St Jude Thaddeus Society, Lagos Ecclesiastical Provincial Council holds pilgrimage at Marian Shrine, preaches trust in God

The event which took place at Marian Shrine, St Agens Catholic Church, Maryland, Lagos, has the theme Trust in God even in Hopelessness.

Reverend Father Moses Ani, former Director, St Jude Apostolate, who officiated the Mass during the mass spoke on the theme Trust in God Even in Hopelessness. He urged his listeners to always trust God. “Trust in  God even in the face of doubt, trust God even in the face of difficulties, trust God even in your trials, trust God even when you think all hope is lost, trust God even when you don’t understand.”

He said sometimes all hopes seemed lost, and those who do not believe appear to be doing well, however he assured them that God is ever willing and ready to come to their rescue in moments of difficulties.

He referred to the encounter between Christ and the young Bartimeus, who has lost all hope but got healing for his sight even against all obstacles. He also gave example of  himself. He testified how God healed him of 28 years Rheumatoid artritis through the intervention of St. Jude Thaddeus. He said St Jude Thaddeus is a patron saint of difficult challenges constantly intervening on behalf of those who call on him..

Rev Father Alexander Oboh, the Provincial Chaplain of St Jude, speaking of the theme of the pilgrimage,. he said “The theme is very much apt, considering the situation we find ourselves today, the economic situation is so tough and difficult, Nigerians are struggling to eat. I can always make reference to where I work, when you come into the street in Victoria Island, you see even able bodied men and women, young boys and girls, begging, it is a situation that presents itself as hopeless, but in all these conditions, what can we do? We cannot throw our trust away, we must continue to trust in God because he alone can safe us.

“However our leaders, those who are in position of authority should also do their best to ensure that the people they serve are well taken care of, providing the basic amenities in the community so that people can have a sense of wellbeing, sense of survival, a sense of we have leaders, who would save them, who would provide them their basic needs. So trusting in God remains very essential for us as Christians, we cannot stop trusting in him. Also our trust is also in alignment with our prayer life, you cannot say you trust in God when you are not enmeshed in prayer, prayer is also part and parcel of trusting God and knowing that He remains ever benevolent, he is our father who will always provide for his children,” Fr Oboh stated.

Romanus Ikechukwu Onyeulo, the Provincial President, Lagos Ecclesiastical Provincial Council of St Jude’s Society also spoke on what brought about the theme, “You know the church celebrates the jubilee of hope, and in our country a lot of people are looking forward for hope, but sometimes the economic situation of the country is looking hopeless for so many people. People are facing so much difficulty, but the church has given us a patron saint who is a patron saint of difficult and desperate cases, St Jude Thaddeus, it also calls to mind for us to pray, because we always believe that where there is prayer, there is hope. Then there is need to trust in God even in the face of hopelessness; that is how the theme came about; then there is need to trust in God even in hopelessness. We have a God who has always been there to answer is us, no matter the challenges, he has done it before and he keeps doing it.

“With God all things are possible. Whatever situation we find ourselves in the world today, we would always trust in God, so that is why we gathered here today, as one big family, the Lagos Province: The Lagos Archdiocese, Abeokuta Diocese, and Ijebuode Diocese, to come to pray in the Marian Shrine, St Agnes, Maryland, Lagos. We all know that mother Mary is there, she has always been there, the mother we always call on, and she is always there to answer. So that is why we are here to seek for intersession for ourselves, our families and our society, for our world and even for the church. The Catholic Church now has a new Pope, this is the time to seek the face of God for the church to continue to have proper guidance, and continue to move forward,” he stated.