By Cyril Afolabi Ajayi

The premiere streaming edition of the bi-lingual Christian Faith series titled “Aguda on Air” started with the Divine Mercy Prayer at 3:00pm on Sunday 5th March 2023 via the prestigious Facebook streaming page; The Partner Newspaper. This was necessitated to complement the existing “Aguda on Radio” episodes as well as meet the needs of the digital audience of the program.

The Maiden guest speaker; Rev. Fr. Alfred Matthew Nworie, of Ijebu-Ode Diocese spoke on the topic: Lenten observance. He started his talk by giving an insight into Lent as a season. He explained the season of Lent as a spring time of the Spirit. He added “It is an opportunity for individuals particularly Christians to carry out repair works in specific areas of their lives that may need reconstruction”. During his spirit-filled discussion, he buttresses that our Lenten Observance should not be an activity that is done only to be forgotten but it should be a conscious, consistent and continuous practice which aims at helping a Christian renew, revive and reconcile his relationship and union with God. He further states that the Church in the light of ensuring the aforementioned need for reconciliation with God has in her wisdom, made Lent a yearly observance that lasts for 40-days beginning from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper.

The Cleric explains that Lenten observance was hinged on three (3) important practices namely: Prayer Fasting and Almsgiving. Whilst prayer is the raising up of our hearts and mind to God, fasting helps Christians to yield to the promptings of the Spirit of God by abstaining and denying the flesh of its yearnings. Almsgiving is a pious attempt at being compassionate towards the needs of our neighbour.

Questions were asked by the hosts and listening audience on grey areas surrounding the topic to which light was shed and answers given. In His Final Charge, the Cleric admonishes his audience to take this season very seriously and blessed all the participants asking God to water the seed He has planted in their hearts so it can yield good fruits.