place at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) Resource Centre, Durumi Abuja on, Bishop Martin Igwe Uzoukwu said that prayers will provide the Bishops with grace in their daily undertakings.

“Prayer supplies the graces we need to face each day and the divine strength for the work entrusted into our hands,” Bishop Uzoukwu said.

The Bishop of Nigeria’s Minna Diocese added that prayers “help to transform us into the servants who are like their Master who came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a Ransom for many.”

Referring to the day’s Gospel reading drawn from St. mark, the Nigerian Bishop reminded the Bishops that prayer is one of the pillars of the season of Lent.

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 “Our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated its importance by teaching his disciples how to pray and he also taught them how not to pray,” he said, and added, “Christ admonished them in these words, ‘do not heap empty phrases as the Gentiles do…Pray then like this…. So, our reflection is on praying in accordance with the way Christ taught us.”

In his homily, Bishop Uzoukwu also reflected on the Episcopal motto of Bishops, saying, “Episcopal motto is a short sentence or phase often grounded in sacred scripture or taken from a prominent prayer, litany, or saint quote that is important to a particular Catholic bishop.”

The motto, he said, “is intended to represent the Bishop’s spirituality and theologically-based philosophy of life. It is something each bishop gets to choose himself, to best communicate his testimony of faith to the flock especially when he steps into such a significant role of leadership in the Church.”

Silas Isenjia

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.

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