The Religious including the many Nuns working in the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani have held their 2025 Lenten Recollection at the Sacred Heart Parish, Penkwase on the theme: Lent, A Time to Rediscover the Love of God as Pilgrims of Hope.
The March 29 Recollection was preached by Friar Bernard Atsu Nanewodo, OFM Conv, the Postulants Director of the Order of Friars Minor Conventuals and the President of the Religious Formators Association in the Catholic Diocese of Sunyani, Ghana.
In his reflection, he called on everyone to embrace repentance, saying, “it does not matter who you are everyone needs to embrace repentance”.
Friar Nanewodo emphasised the need to show everyone love regardless of the status or class of the people they interact with every day, stating that “everyone is created in the image and likeness of God and should be shown love.”
Quoting St. Augustine of Hippo, he said “God loves each of us as if there was only one of us,” Indicating that the season of lent is a time to rediscover the depths of God’s love and a moment of retrospection as consecrated Men and Women called to change the world.
He lamented that Christians have built walls to separate one from another instead of building bridges.
“The cry of our Holy Father right from the beginning of his pontificate is to build bridges, not walls. To open our hearts to one another. To stretch our hands to help them. To let our presence bring joy, hope, love, and peace to others.”
Further more, he called on the consecrated Men and Women in this season of Lent and as pilgrims of hope to open their hearts to the needs of their brothers and sisters and urged them to listen to their cry, to feel their pain, their struggles in life, to see their sufferings, and to show them love, to give them hope.
The facilitator and the main Celebrant of the Holy Eucharist .
He reminded them about the importance of humility which was essential for a relationship with God, urging them to recognise the needs of people for God’s grace and mercy.
He also highlighted on the need for true prayer, which he said was not about boasting but about seeking God’s forgiveness, stating that “God sees the heart, not just outward actions. He is more concerned with our attitude and sincerity than with our religious practices.”
Activities undertaken as part of the Recollection include the Stations of the Cross, Adoration of the holy Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
By Sr. Esther Kutie, SVI (Sister Communicator)
