By Oluchi Jacinta Okorie, Abuja
Fr Banjo urges Christians to match faith with action at St Gabriel feast
The Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, has urged Christians to demonstrate their faith through their daily conduct, saying true faith is measured not merely by words but by the way people live.
Fr Banjo made the call in his homily on Sunday during the celebration of the Feast of St Gabriel at St Gabriel Chaplaincy, Abuja.
Reflecting on the Gospel parable of the two sons asked by their father to work in his vineyard, the priest said the story demonstrated the difference between merely professing obedience and actually living it.
According to him, the first son initially refused his father’s request but later changed his mind and went to work, while the second son promised to go but never did.
He said Jesus used the parable to illustrate how people who initially rejected God could experience genuine conversion and become obedient to His will.
“Faith is not measured by words. Faith is measured by our lives,” Fr Banjo said.
He noted that the contradiction between religious profession and everyday conduct was evident in society, including Nigeria, where churches and mosques are filled and prayer programmes attract thousands of people, yet corruption, dishonesty and injustice remain major concerns.
The priest said the contradiction could be seen in different sections of society, citing politicians who invoke God during campaigns but allegedly misuse public resources, traders who pray but cheat customers, workers who profess faith but steal from their workplaces, and families whose religious practices are not reflected in their relationships.
He also challenged Christians to examine their conduct at home, in business, workplaces and public life.
“In all these cases, we are like the second son. Our lips say yes to God, but our very lives say no to Him,” he said.
Fr Banjo explained that obedience requires listening to God and allowing what one hears to influence one’s actions.
He said there should be no disconnect between the faith Christians profess in church and the lives they live outside the church.
“Our faith at the altar must be the same faith we carry into our homes. It must be the same faith we carry into our workplaces, businesses, relationships, entertainment and public life,” he said.
“Our prayer must become our conduct. Our amen at the altar must become an amen in the choices we make every day.”
The priest also drew attention to the Christian example of Jesus Christ, describing His self-emptying, or kenosis, as a model of obedience and sacrifice.
He said Jesus humbled Himself and became obedient even unto death on the cross, while the Virgin Mary demonstrated a similar spirit through her acceptance of God’s will.
According to him, both examples show that saying “yes” to God must be accompanied by a life that reflects that commitment.
Fr Banjo, however, stressed that the Gospel also offers hope to those who may have previously rejected God’s call.
He said every “no” to God could still become a “yes” through genuine conversion.
“A bad beginning does not have to become a bad ending. That is the power of conversion,” he said.
He urged those who have wronged others to seek forgiveness, those who have taken what does not belong to them to make restitution, and those who have allowed bitterness to control their lives to begin the journey of forgiveness.
He also encouraged Catholics who have abandoned the sacraments to return to the faith.
“We cannot rewrite our yesterday, but we can refuse to let yesterday become the story of our tomorrow,” he said.
Fr Banjo illustrated the message with a personal experience from about two decades ago while serving in a parish.
He recounted how a young father who had stolen a camera from a church during a wedding ceremony returned about five years later, troubled by his conscience and determined to make restitution.
According to the priest, the man could not locate the owner of the stolen camera, so he returned to the church to make restitution.
Fr Banjo said the experience demonstrated that people should not be permanently defined by their past mistakes because genuine conversion can transform lives.
“The man who walked out of that same church with the stolen camera was not the same man who walked back into it five years later,” he said.
He therefore urged Christians not to permanently condemn people because of their past, stressing that people can change when they respond sincerely to God’s call.
The Feast of St Gabriel celebration at St Gabriel Chaplaincy brought members of the Catholic community together in thanksgiving and reflection on the Christian call to obedience, conversion and service.
