Bishop Ezeonyia

The Catholic Bishop of Aba Diocese, Most Rev. V.V. Ezeonyia has called on Christians to use this Lenten period to fast from noise, television and other forms of entertainment.

In his 2014 Lenten Message, titled: “Yearly Attitude Adjustment”, the Bishop said” “Lent is a time for our Yearly Attitude Adjustment.  For this, God gives us the spiritual tools of almsgiving, prayer and fasting for bringing cold embers back to life”.

He warned that: “A gift is nothing without the love that animates it and the fraternal bonds it animates.  Alms bring us closer to God.  The service of charity belongs to the very nature of the Church.  It is a lively expression of God’s solicitude for all men.  Go into the furthest reaches of your heart.  Perhaps, we need to fast from noise and busyness in order to hear God speaking in the silence.  Perhaps we need to fast from television and entertainment in order to hear God in the cries of the poor and the stranger”.

Bishop Ezeonyia reiterated that” “Lent is a season for us to recognize the ways in which we might be asleep to Christ’s presence and service”, adding that  “It offers us a time to awaken our hearts, minds and bodies to the obstacles that prevent us from seeing and following Christ”.

Continuing he said: “It is a time to consider the ways that we might be weighed down, overtired or unreflective.  Lent is an opportunity to discipline ourselves to stay awake for Christ.  We can do this by following Jesus’ example and taking the time to prayerfully listen for God’s voice.  We can create a healthy balance between rest and work.  We can practice awareness of what our bodies and feelings are telling us.  We can also reflect on our use of time, our response to others, and the ways we use God gifts.  Our challenge is to be like Peter and his companions and to resist the temptation to give in to sleep”.

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