Participants at the ongoing 2025 Accra World Youth Day (WYD) in Kordiabe received a deep reflection from Rev. Fr. Mark Eshun, SDB, on the significance of the Cross and the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, during the opening spiritual session.
Addressing hundreds of young Catholics gathered for the twenty-four-hour event, Fr. Eshun described the Cross as the ultimate symbol of Christ’s sacrifice and a reminder of the hope Christians share in the triumph of Jesus over sin and death.
“The Cross is a symbol of the Sacrifice of Christ, and for us as Christians,” he said. “It gives us hope, for Jesus triumphed over sin and death. As an object of worship, it gives us faith and hope in the Lord and deliverance from the power of darkness.”
Quoting 1 Corinthians 1:18, Fr. Eshun noted that “The Cross to a pagan is foolishness, but to us it is a sign of salvation.”
He emphasized that through Jesus, the Cross has become a sign of the restoration of humanity’s relationship with the Father and the atonement of sins.
“Jesus restores the relationship between humanity and God,” he added.
Speaking on the Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, which accompanied the WYD Cross to the event grounds, Fr. Eshun said the image symbolizes the victory of Christ over sin and death.
He explained that the icon portrays Jesus, the King of Kings, at peace in the arms of His mother, who in turn presents Him to the faithful.
The Cross and Icon, which have been touring parishes and deaneries across the Archdiocese of Accra, are central symbols of the 2025 WYD celebration themed, “You also are my witnesses, because you have been with me.”
By: Vanessa Kekeli Yeboah//Newswatchgh.com
