Celebrating Pentecost Sunday at St. Theresa’s Cathedral, Catholic Bishop Godfrey Onah charges 967 confirmation candidates to actively fuel spiritual growth rather than becoming toxic cells within the faith.
The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Onah, has admonished newly confirmed Catholic faithful to serve as “healthy cells” that actively promote institutional and spiritual growth, rather than acting as “cancerous cells” that paralyze the body of Christ.
Delivering an impactful sermon on Sunday at St. Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral in Nsukka, the outspoken prelate administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to a massive cohort of 967 candidates, marking the global celebration of Pentecost Sunday.
He passionately challenged the large group of communicants to emulate the fire of Jesus Christ’s early apostles who, immediately after receiving the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, cast away their fears to boldly preach the gospel and bear witness to God, even in the face of martyrdom.
Addressing the congregation directly, Bishop Onah emphasized that the divine anointing comes with an absolute corporate responsibility to expand the frontiers of the gospel. He warned that receiving the sacraments without a corresponding lifestyle of active service reduces believers to spiritual liabilities who actively hinder the structural and spiritual development of the religious community.
“As you receive the Holy Spirit today, God has deposited in you special gifts that will enable you to work for God, the church, and humanity. If after receiving this anointing today and you are not working for God and the growth of the church, you have become cancerous cells in the church,” the bishop remarked.
The cleric further noted that by accepting the Sacrament of Confirmation, the 967 candidates had formally rededicated their lives to the service of the Almighty, publicly renewing their sacred vows to serve as disciplined, frontline soldiers of Jesus Christ through daily choices that glorify God.
The high points of the Pentecost liturgical service featured a solemn collective pledge by the candidates to follow the path of Christ for the remainder of their lives, followed immediately by the traditional laying of hands and individual anointings by the Bishop, who prayed for the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit, divine peace, and missionary zeal upon the youth.
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