‘Let the joy of the Birth of Christ reflect in your activities’

Reverend Father Francis Nyarko Danso, Parish Priest of Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church at Twifo-Praso, has urged Christian women, to let the joy and happiness that the birth of Jesus has brought, to reflect in their lives.

He said it was about time Christians searched for Jesus, just like how the three wise from the East looked for Him, on seeing the star.

This, he noted, would bring glory and honour to the world and save it from total condemnation.

Fr Danso made the call in a sermon to climax a four-day celebration by the Cape Coast Archdiocesan Catholic Women Association (CWA) of the Holy Family Feast held at the Saint Stephen Catholic Church at Dunkwa-on-Offin.

The programme, organized by the CWA was attended by more than 1,500 women drawn from all the Catholic Deaneries in the Central Region, on the theme: “The Value of Marriage and Family the Pastoral Challenges of the Family; In the Context of the New Evangelization”

The event is an annual programme organized by the CWA to take stock of its activities, make amends and come out with pragmatic programmes that will enhance the development of the Association and the Church as a whole.

Fr Danso who based his sermon on Matthew 2:1-12, urged Christians to emulate the three wise men from the East who upon seeing the star went in search of Jesus, and on finding Him paid homage and presented Him with expensive gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

He said the birth of Jesus Christ has brought special light in the lives of Christians, and for that matter, they should let the light shine to brighten all the dark corners in their lives.

The parish priest said the feast of Epiphany of the Lord has brought light, love, unity and togetherness, and hoped these attributes would go a long way to address selfishness, conflicts, and disunity, and help solve family problems and disputes.

Fr Danso regretted that the bad intentions King Herod had against the Messiah still existed in the world, and advised that Christians should rather emulate the acts and faith of the three wise men, to ensure peace, love and unity in the world.

Fr Danso said just like the three wise men who sacrificed their time and money and presented expensive gifts to Jesus, Christians should be able to sacrifice what they cherished most for the needy and poor in society, and not spend all their wealth on parties and merry-making.

Madam Comfort Forson, Diocesan President of the Association, thanked the members for taking time off their Christmas celebrations, to participate in the annual event, and expressed the hope that what they had learnt would be put into practice.

The four-day programme comprised activities such as prayer sessions, Talks on Marriage as vocation, sacrifice, covenant, and sacrament, Foundation of a Happy Marriage, Courtship, marriage and Family life and Conflict in Marriage, Causes/solutions, The indissolubility of Catholic Marriage, a Health Talk and screening on Hepatitis B and Diabetes.