Rev. Fr. Francis Osborne Ward, a lecturer and Formator at the St. Paul’s Regional Seminary in Sowutoum-Accra has charged Catholics to avoid blasphemy and embrace God’s mercy.
In a homily at the St. Joseph, the Worker Catholic Church in Amanful, Cape-Coast on June 9, 2024, Fr. Ward stressed the vital importance of unity, the dangers of sin, and the need for seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness.
He urged the faithful to consider the deeper meanings of being a brother, sister, mother, or father, and the significance of these relationships in building unity.
He warned that sin disrupts this unity and represents a refusal to do God’s will and to love ones neighbors.
The homily focused on the six ways blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can manifest: despair, presumption, final impertinence, obstinacy, avoiding and refusing truth, and envying others’ well-being.
Fr. Ward warned the congregation against these sins, emphasising the need to turn to God for mercy and forgiveness.
He also cautioned against the dangers of calumny and rash judgment, drawing from the Gospel stories where Jesus was publicly maligned.
Fr. Ward reminded the faithful of the harm that words and actions can cause to others’ reputations and dignity.
Fr. Ward concluded with a call to repentance and a plea for God’s grace, encouraging the congregation to be ever mindful of their words and deeds in their daily lives.
By Sr. Francisca Yaa Konadu Yiadom, SIJ (Sister Communicator)
