Christ’s resurrection gives us freedom from bondage of sin - Archbishop Bonaventure

The Most Reverend John Bonaventure Kwofie, the Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, says the resurrection of Jesus Christ has freed humanity from the bondage of sin and death.

As Christians across the world celebrate the Easter festivity in joy and triumph, he said, Jesus had emerged victorious, freed humans from the bondage of sin and death, and transformed them into a new creation.

Easter, he explained was a feast of a new life and great relation with Christ.

Archbishop Kwofie made the remark while delivering the Homily on Sunday at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka when the Cathedral joined the rest of the Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

The Bible Verses for the Homily were Acts 10:24, 37 – 43, with Psalm 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23 as the responsorial psalm, followed by Colossians 3: 1-4 and John 20: 1-9 as the Second and Gospel readings respectively.

The Archbishop said the first reading reminded Christians that together with the Apostles of Christ, they were witnesses of the Lord, while the second reading asked Christians to set their affection on things above and not on earth.

In the Gospel reading, he said sometimes humans failed to understand the plan of God in their lives and the hard times they went through.

“Sometimes, we fail to understand the empty tomb and losses in our lives but they might be the beginning of important growth. We suffer through hardships just to cope and wait for the opportunity to finally walk away from our crosses,” he said.

“How can we recognise the glory of God when we are depressed and how can we realise our victory when we are cursing our crosses. It is impossible,” Archbishop Kwofie stated.

He advised Christians to learn to see the resurrection of Christ as a relief from their troubles and exercise patience to be surprised by God.

While interspersing it with the hymnal, “Hear Our Prayers O Lord”, the Congregation prayed for the Clergy that God filled them with the spirit of sacrifice and virtue of holiness, and for Ghana and its citizens to be true to the ideals of freedom and justice, while living lives of virtue.

They also prayed for the Church to live in unity and love with one another, and for the poor, sick, and needy for God to reach out to them and provide for them according to their needs.

Those suffering from the infinite effects of COVID-19, and the souls of all departed faithful and the dead were prayed for that God granted them healing and eternal rest by tempering justice with mercy.

The celebration was adorned with Hymnal 200 “(I Know That My Redeemer Lives”, “Lamb of God, You Take Away the Sins of the World”, and other gospel songs Worship songs like “He is Lord, He has risen from the Dead”, “Yen Agya Christ, Wadi Nkunim” and climaxed with the “Halleluiah Chorus.”