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Sacred Heart of Jesus Congress, Jubilee Celebrations in Ghana Begin with Call to Foster “transformative” Love, Unity

Opening Mass of the 10th National Sacred Heart of Jesus Congress and Golden Jubilee celebrations in Ghana. Credit: Catholic Trends

At the opening Mass of the 10th National Sacred Heart of Jesus Congress and Golden Jubilee celebrations in Ghana, Bishop Francis Bomansaan of the country’s Catholic Diocese of Wa has called upon the people of God to allow the love of God to transform them. 

In his homily on Thursday, September 5, the first of the four-day event realized under the theme, “National Sacred Heart of Jesus Enthronement Centre, Ghana @ 50: Building a Synodal Church, the Role of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Devotional Practices by the Catholic Family”, Bishop Bomansaan underscored the need for Christians to foster unity in the spirit of Synodality.

“We are invited to reflect and thank God for the depth of his divine love that flows from the heart of Christ to us as individuals, as families, as a church, and as a nation,” he said.

The Ghanaian Catholic Bishop added, “It is therefore important to note that the love that flows from the sacred heart of Jesus is not a mere sentiment or emotion. It is love that is sacrificial. It is love that is self-giving. It is love that is transformative. And Jesus shows us by his way of life these three qualities of genuine love. That is, sacrifice, self-giving, and transforming.”

“There is no love without sacrifice. If we are not ready to be inconvenienced, if we are not ready to endure, we cannot love. It will not be love; it will be called something else. It may be called selfishness or self-love, but not the love that Jesus is inviting us to,” he said during the Eucharistic celebration at the Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale.

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Bishop Bomansaan continued, “When we love genuinely, ready to sacrifice and commit ourselves to the other, it often brings transformation in the life of the other. This is the love that Jesus is inviting us to. We cannot love if we are not ready to commit ourselves to the other. When we love genuinely, our love transforms the other.”

The Ghanaian-born member of the Society of the Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr.), who was appointed Bishop of Wa Diocese on May 22 went on to urge the people of God to accept this call to altruism with a “spirit of openness”, adding that it could have a “profound impact on the nation.”

“Imagine if those of us here accept to be renewed, to have a new way of thinking, a new way of living. That will make a huge impact in our country,” he said, and added, “God’s heart is the sanctuary where we find refuge and peace; it is the place where our worries and anxieties find relief.”.

The Local Ordinary of Wa Diocese since his Episcopal Ordination on August 2 noted that true peace and comfort can only be found in God's love, and cautioned Christians against “shopping around from church to church, from shrine to shrine, from pastor to pastor and instead to put their trust in God.”

He expressed hope that the Congress would lead to a “spiritual revival”, inspiring the people of God to live lives of compassion, forgiveness, and unity. “We cannot build bridges of unity with prejudices we have of each other based on our places of origin,” he warned. 

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Bishop Bomansaan continued, “We cannot build bridges of unity if we continue to gossip negatively about each other.”

“Are there people in our lives that we are struggling to forgive because they have hurt us or disappointed us? The Lord is beckoning to us during this Congress to come to Him for healing,” he appealed. 

The September 5-8 Sacred Heart of Jesus Congress serves as an opportunity for the people of God to renew their devotion to the Sacred Heart and reflect on the love of Christ, symbolized by His heart, which burns with love for humanity. 

In his September 5 homily, Bishop Bomansaan called upon the people of God to trust in God’s steadfast love and mercy, reminding them that no matter what they are going through, “God is close and committed to them.”

“Courage, my brother. Courage, my sister. Do not lose heart. The Lord your God is greater than what you are going through at this present moment in your life. He is steadfast in His love, in His mercy, and in His compassion,” the Ghanaian M.Afr. member said.

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Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.