Homilies & Reflections
One thing I ask of the Lord. This I long to dwell in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my
life.
One thing I ask of the Lord. This I long to dwell in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my
life.
EASTER MESSAGE 2023
My beloved people of God, we have come to the glorious Solemnity of Easter we have been preparing ourselves for all through the period of Lent. Easter is the memorial celebration of the Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ. That Jesus rose again from death on the third day after his crucifixion and death at Calvary is a historical fact. It clearly demonstrates that; goodness, not evil, love not hate, life, not death has the last say. This fact is particularly important for us Nigerians in the face of what INEC did with the presidential election we have just had. The message of Easter this year for the good people of Nigeria is that we should not give up the hope for a New Nigeria, which many of us voted for. For now, that hope has been crucified by INEC.
The enemies of Jesus were so happy that they eventually captured Jesus and killed him. But for how long? Their joy was short-lived, just as Jesus had told the disciples before his passion and death; he said “I tell you most solemnly, you will be weeping and wailing while the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy” (John 16:20). The enemies of Jesus rejoiced only on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Early Sunday morning Jesus rose again from the dead, despite the soldiers guarding his tomb, he came out glorious, and his disciples who were in deep sorrow on Good Friday and Holy Saturday were overjoyed to see the risen Lord.
In the same way, the good people of Nigeria are in sorrow now, while the criminal elements in politics are rejoicing believing they have had it again their way. In a short while, at God’s appointed time, the table will turn on them and our sorrow will turn into joy.
The Resurrection of Jesus is God’s approval of the earthly ministry of Jesus, His yes to all Jesus taught and did. It is also a way to prove to us that truly life does not end in the grave, life continues eternally after earthly death. The resurrection of the body we profess in the creeds is a reality. This knowledge should help us prioritise our values and stop living as if life ends in the grave. HAPPY EASTER!
+Michael Ukpong
Bishop of Umuahia
Date: 2026-08-09 - 2026-08-15
From The Chancery Dear Brothers, happy weekend! You would recall that during the last Bishop's/Priests' Meeting, the Bishop directed that the entire diocese of Umuahia should be observing a one week prayer for *Peace* in Igbo land. I am happy to inform you that, following the directive of His Lordship, the seven days prayers will begin on the 9th of August, and end on the solemnity of Our Lady's Assumption (15th of August), 2026. Take note of the following, please: 1) Take time to explain to your parishioners about the importance of the one week of prayers. 2) Draw their attention to the fact that this is directed by the Bishop himself. 3) Remember that it is a daily evening program. 4) The color to wear is black. 5) The day begins with Rosary procession and concludes with holy Mass. 6) All are advised to make sacrifices during those days. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions regarding the program. Thanks for your usual understanding and positive cooperation. Rev Henry Maduka
The Diocese of Umuahia was erected on June 23, 1958 with Most Rev. Anthony Gogo Nwaedo C.S.Sp. as its first Bishop and Most Rev Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji as the second Bishop. The diocese was carved out from the then Diocese of Owerri. Since its inception, two other dioceses: Okigwe (1981) and Aba (1990) have been excised from it. Its present area of about 2,460.40km2 spans six Local Government Areas: Umuahia North, Umuahia South, Ikwuano, Bende, Ohafia and Arochukwu.
1 Comments
2025-06-03 13:53:16
Leave a Comment
Fill the form below to leave a comment