Archbishop: Confess your sins

By ELIAS LARI
CHRISTIANS have been urged to confess their sins and ask God for his forgiveness so they may continue to remain in his presence.
Archbishop of the Mt Hagen Douglas Young spoke during the ordination of Gabriel Wat Wama at the Ulga St Mary’s parish in Nebilyer, Western Highlands, on Tuesday.
He said everyone made mistakes, including priests, but Christians needed to know that God was a god of forgiveness.
Archbishop Young said many Christians believed that once they turned away from the faith, their relationship with God ended, but this was not so and through Jesus, they would always be absolved of their sins and given a second chance.
He said this, however, did not mean Christians could take this blessing for granted.
Archbishop Young encouraged Christians to follow the example of the apostles, who despite their many shortcomings and failures, confessed their sins and maintained their faith in Christ.
“Even if Apostle Peter could fall, same as other Christians, they did not give up their faith, they confessed and maintained their faith,” he said.
“These are the kind of Christians we must become, once we admit that we have done something wrong, we must know that God is always there to forgive us.”
Archbishop Young urged priests, including newly-ordained Fr Wama, to admit and confess their sins so that could create inside them a pure heart to lead the people.
“We must become the people who accept correction and confess sins,” he said.
Archbishop Young said the apostles failed but they had not given up.
He said the ordination of a local man to the priesthood was a blessing for the community and something both the people and the church could be proud of.
Young said Fr Wama would need the community’s support through prayers in his work.