The love of many has grown cold, a preacher once cried out. But as a visiting Nigerian Rev. Father, Anthony Alimnonu CSSP from Rome told a hugely packed audience today in an Easter retreat, organized by the African Catholic Community of Verona, the love of God is beyond any measure.
The Biblical reflection was drawn from the story of the prodigal son. While the more than 150 participant might have been concentrating on the repentant spirit of the prodigal son, the crowd warming Priest decided to trace a different angle, the unconditional love of the father.
He didn’t fail to highlight the often selfish approach to love. As he put it, many usually confess their love only when they have something to gain in the long run. And to many who claim to love they don’t usually have enough rooms for pardon when the one they love goes wrong, unlike the father of the prodigal son who though should have be angry but demonstrated love instead.
Going further, he submitted:
“To say we do not make mistakes on our daily basis is far from the reality and the greatest of all our mistakes is to omit God in our lives; because the moment we omit God, we lose the meaning of life.”
As for the Africans who live in Italy, he urged that their strength should be generated from their togetherness and religiousness. Though they might be passing through a lot of stress, they should always remember were they are coming from as a people and strive to work together for the good of them all. In that way, the unconditional love they show towards one another will turn out to be their strength.
“A brotherly correction,” he said, should always be given to those who go wrong and offered the courage to face the challenges of life.
Using the opportunity to flash the ugly incident in the Sea between Africa and Europe, Rev. Father Charles of the Catholic African Community stressed that the Africans here should try to inform their relatives back home, to be careful with their Do or Die approach to entering Europe. After all, Europe is not as gleaming as they often think it is.
Having condemned the negative attitudes of some immigrants, father Anthony advised that immigrants carry on with their positive stands in all their areas of endeavors, even if it has becomes obvious that Italian Medias hardly report positive news about immigrant.
Rounding up the event with a reminder of how Jesus demonstrated his selfless love by dying on the cross to save mankind, he added during the mass:
“We must accept some sacrifices by refusing some actions we naturally would have taken if not for Christ and our faith.”
Ewanfoh Obehi Peter
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