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On the 14th of March this year, many Christian communities celebrated their mothering or mothers’ Sunday in Nigeria. Today being 18th April, Catholics are celebrating theirs. This means that someone whose mother is Anglican and mother-in-law is Catholic will have two different celebrations; or a man who is Catholic and his parents are Anglicans and so on will be doing the same.
If we as Nigerian Christians cannot unite on a thing like mothering Sunday on what else are we going to agree? The world history makes it clear to us that developed nations are those who understand the meaning of collaboration and teamwork.
The early Christians were able to build a stable Christian community because they understood the importance of doing things in common. In his prayer and wish for Christians Jesus said: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” Cf John 21:17.
In a country where the government is characterised with division, suspicion, controversy, nepotism and ineptitude, the Church is expected to come out as a teacher, counsellor, bridge-builder, and pacesetter.
We call on the Christian body in Nigeria to do the needful as least for the sake of Christ. There is absolutely nothing wrong if all Christian churches decide to celebrate our mothers on the same Sunday in 2022 and onwards.
Happy Mothering Sunday my dear Nigerian Catholics and to all mothers. Chukwu gozie unu! Ihe di ka unu akokwalam.
