- Says to Christians, don’t be religious hypocrites
Very Rev. Fr. Richard Fasuyi, Parish Priest, St. Cyprian Catholic Church, Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos has charged spiritual leaders to confront immorality and nurture their flock against sin. He made this remark while delivering his homily entitled, ‘Jesus Christ the Ideal Shepherd and King’ last Sunday at his parish. According to him, spiritual leaders have neglected their core responsibility of caring for the flock God has put in their care and oversight.
Fr. Fasuyi said, “The Shepherds and Prophets and Priests failed in this responsibility. These were supposed to teach, instruct, govern and care for the flock. But in most cases, the sheep were neglected, forsaken, abandoned, rejected and scattered because those saddled with such responsibility cared not about the flock. This is why Hosea would say “my people are destroyed because they lack knowledge.” Cf. Hosea4:6, Ezek34:1-9.” Preaching further he stated, “Today, Jesus takes responsibility of his sheep. He is the King who is the ideal Shepherd. He is the King who tends his flock. He is the ideal Shepherd who takes the risk to receive the bullets in order to protect his flock.
He is the good Shepherd. Cf. Ezek 34:10-17, Jn10:10-15. “This is the mission and responsibility that all Kings, Shepherds, Prophets, Pastors, Priests and the flock are invited to embrace as Peter was invited to tend the sheep and flock of Christ. Cf. Jn21:16-17. “Today, secularism has twisted the call of many Shepherds, Prophets, Priests and Pastors that they can no longer confront and talk about the sense of sin in adultery because secularism has made it sound nicer as extra-marital-affairs. Fornication is now made to sound nice as one catching fun. “Today in Europe and America, Pastors and Priests who should be the moral fibre of the society cannot openly confront the evil of homosexuality, lesbianism, gayism, bestiality, and what have you. “
Those who should respond to the growing secularism are quiet about it. The sense of sin stares us in the face even in Nigeria the evil of LGBTQ is gradually having its toll on our society. “I pray for you at this last Sunday of this liturgical year, Jesus Christ the ideal Shepherd and king will reign in your heart; in your family; in our church and in our nation. “ Fr. Fasusyi also enjoined the lay faithful to conform to the teachings of Christ publicly and privately. “Our life in Jesus the king of the universe is both private and public: we cannot profess one thing in the public and do something else in the private that will be tantamount to separating sheep from sheep at the last day. You cannot profess the Catholic faith and Teachings in the open and do the direct opposite in your closet. Both must agree,” he said.
Relating the history of the Solemnity of Christ the King of the universe, the Parish Priest said Pope Pius XI instituted this feast in 1925 with his encyclical “Quas Primas” meaning “…in the first…”. He explained, “Historically speaking, this document was to respond to the secularism that rocked and ravaged the world and the Church. It confronted and reduced the importance of the Divine. It diminished the essence of God, of spirituality, of morality “This was as though God and the Church had no relevance in the world anymore. This was a dangerous time for the Church. As such, the Pope, Pius Xl awakened the reality and the Sovereignty of Jesus as the King of the Universe. “Jesus remains the king of our heart. Jesus remains the king of our families. Jesus remains the first in all things.
Fr. Fasuyi added, “With the rise of secularism, everything about God, spirituality and morality was swept under the carpet. Those who were supposed to voice out and lead the people turned deaf ears. Kings were sent as shepherds, but they traded the people for a pair of sandals. Amos challenged king Jeroboam and Amaziah for cheating the people Cf. Amos7:10-17ff. Herod was another king who was to shepherd the people of Israel, but he himself destroyed morality with his carnal involvement with Herodias and the bribe offer to Herodias’ daughter. Again, this was another failure of the Kings cf. Mk6:17-29.”
