DAILY HOMILIES #Nigeria

Nigeria is ranked as one of the most religious countries in the world. However, Isaiah’s prophecy about Isreal is true of Nigeria – “these people draw near with their mouths and honour me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me.” (Isaiah 29:13). Nigeria is a nation badly in need of repentance. If Jonah were to visit Nigeria today, his message would be simple: “Forty days more, and Nigeria shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). This is a message we must hear as we celebrate our independence today.

The fact that people place value on something does not make it a treasure. It is not a treasure if it can decay (lose value or depreciate) or be stolen from you. It is not a treasure if it will not follow you to the grave (if it cannot be buried with you). Jesus warns: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19).

Blessed Tansi was often accused of taking his Christian faith too seriously. He lived this vocation at the abbey for 14 years. Father Tansi used to say: “If you are going to be a Christian at all, you might as well live entirely for God”.

In today’s Nigeria, even a child of primary school age has mastered the game of corruption, dishonesty and deception. If we don’t watch it, the evils of the next generation will make the evils of the present time seem like “the good old times.” We must start telling ourselves: “I am the problem of Nigeria; if I don’t change, Nigeria cannot be better.”

As we celebrate our independence today as a country, today is also an opportunity to remind ourselves of our dual citizenship; the fact that we are not just Nigerians but Christians as well. And as St. Paul would tell us in our second reading today, because Christ died on the cross, he has broken the dividing wall that separated nations.

I cannot be praying for Nigeria to become good when in my sphere of leadership, I am worse than Herod. I cannot be dreaming of a new Nigeria when I can afford to see my fellow Nigerians suffering, yet, I partake in the looting of public funds