Hardship: Govt. indifference worrisome – Fr. Urien

By Patrick Wemambu

Deep concerns have been expressed regarding the federal government’s seeming apathy towards the worsening economic situation in Nigeria – amid increasing demands for good governance in the country.

Conveying the said worries while celebrating Mass in his parish Sunday, Rev. Fr. (Dr.) James Urien told worshippers – at the St. Paul’s Chaplaincy, Delta State University (DELSU) Abraka, Delta State – that in the current socio-political economy of Nigeria, the government seems to be deaf to the cries and plight of the masses.

His words; “There is so much hunger and suffering in the land without any remedy in view. It is not even enough to hear but to act fast before the situation gets out of hands. It is so bad that the basic physiological needs of ordinary Nigerians cannot be met. Lives are hanging in a balance. We pray and hope that people will not be so depressed to the point of committing suicide, cannibalism, stealing etc. This is a wake up call to the government to listen to the masses and work out concrete panacea to the challenges.”

Dwelling on the theme of spiritual deafness and dumbness, the chaplain noted that whereas many persons can physically hear and speak – there are others who are deaf and dumb spiritually.

“What this simply means is that, many of us do not know how to communicate with God. We have difficulties in praying, praising, proclaiming, and listening. In a practical manner, when the word of God is proclaimed, many hear the sound of it but do not listen. When the Lord speaks to us in the liturgy at various moments, we do not respond sometimes. We behave like the dumb,” the homilist expatiated, adding that we can also be spiritually deaf when we fail (like the government) to listen to the cries and hardships of the poor or needy.

Other instances cited include when we ignore useful corrections and when we refuse to listen to ourselves.

Regarding the healing process, the parishioners of St. Paul’s Chaplaincy were informed that healing begins with separation from sins, prayer, submission to God’s will, and obedience to His word. Healing, furthermore, is said to take place when we listen to others and express the contents of our hearts.

Continuing, the revered man of God submitted that we do not need to hear or speak before we worship God. We can do so from our hearts without the use of words. However, he maintained that we should be grateful that we can speak and hear – urging more open mindedness and inclusive mentality.

Introducing stress management techniques, Fr. Urien counselled that some persons need the psychological relieve of being heard. They have bottled up hurtful feelings and frustrations and need a place to vent.

“We need to hear them speak and reassure them of our presence and help. Like Jesus, we need to take such persons away from the crowds and attend to their needs. If we find no person to talk to, we can approach the priest or visit the Blessed Sacrament in the Church for a moment of adoration. You can make your voice heard in prayer to God, meetings, on the social media, Christian community, advocacy groups etc. There is no need to die in silence, let someone hear you out,” he explained.

Although society is classed, we should not bring that into the church. Before God, all men are equal, the priest declared. Sometimes, we mistreat and embarrass the poor in the church, he bewailed – warning that the church must not use double standards for the rich and the poor.

A last line; “Jesus cares about people of different cultures and nationalities. Stop selective relations in the church. Sometimes, we are deaf to the cries of poor, victims of abuses, injustice etc. At other times, we are mute when we need to speak up. Come to Jesus for healing. He will touch you and make you whole.”