Jacob BABALOLA (Staff Writer)

As usual, the Church on first and second day of November celebrated the feast of All Saints and All Souls respectively. At this year’s celebration officiated by Rev. Frs. Esau Enger, CSJ and Vitalis Ikechukwu, CSJ respectively; Fr Esau reminded the parishioners of St. Anne Catholic Church, Ogbere, Ibadan, that God created each for a purpose just like the saints that are being celebrated; while Fr. Vitalis stated that the celebration of All Souls is another opportunity to reflect on our lives and that of our loved ones that have gone before us.

Fr. Esau described the saints as people that lived their lives doing ordinary things in an extra-ordinary ways. Some of the saints the priest added were persecuted, some killed just like those living today are being called names or persecuted because they are speaking the truth. He however enjoined the parishioners to resolve always to follow Christ by fighting a good fight. The priest further encouraged that each person has a saint to model his/her life after. “The beatitudes in the Gospel should be our points of attention. Let us not give up, for Christ says: rejoice and be glad, for your rewards are in heaven. It is better to let go and then focus our attention on Christ like the saints we are celebrating today.” Fr. Esau said.

Similarly, on All Souls celebration, Fr. Vitalis said it reminds us of our sad ending. The priest asked few parishioners whether they are ready to die at the moment and different answers came from the parishioners. The priest then said “if you will accept to die now, why then while involved in an accident, you often cry for help?”

Fr. Vitalis said the life we are living is a dying life; that death has become our enemy that we cannot fight with but just to say yes, whenever it comes. He added that death becomes impossibility to some, but quickly added that nobody can withstand the power of death when it comes, since money cannot buy death. The priest described death as an impossibility that can make possibility impossible. Death is an absurdity to man such that philosophers are yet to come up with its definition.

Fr. Vitalis warned those that have just little opportunities and often thought they have it all to remember that man is living a momentary life.

Hence, when we pray for the dead, we are actually praying for ourselves. He admonished that any opportunity we have to live with people, we should be conscious of how we live it for nobody knows when, how and where death will come.

The priest enjoined all to have a constant way of examining the life they are living, even as he admonished all to always embrace the sacrament of reconciliation.

After the day’s Mass, the parishioners also joined St. Maria Faustina, Amuloko, an outstation in her harvest thanksgiving Mass, which was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Esau Enger, CSJ. The event was fun-filled as members danced forward family by family to give thanks to God. There was bazaar sales after the Mass as well as refreshment, with a lot to eat and drink.