Develop hearts that thirst for what is right – Rev. Father Appiah

Reverend Father Bernard Adjei Appiah, English tutor at St. Martin’s Senior High School at Nsawam-Adoagyiri, has underscored the need for Christians to develop pure hearts that thirst for what is right.

He said a pure heart was one of free possessiveness, a heart able to feel the soul of others and one that was not vengeful.

He made the call at the 2nd annual conference of the Tema Regional Council and Court of the Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall in Tema at the weekend.

The two-day conference was under the theme: “The Marshallan – in Search of a Pure Heart and Steadfast Spirit", was attended by more than 200 members of the Catholic Friendly Society within the region.

Rev. Father Appiah advised Christians to rid their hearts of the desires of worldly things such as greed, jealousy, racism and evil.

He reminded Christians that God’s divine purpose for their lives was for them to live with pure hearts so as to be planted and properly rooted spiritually in order to bear spiritual fruits.

He therefore urged them to remain steadfast in their faith, pointing out that, “It is not easy to navigate true life with all the uncertainties facing us.”

“If you want to bear spiritual fruits then you must reject sin, walk in holiness, delight in God’s law, and be planted in His house – connected to the body of Christ,” he asserted.

Rev. Father Appiah reminded the Marshallese of their conference theme and noted that the way forward was for them to be constant at their journey of grace, live the purest of hearts, and to remain in steadfastness.

Referring to personalities who search for pure hearts and steadfast spirit in the bible, Rev. Father Appiah mentioned Abraham, David, Mary Magdalene, Zaccaeus, Paul, Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman and said these people trusted in God and set them on a course for His life.

Sir Knight Joseph Kenneth Otoo, Past Supreme Knight, urged Marshallese to let the fundamental principles of the Noble Order that is unity, charity, fraternity and service guide them at all times.

The Noble Order of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall is a Catholic friendly society founded in 1926, with the two primary objectives of bringing Catholic men and women together for effective lay Apostolic and Catholic action and providing a friendly social forum for Catholics, who may be attracted to non-Catholic lodges.

The Noble Order was named after Sir James Marshall, an English Judge of the then Gold Coast, whose relented efforts led to the re-founding of the Catholic Church in the Gold Coast in 1880, after nearly 250 years of the breakdown of the maiden attempt at establishing it by the Portuguese in the 15 century.

Rev Father Appiah said the Noble Order with headquarters in Sekondi in the Western Region, has a current membership of about 10,000 literate practicing men and women in Ghana, Togo, Benin, Liberia and London.

“Our mission enjoins us to prepare Catholic men as Knights, who will actively work in cooperation with the hierarchy, to enhance the propagation of the gospel and honor, promote, defend and live the Catholic faith at all times, as well as foster amongst its members and those of all Kindred Orders, a strong fraternal spirit and relationship,” he added.**