Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja has urged Christians to strive hard to break down the walls of division, hatred and prejudice characteristic of a world so divided and allow the fruit of the Mass to influence them to show love. The Prelate who gave the advice recently in a homily to mark the feast of Corpus Christi at the Pro Cathedral in Abuja, said that the social implication of the Eucharist we receive during Mass is to energize the Faithful to active love for our neighbours and do away with the barriers of social, political, economic and ethnic differences. According to him, when the Priest says “Go in peace the Mass is ended,” it means, go into the society and break down the walls of division, hatred and prejudice. Go and influence your family, social, political, business, professional and recreational groups positively.
He noted that what has kept the Catholic Church so united and strong numerically, with over 1.3 billion members spread to every nook and cranny of the world, so organized and continuously functional is not because the Church is materially rich. “The secret of the growth of the Church, among others, is that every Catholic is introduced at baptism to the Trinity which is our root and identity mark. Every one with that mark is not afraid or ashamed to make the Trinitarian sign of the cross, everywhere, anytime, recalling and invoking the presence of God who is a Trinity.
” Another great reason for the Church’s numerical strength, over 2000 years and which has made it to remain One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is the Holy Eucharist. He described the Holy Eucharist as “the source and summit” of our life, and that is the significance of today’s feast of Corpus Christi; to highlight the need for the continuous and faithful reception of the body of Christ which St. Ignatius of Antioch calls “The medicine of immortality,” and to also promote devotion and adoration to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. On the spiritual effect of the Holy Eucharist, Archbishop Kaigama said it unites those who receive it worthily more closely to Jesus. It binds all the Faithful more intimately into the one body of Christ which is the Church as quoted in 1 Corinthians 10:17. Because we partake of the one and same bread “we, many, though we are, are one body.”
