Christians urged to take stock of discipleship to Jesus

Tamale, Sept.21, GNA - The Most Reverend Gregory Kpiebaya, Catholic Bishop of Tamale, has urged Christians in Northern Ghana to take stock of their 93discipleship=94 to Jesus as they enter the second century of Christianity.

"God's loving and compassionate face, his encouraging word and his healing hands would be more revealing rather than covered in the second century of God's presence among us.

"To achieve this, our faith in him must be an active faith, that is faith accompanied by good works, for faith that has no good works is dead", he said.

Bishop Kpiebaya was delivering a homily at an open-air High Mass to climax the centenary celebration of the Catholic Church in Northern Region in Tamale.

The celebration was on the theme: "Who is Jesus Christ to you? What does He ask of you?" Bishop Kpiebaya urged Christians to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit about the true nature of Jesus Christ, who took up his challenges courageously as several Missionaries generously followed him under very harsh conditions to bring faith to others.

He said there were crosses in marriage and the family life and questioned how those who were married were carrying their crosses and why there were so many unhappy marriages. "Similarly, there are crosses and temptations in the professional life of surveyors, policemen, prison officers, teachers, nurses, doctors and politicians, for instance and I would like to know how Christian professionals are also carrying these crosses in the face of temptations", he said.

Bishop Kpiebaya said 100 years of following Christ should have made these professionals conscious of their vocation in this world. "It should also make them take a stand and promote all that is good, noble, just, sincere and peaceful; a stand for the truth and the common good.

"After 100 years, we can boast that these values are found among us and as Christians we should resist crime, lawlessness, corruption and embezzlement", he said.