Jacob BABALOLA (Staff Writer)

As the Universal Church put before the faithful readings about faith on the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, the parish priest of St. Anne Catholic Church, Ogbere, Ibadan, Rev. Fr. Stephen Balogun has enjoined Catholic faithful to nurture the smallest faith in them by being active in good work.

Delivering his homily during the Mass that had the new Bursar of Josephite Congregation, Ogbere Community, Rev. Fr. Esau Enger, CSJ as the Chief Celebrant, Fr. Balogun admonished the parishioners to live their faith now, by wearing their various lay organizations’ uniform to Church on every first Sunday of the month as agreed by all in the parish, for doing so also is a means of publicity to those around them and those that might have newly relocated to their areas  of the existence of Catholic Church around and thus winning more members for the Church.

The parish priest stated that faith is a free gift from God and as such parishioners must fan into flame their faith in order to grow spiritually and must not wait until they have challenges before going to God.

Making reference to the day’s first reading (Habakkuk 1:2-3; 2:2-4) the cleric said Prophet Habakkuk in his tribulations ran to God and so, the parishioners must not see their pain and cross as the biggest but have the faith that a times God keeps them in such difficult moments in order to protect them from dangers. He admonished all to wait patiently in faith for their respective times just like plants that have their respective times to produce fruits. “Prophet Habakkuk lamented and cried due to injustice done against him and his people, but God asked him to hold on in faith, "How long, Lord, am I to cry for help while you will not listen... If it comes slowly, wait, for come it will, without fail."

The parishioners in the spirit of thanksgiving being the first Sunday of the new month also commenced the first phase of the parish’s regional harvest in addition to the ongoing family harvest thanksgiving where Mr Obidare family also had his birthday thanksgiving alongside Pa Raphael Faforiji, Chucks and Akintayo families.

The regional harvest this year started in a different way with the presence of HRM, Oba (Dr) Adebayo Faforiji, Oteniara III, the Alamuye of Amuye in Osun State and his wife, Olori Adesola Faforiji who were in the Church alongside Faforiji’s family to support Baba Raphael Faforiji who had his family harvest thanksgiving same day.

Similarly, the winner for the year 2024 regional harvest, Igbo Community, was presented an award of Excellence to encourage all the regions to put in passion into this year’s regional harvest thanksgiving.