05/07/2024
DON'T ASK IF AM NOW A CHRISTIAN _ WE WORSHIP ONE GOD IN DIFFERENT WAYS ...
1. Few times I’ve read from Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, I saw a priest gifted with the gift to clarify doctrines. He could explain complex Catholic teachings in very simple ways that everyone could understand. The same Spirit, different giftings.
2. Few times I’ve come across Ebuka Obi’s prayer sessions, I saw an evangelist gifted with layman’s spirituality, what we call popular piety. This young man is evangelizing many and even making them love the traditional Catholic prayers like Rosary and Divine Mercy. The same Spirit, different giftings.
3. I understand the worry of Fr Kelvin that Ebuka might be trying to pretend Catholic in order to win many Catholics. He is also worried that Ebuka seems not to have obeyed the bishop’s orders. In these worries, what I see is the example of apostle John trying to hush someone who worked miracles in Jesus’ name for the reason that he was not strictly among the disciples of Jesus. And Jesus objected: do not stop him, for he who is not against us is for us.
4. The priests and Pharisees were so convinced that the apostles were impostors until Gamaliel counseled them. The same counsel is what I would like to give to myself, fellow priests and everyone else attacking Ebuka Obi: please my brethren, if what this young man is doing is not of God, it will surely fail, but if it is of God, you can never stop it, and we may find ourselves fighting against the Holy Spirit.
5. Personally, I would like to encourage Ebuka Obi, and ask every Catholic out there to encourage him too. The souls he is winning are souls who would’ve ordinarily ended up under the confusion of many fake pastors, souls who have even got so lukewarm with their catholic faith and many others who were never Catholics.
6. And please, God’s children, Fr. Kelvin is not writing any of his criticisms out of jealousy or envy as many of you insinuate. I believe that he is writing from the background of one who knows very well the damages caused by fake pastors to the body of Christ. As I beg you to stop using insulting words on a priest for your own good, I also encourage him as my younger brother to keep on his good works of teaching and to give the Holy Spirit the benefit of doubt in this matter.
7. Finally, I would like Ebuka Obi to keep encouraging his followers to always go for Sunday Masses either on Saturday evening or early morning of Sunday before going for his ministration. I learnt that he is doing it already and that he too goes for Masses. What else do we need if not to be very happy with the gifts of these young men. God bless us always.
