Martins urges youths to rejoice in spite of all odds

BY ETOP EKANEM
The Archbishop of Metropolitan See of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Martins, has urged the youths not to despair irrespective of uncertainties, pains and stress prevalent in the society.

He made the call during the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON) 2012 National Retreat with the theme: “Rejoice in the Lord Always” at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Apapa, Lagos.

Martins who was represented by Msgr. Anthony Erinle, Dean of Apapa Deanery and Parish Priest, St Charles Cathedral Church, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, said: “Unfortunately, many of the youths of this generation and age find little or no reason to rejoice especially when one considers the spirit of the time they live in. They are surrounded by a secular world that has lost the sense of sin and God. They are faced with the problems of poor education, unemployment, poverty, corruption, unfulfilled dreams and other sundry negatives that paint a bleak picture of the future.

“They are buffeted and besieged by the modern culture and promotes absolute freedom, free-thinking, relativism and ‘anything goes’ way of life. They are browbeaten by the virus in information technology that drains their brains, vitiates their potentials and glorifies sexual promiscuity. As a result of escape and in pursuit of ‘lasting’ happiness they resort to all kind of wrongdoings ranging from anarchical adventures, violence, drugs, alcoholism, immorality, felony, to countless unwholesome behaviours.”

In all these, the cleric, therefore, urged the youths to rejoice in the Lord because “only in God in whom we live, move and have our beings, is our hearts at peace.”

On his part,NBational President of CYON,  Mr David Dzalla, condemned the continued inhumane treatment “on fellow citizens by members of Boko Haram sect.

According to him, “we say unequivocally, that no threat is strong enough to dissuade us from our Catholic faith. We strongly believe and know that the menace of Boko Haram can be checked if  authority, particularly, our nothern elite will thread the path of sincerity.

“The aspirations of our promising youths are sacrificed on the altar of unguided quest for power. We can no longer travel within our country without having our hearts in our mouth due to unannounced kidnappings, bombings, manslaughter as in Ebonyi, Port Harcourt and Mubi.”