The Catholic bishop of Bauchi Diocese Dr. Hilary Nanman Dachelem CFM has challenged Catholics on the need to imbibe the four signs of a Dynamic Catholic in living their Christian life. He made this call during the on going 5th Pan African Congress of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Africa holding in Abuja at Chida Event Centre Utako with the theme “Arise and Shine for your light has come”.The Mass which was concelebrated with Bishop Phalana of South Africa, Bishop Chinekezie Eusebius of Garbon and other priests from different African countries served also as a thanksgiving Mass for his 6th episcopal Aniversary and the 63rd independence of his country Garbon.
According to Bishop Dachelem there are four signs of a dynamic Catholic and only seven percent of Catholics possess it while 93 percent of the population live in deficit of them. These four sign are prayer, study, generosity and evangelization. As a dynamic Catholic ones prayer life must be deliberate, purposeful, consistent with every sense of commitment against the hit and run, fairweather approach that many give to prayer. He decribed prayer as opening up to God in speech and smiles. Everything about us must be used as prayer to God. Prayer is powerful and can bring down mountains when said with a clean mind , for the prayer of a righteous availet much .On the issue of study , Bishop Hilary decried the level of laziness many Catholic exhibit when it comes to reading , it is only when one reads that one knows. In his words “our lay Catholics don’t read as much as their pentecostal counterpart, while the pentecostal pastors don’t read as much as Catholic clerics read .It is sad that not many Catholics find time to read church’ documents and encyclical letters crafted and couched for the edification of their souls”. We went further to enumerate the various benefits that come with reading the life of Saints, an exercise that will make the practice of Christian virtues a lot easy. Such books will expose one to the challenges those saints lived through and triumphed, creating some kind of template and road map that will help one in ones spiritual journey.
On generosity, he called on Catholics to use their talents, time and treasure to serve God. Being generous is beyond money. One should use whatever one has to advance the course of the gospel the best way one can without holding back anything. On evangelization which is the fourth sign, Bishop Hilary made a clarion call for all Catholics to develop an attitude of evangelization, converting souls to the kingdom, using the word of God, but at best using ones lifestyle. Catholics should let their light shine through the way they live their lives in and outside the church.
Imagine if every Catholic spends ten minutes in prayer everyday
Imagine if every Catholic reads ten pages of good Christian book everyday,
Imagine if every Catholic gives ten percent of their income to the development of the chuch
Imagine if every Catholic in the chuch engages in evangelization. These are the teaser concerns raised by Bishop Hilary, which according to him will revolutionalize the church. On the contrary it is only 7 percent of Catholics and by extention Christians do such.
The prelate concludes by saying that Charismatic members have proven to the world that Jesus is alive by their spirituality, for him Christ is with us and he will always be with us till the end of time.
The highpoint of the event was the cutting of Bishop Hilary’ 6th Bishopric anniversary and the 63rd independence of his country Garbon
Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
