The Church of the Ascension, Bodija, Ibadan, held its 2024 annual parish Advent Retreat on Saturday 14 December 2024. The highlights of the programme consisted of Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Lauds, Recitation of the Rosary, led by Dr Anthony Porbeni, and a Talk by Rev. Father Stephen Balogun, the retreat Director for the day and Parish Priest of St Anne Catholic Church, Ogbere, Ibadan.

 

Other aspects of the programme were questions and answers session, confession, Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Balogun, and a vote of thanks given by the Parish Priest, Rev. Father Francis Awotoye.

 

Drawing inspiration from the Gospel passage of Matthew 9:27–31 about the two blind men who begged Jesus to restore their sights and were healed, Fr. Balogun titled his lecture “Inner Conversion Will Change the World.” He told participants that the gift of life and health was the real wealth, compared to physical money or material things. He, therefore, urged them to have course to be grateful to God for the life and health of their families.

 

He exhorted participants, arguing that since they already had real wealth in being alive and in health, they ought instead to ask God for the opening or enhancement of their spiritual eye sights, so that they might come to a better and deeper understanding of the manifold blessings of God, notwithstanding the importance of material things to life.

 

He enjoined each person to be clear about what it was that they were asking of God, and to live a life of enduring charity, perseverance, and humility, as an expression of their gratitude. He also challenged participants to remember to bless others, having been thus blessed by God, noting that Christmas is a time to share love.

 

Father Balogun further drew his homily for the day from the day’s Responsorial Psalm titled “God of Hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.” Asking participants to trust in God and avoid unnecessary arguments and rationalisations as they approached the New Year, he urged them to live one day at a time, and to follow the example of St. John of the Cross who endured to the end.

 

At the end, he prayed that having found time to come aside to seek, knock, and ask the Lord for renewal and strength, God should bless participants with the grace of perseverance to the end. He also prayed for the Seminarians and Formators of the Seminary of St. John of the Cross, Ekpoma, Edo State.

 

Also present at the retreat were Rev. Frs: Peace Jemibor, the Assistant Parish Priest of the Church of the Ascension, Divine Ahorsu (SMA), Emeka (Resident Priest from Sacred Heart Church, Ilupeju), and Francis Chiadi (OP), who also helped in listening to confessions and administering the Sacrament of Reconciliation on the participants.

 

The Parish Priest, Father Awotoye, in giving the vote of thanks, thanked Fr. Balogun for finding time to come and bless his parish, and prayed for God to replenish him in manifold ways.