The Most Rev. Philip Naameh, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, has advised Catholics in the West African country of Ghana to emulate the example of Jesus by cultivating the virtue of forgiveness.
He said as Jesus embraced everyone even when He hung on the cross and spread out His hands to every human person and even prayed to His father to forgive those who put Him to death, Christians are to follow same footsteps.
The Archbishop gave the advice in a homily on Easter Sunday April 17 at the Our Lady of Annunciation Cathedral in Tamale.
The Mass was concelebrated by Very Rev. Fr. Carolus Magnus Gambogi, the Cathedral Administrator and Rev. Fr. Robert Amegah Quarshie, the newly appointed Assistant Headmaster of St. Charles Minor Seminary Senior High School.
Archbishop Naameh charged Christians to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus and to have faith in Him, urging especially those who have difficulty in believing, to invite Him into their lives to eliminate any doubt of faith like He did to the unbelieving Thomas after His resurrection.
“We didn’t witness the crucifixion of Jesus or His resurrection but if we have faith and include Jesus in our lives, in our happy and sad moments, He will make it possible for us because of our faith in Him, to have a turnaround in our lives. This is what it means to celebrate the resurrection, the Archbishop stated.
He urged the lay faithful to ask Jesus for strength to be able to proclaim His resurrection and to endow them with the Holy Spirit to abandon evil they have become accustomed to which cannot be reconciled with them as a resurrection people.
He advised them against quarrels with neighbours and families and a forgiving heart towards people who offend them like the merciful father did to his Prodigal son.
The Archbishop also told the faithful that there are many things that can be done with the resurrection message to make Ghana a better place if Ghanaians commit themselves to the things of heaven.
He encouraged them to pray for leaders not to focus on their families and friends, but to see the needs of the whole country and to make the necessary sacrifices in order to make Ghana a beacon of democracy in the West Africa sub region.
He, therefore, urged them to allow Jesus into their lives, advising them to journey with Him like the disciples walking to Emmaus did even in times of difficulties and adversities.
