Sunday of the Word of God: Archbishop Martins calls on Priests to enthrone the Bible on January 26
lagosarchdiocese
By Neta Nwosu
The Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos, Mgr. (Dr) Alfred Adewale Martins has appealed to all parishes in the Archdiocese to undertake the enthronement of the Word of God on Sunday, January 26, 2025. This clarion call aims to rekindle a deeper love and respect for the Holy Writing. He charged all priests to promote a deeper understanding of the importance of this day among their respective parishioners. In the Lagos Archdiocesan circular addressed to clergy, religious and lay faithful, the Archbishop urged priests to emphasize the importance of observing Sunday, January 26, as a day dedicated to the Word of God.
He wrote: “The Sunday celebration of the Word of God for this year will take place on Sunday, January 26, 2025. On that day, all parishes in the archdiocese will experience the enthronement of the Word of God. “This is why we order all priests to begin to make the faithful aware of this special Sunday and the importance of the Word of God in the life of the Christian. “The Bible enthronement rite will be used. You will notice that the rite is anchored in the mass of the day and that it highlights the Word of God. “The Bible remains on its throne until Tuesday March 4, 2025, the eve of Ash Wednesday. » The enthronement of the Word of God is a sacred ritual that involves the ceremonial placing of the Bible in a position of honor on the altar of the Church.
This act symbolizes the parish’s commitment to making the Word of God the centerpiece of their spiritual life. Bishop Martins recalled that on September 30, 2019, the Holy Father Pope Francis established each year the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time as Sunday of the Word of God. The circular read in part: “On this Sunday, the Holy Father invites all Catholics around the world to deepen their appreciation, love and faithful witness to God and his Word. This day should be observed as a special day dedicated to the celebration, study and spreading of the Word of God. The enthronement of the Word of God is not only a celebration of the importance of the Bible in the life of the Church, but also a call to action. Parishes are encouraged to develop programs and activities that promote biblical literacy, reflection, and application.
…Tasks of lay leaders on good conduct at the Lay Council AGM
By Constaincia Uruakpa
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, has expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which elections are being conducted among different groups, at different levels of the Church, and has charged the lay faithful to ensure that they are willing to vote. render selfless service to God and humanity for the positions they seek to fill. Archbishop Martins made this remark while speaking at the 2025 AGM of the Laity Council of the Archdiocese of Lagos (LALC), themed “Hope in Crisis: The Power of Prayer, faith and community”, which was held recently at the Catholic Church of the Resurrection, Magodo. Lagos.
The archbishop said he had noticed that sometimes the conduct of elections in Church associations had become quite difficult, as they had turned into a political affair, where people seek power by bribing others and by making each other sing. According to Bishop Martins, people are campaigning for positions and not giving the idea of service, which is supposed to be the main thing for positions held in the Church. “They are giving it a bad name, and that is why it was necessary to do studies and develop regulations regarding elections,” he said.
The Archbishop identified some of the difficulties that have been noted over time and which are important to resolve, including finances and the use of funds. He congratulated the president of the LALC who, according to him, worked well to ensure that the usual rule provides that priests and chaplains are among the signatories of the association accounts. Regarding overburdened people, he said studies are being done so the archdiocese has financial regulations that will help streamline things.
He said: “For this reason, there have been consultations with the leaders of the associations, so that we can have a sound guideline when it comes to finances. I hope this will eventually see the light of day and help us alleviate some of the issues that have been identified. “We are intentional about providing guidelines and regulations to ensure there is good order in how things are done.” Reflecting on the theme, Rev. John-Oscar Obi, Director of the Center for Lay Apostolate and LALC Chaplain, said the world is facing many challenges, adding that Nigeria is grappling with financial, social, moral and economic difficulties.
However, Obi said that even in the darkest of times, there is a glimmer of hope that shines brighter than any adversity, made possible by the power of prayer, faith and the unwavering support of our community . For his part, Mr. Julius Ezeifedi, President of LALC, expressed his joy at the participation of 41 lay groups of the Church, represented by their leaders. “I am very happy that all our efforts are bearing fruit. If we can have 41 groups in the archdiocese, that will be helpful to the lay apostolate and the Lay Council,” he said.
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