During the celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday, the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra has called on Christians to reflect on the importance of mercy and forgiveness in their lives.
In his homily at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church at Okponglo, he emphasised the need for compassion in a world often marked by conflict and division.
He said, “if anything leads us to Jesus, who is the light of the world, it must be the light of mercy.”
“In a world where one nation wants to prove superior to all other nation, we need the mercy of God. In a world where families try to undermine one another to inherit the properties of their ancestors, we need the mercy of God. In a world where one wants to outwit another to gain supremacy, we need the mercy of God,” he noted.
Archbishop Kwofie encouraged forgiveness for one another, stating that it is a primary virtue the Church must emulate.
He added, “We must learn to forgive one another and be a people who open wide our hearts to welcome the sinner to sit at the same dining table with the self-righteous to eat and drink together.”
His message also highlighted the importance of the church’s role in showing mercy and outlined ways by which mercy can be shown.
“How do we work for mercy? It is by giving food to the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, and burying the dead, (Mt 25: 34-36). My brothers and sisters, these are the Works of Mercy. ”, he said.
In addition, he reflected on the gift of the risen Lord to the Church, citing scripture from John 20:22.
“Whilst the apostles were locked up behind closed doors, the risen Lord came and breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained””, he said.
He also stated that, “Anytime we come to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we celebrate the mercy of God which forgives sins”.
By: Veronica Sena Amenya//Newswatchgh.com
