Peter Uzoho
On Sunday, November 13, 2016, the atmosphere in St. Kizito Parish, Iju, Ifako- Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos, was that of gladness, celebration and thankfulness, as the church held its 2016 harvest ceremony themed ‘Harvest of Hope and Faithfulness’.
The harvest organised and hosted by the Catholic Men’s Organisation, an arm of the church, saw members, offer special harvest gifts, comprising food items, wine, assorted electronic sets, bikes, cash donations and other items, accompanied with dances and songs of praises as a symbol of reciprocating God’s love, protection and faithfulness to them.
In his sermon, Reverend Father Paul Ighabor drawing from the book of Psalms chapter 95,said harvest is a period people come to thank God for his blessings and faithfulness in their lives. “It’s a period of expressing one’s faith. It’s a period of giving. It’s a time to rejoice and celebrate one another. All these call for patience, endurance and faithfulness,” he said.
He also urged the members to work hard in order to reap good fruits during harvests.
Also speaking, Chairman, Catholic Men’s Organisation of St. Kizito Parish, Dr. Patrick Momah, thanked God for helping the organisation host the 2016 harvest as assigned to it by the church. He said though it was a challenging experience but through God’s guidance and support they were able to deliver.
Momah said hosting the harvest ceremony was an opportunity for them to serve God, adding that it was a thing of joy. He thanked all that participated in the ceremony including the guests, and prayed for God’s faithfulness and mercy in their individual lives.
Advising on the need to serve God, he said “God is the author and finisher of our faith. He is the source of whatever success we make in life. So my advice to people is that once you are called to serve please don’t use your business or work as an excuse. You’re not serving human beings rather you’re serving God. So see it as an opportunity to give back to God and you will see the testimony.”
The harvest ceremony ended with a bazaar session, where some of the items collected were sold to enable the church raise money to take care of the poor and the needy in the community.
