As the Universal Church celebrated ‘Sunday of the Word of God’ as declared by Pope Francis, the Provincial Superior of Congregation of St. Leonard Murialdo (Josephites), Province of Africa, Rev. Fr. Andrew Dumbuya. CSJ has urged Catholic faithful to always be attentive to the words of God during the liturgy of the word.

The priest, who was the Chief Celebrant at St. Anne Catholic Church, Ogbere, Ibadan, on Sunday, 26th January, 2025 equally reiterated the stand of the Church that it is wrong for any Catholic faithful, who does not participate fully in the liturgy of the word to receive Holy Communion at Mass.

According to Fr. Dumbuya, who celebrated the day’s Mass alongside Rev. Frs: Justine Adeka, CSJ and Vitalis Ikechukwu, CSJ; the Church on Sunday of the Word of God is calling everyone’s attention to the need to be attentive to the words of God, to know how to use the words and to let it model our lives.

Relating this to how people received and reacted to the words of God in the day’s readings, the priest said that the people were attentive from morning till noon, unlike some faithful today, who are always in haste to leave the Church by complaining that the homily is too long. Also that the people were standing, which is a sign of attentiveness or readiness and that after listening to the words, some bowed down and cried as reverence and feeling of guilty. Hence, he admonished the faithful to always think about the words of God they listened to and fish out how the words speak to them as well as what they need to change in their lives.

In the day’s Gospel too, (Luke 1:1-4, 4:14-21) as Jesus read, people’s eyes were fixed on Him, hence the homilist urged the parishioners to always fix their eyes on the Lord. He added that by the virtue of the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, we all received the same spirit like Jesus, which makes us qualified to proclaim the words of God wherever we find ourselves,

Fr. Dumbuya added too that to proclaim, Christians do not need to talk too much but rather proclaim through their actions and their life styles, since action speaks louder than voice.

The priest reminded the faithful that they are one family like the second reading of the day emphasized and that is why we often pray “Our Father…” He noted too, that a times, Christians allow division but appealed that they see themselves as one. “The trouble of one should be the trouble of others.” He then prayed that God grant all Christians the wisdom and strength to live out His words, so that the world can be transformed through them.

The parish priest, Fr. Stephen Balogun was grateful to the Chief Celebrant for accepting to celebrate the day’s Mass in the parish and prayed that God accompanies him in his tour of the Congregation’s Communities.