Rev. Fr. Kingsley Ferdinand, a Catholic Priest of Abuja Archdiocese, has urged Christians to form the habit of appreciating God always, especially for unseen blessings in their lives.
Ferdinand said this in his homily on Sunday in Abuja, at a Mass to celebrate the 2019 Harvest Thanksgiving of St Charles Catholic Church, Apo.
The theme of the Harvest and Bazaar Thanksgiving is“ Harvest of Gratitude’’ taken from the book of Psalm 124 verses one to eight.
The priest told the parishioners that harvest was a covenant day of community thanksgiving to appreciate God for His numerous blessings.
He said Christians often fell into temptation of equating the blessings of God with material and physical resources, saying“ we should be more grateful for those blessings that are hidden.
“Hidden dangers that you yourself don’t know that God is protecting you – silent sicknesses, unseen battles at home, office and market places and accident, even battles of the night,’’ the priest said.
Ferdinand said the psalm encouraged Christians to thank God for the blessings they could not see, saying: “There are so many unseen miracles in our lives that we should be grateful for.
“If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us alive.
“ When their wrath was kindled against us, then they would overwhelm us, the stream would have gone over our soul.
“Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.”
He said harvest was a day to see and behold material blessings but to thank God for unseen blessings.
The priest said thanksgiving was a platform for more blessings, a platform for multiplication and a platform to bring help in helpless time.
In his remarks, Rev. Fr. Festus Nwadike, Parish Priest of the St Charles Lwanga, Apo, said it was a thing of joy to see the family of God gathered in this manner to celebrate the goodness of God.
Nwadike said it was exciting to see that it was a celebration of Gratitude to God, saying “Heart of gratitude is God’s will for us at all times.
“We ought to show gratitude to God for all his goodness in our lives – family, work, business, career, health, protection, and promotion – which are freely given for our benefit,” the priest said.
In his address, Mr Jude Asogwa, Chairman, Harvest Planning Committee, said the theme was an indication of reaping with a heart filled with joy.
“The word gratitude is an act of showing appreciation.
“It is an inward feeling manifested through a display or return of kindness. We must admit that God has been immensely gracious to us,” he said.
