Christians and indeed Nigerians have been urged to put their hope in God, as they are called upon to remain prayerful to God for his intervention in the myriad of challenges confronting the country. The charge was given by Hon. (Sir) Henry Yunkwap, National President, Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria, in his 2022 Easter message, tagged, “Easter: A Season of Hope.” Urging the people to show love for one another and not hate, Yunkwap enjoined Nigerians to be more patriotic as citizens of a great nation, adding that Nigeria is the only country the people have, so they should do all it takes to make the land habitable for all to live in, irrespective of tribe and other affiliations. He said: “As Christians, we believe that the resurrection of Christ represents His victory over death and the promise of eternal life for those who follow him. Let us give thanks to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ because of His great mercy; He gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope. “He is risen’ was the message of the first Easter. This time of the year keeps my hope alive as a Christian and most importantly as a Catholic. With gratitude, we declare our witness and faith that Jesus Christ is indeed risen therefore as a people of faith, we believe that we are redeemed. He noted that Christ remains the resurrected Saviour and Redeemer, adding that He is the light and the hope of the world.
“At this Easter, a hopeful time in the Christian calendar that comes with a lot of hope; we must remain resolute in leaving the faith in and out of season”, he said. He stated that Easter evokes in Christians the resilience of the human spirit not to give up in life and in the face of the daunting challenges. He said: “This period calls us to believe that the current spate of insecurity will soon unfold a season of triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. “Let us not forget about the sacrifice that Jesus made by giving up himself for the salvation of all. We must as His followers, reciprocate the gesture by assisting the poor among us and giving alms to the needy. Above all, let us engage in self-examination and repentance of sins believing that He will hear us, forgive all our short comings and heal our land. “As we celebrate this year’s Easter, the beauty of God’s creation and the blessing of having you my fellow laity, I pray that in this season of rebirth, may you feel your faith renewed and your heart made new. May the glory and the promise of this joyous season, bring peace and happiness to you and your loved ones. Amen”
