Hey Diary,
Here we go again. It was Mothers’ Day yesterday. Sorry I
guess I should be more specific. It was Mothers’ Day for non-Catholics in
Nigeria (not sure about other parts of the world) yesterday. Which yet again
makes me wonder why Catholics and non-Catholics can’t seem to agree on a
harmonized day for celebrating Mothers’ Day? I hope someday there won’t be a
different day for celebrating Christmas by Catholics and a separate day by
non-Catholics. Now if that ever happens, would it really be a surprise? I leave
you to your views. Feel welcome however to share those views if you feel so
compelled to. After all in this age of democracy, we shouldn’t be seen to agree
on all things all the time.
In order to err on the side of caution therefore, I sent out
goodwill messages to the female members of my family, friends, acquaintances, ‘fans’
and associates not discriminating between those who are Catholics and those who
are not.
So as a Catholic should, and especially during the Lenten
period, I was at Mass. Talking of Mass,
anyone who has attended Catholic Mass in Nigeria in the past 5 years (or
perhaps for longer) would have become familiar with a “Prayer against bribery
and corruption in Nigeria”. I have often wondered why that prayer is said. If every
Catholic in Nigeria refrained from offering or receiving bribes, inducements
for undeserved and preferential treatment, perhaps we would have (going by the
sheer population of Catholics in Nigeria) caused enough positive ground
swelling to lead to a rebirth and may thereafter not have need for that prayer.
So while we still say the prayer for the time being, we should also with the
same zeal, just stop encouraging the scourge that the twin ogres of bribery and
corruption have become in Nigeria.
Just before you start wondering if I have something against
praying or against Catholics, please perish the thought. I am a committed
Catholic (was born a Catholic) and I expect to practice the faith until I
transit to eternal glory at a time that the good Lord chooses.
I get the feeling that if any of my blogs would elicit a
debate, this may be it. I stand to be proved wrong.
Enjoy.
