No turning back

Fr Stoute at opening Mass of Jesus Explosion XXII

By Kaelanne Jordan
mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org

Last weekend’s three-day Jesus Explosion XXII, held at Bishop Anstey High School East & Trinity College East, Trincity, delivered powerful messages centred on the theme from Ephesians 5:8: “You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of Light.”

Fr Godfrey Stoute, the celebrant and homilist at Saturday’s (July 20) Mass emphasised the transformative power of redemption in Christ. He began by acknowledging the universal nature of sin and the importance of recognising our past: “Every saint has a past. So, we all know where we used to be and where the Lord has brought us.”

Fr Stoute stressed the uniqueness of God’s love and sacrifice, urging believers to maintain an “attitude of gratitude” for their salvation. He pointedly remarked, “What God has done for us, no man has done, and no man can do. So, he’s singular in what He has done for us.”

“Some of you may say, ‘well, you don’t know my boyfriend’…can he tell you how many grains of hair on your head? And if you’re like me, how many follicles…he can’t tell you that. Did he offer his life for you?” Fr Stoute questioned.

A significant portion of the homily focused on the challenges of maintaining faith in a world full of temptations. Fr Stoute used the vivid metaphor of “spiritual dalmatians” to describe Christians who have been redeemed but still struggle with darkness: “We’ve been redeemed, we’ve been purified but the darkness caught us…[but] we cannot go back to where we used to be.”

He strongly advised against returning to old habits and relationships that could hinder spiritual growth: “Some people belong to your past. And they must stay right there, don’t resurrect them.” Fr Stoute highlighted the sufficiency of a relationship with Jesus, quoting St Teresa of Avila: “God alone is sufficient.”

The homily also addressed the challenges of living a Christian life in the modern world, particularly in the age of social media. Fr Stoute cautioned against the disconnect between online personas and real-life behaviour: “You like to post things and they’ll come back and haunt you later on. And there’s a disconnect with the person who comes to church.”

He urged believers to focus on their relationship with Jesus despite societal pressures: “The only friend you can rely on is Jesus. I’m not telling you your acquaintances are bad people…the one you can rely on in good times and bad, no matter what, is Jesus.”

Fr Stoute didn’t shy away from controversial topics, speaking out against what he sees as immodest dress and behaviour during events like Carnival.

“If you can’t make a difference when you in something, what you doing there? When you put salt in food, isn’t salt supposed to make a whole world of a difference? So that if you cannot redeem something and you know it isn’t pleasing to God and you cannot effect a positive change, you should not be there at all.”

He then challenged the congregation: “Your body is a temple of God’s Holy Spirit. You must respect yourself and respect God’s temple.”

The homily concluded with a call to action for all Christians to “expose the things of the dark” and to make choices that reflect their faith. Fr Stoute stated the goal of events like Jesus Explosion, “winning souls for the Kingdom, bringing people to Jesus Christ, recognising there is no other way to the Kingdom than through Jesus.”