by Revd Fr. Stephen Onyeama 
The Catholic Archbishop of Kaduna, Most Revd. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, in his homily at the Ordination of 13 Deacons - 12 from the Archdiocese of Kaduna and 1 from the Diocese of Zaria, on 1st January, 2023, at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Kaduna, said that the New Year is a moment of joy and hope. “We hope that the New Year will be better than the old”, he said, adding “It is our hope and prayer that this New Year will offer true peace that only Jesus can give, not the kind that the world gives.”

Ndagoso encouraged the faithful not to allow their past to drag them back. “Don’t live in the past, live in the present with hope”, he charged, noting that some are living in the future and not in the present, but that yesterday is a cancelled cheque, tomorrow is a promissory note and today is cash at hand, which must be spent wisely and carefully.

The Archbishop further charged the faithful to use their weakness and mistakes of the past as stepping stones into the future, as the life we live today determines how the future will look. While commenting on Pope Francis’ reflection on the day of peace, the Archbishop observed that the Pope stated that there are two kinds of viruses in the world today; the corona virus and the virus of wars and conflicts.

“The world has been able to contend and find vaccine for the corona virus but she is not able to find a vaccine for the virus of war and conflicts that is destroying the world”, adding that we all must walk together in solidarity, work for the common good and think and act together.