Many Christians are still denying Christ like Peter did – Fr. Henry Oduro Asante

Outgoing Parish Priest of St. Michael Catholic Church, Michel Camp in Accra, Rev. Fr. Capt. Henry Oduro Asante, has called on Christians to reflect deeply on their commitment to Christ, warning that many today still deny Him, just as Peter did.

Preaching on the themes from the Palm Sunday liturgy, Fr. Asante drew a parallel between the biblical account of Peter’s denial of Christ and the modern-day Christian experience.

“Even Peter, he said, if everyone will betray you, not me, but it took a little girl for Peter to deny Jesus,” he said, emphasizing how quickly some believers fall away when faced with adversity.

“We are like the crowd in the gospel. When it was good, they were following Jesus, but when it became tough, they started to withdraw.”

The priest lamented the tendency of some Christians to practice their faith only in comfort and convenience. “In our Christianity, in our lives and at our workplaces, we must not behave like the crowd,” he said. “The people followed Jesus when times were good. When it became tougher and tougher, they started withdrawing,” he noted.

Fr. Asante’s homily marked not only Palm Sunday 2025 but also his final address as parish priest of the Michel Camp community. His message touched on humility, holiness, and spiritual readiness — using vivid metaphors from the gospel to drive home his points.

“Ask yourself if you are a donkey or a horse,” he challenged. “Donkeys are animals with the thinking that they are strong, but the donkey is an animal that is humble. So if the Lord is in need of you today, you must be a humble Christian.”

He continued, “Your heart is the donkey the Lord wants to use this morning. The Lord is in need of your heart.”

Highlighting the theme of sanctity, he reminded the congregation of the purity symbolized by the unused donkey Jesus rode into Jerusalem. “We were told that nobody had used the donkey. It is telling us about holiness, cleanliness and sanctity. So as the Lord is in need of our hearts, our marriages and lives today, they are supposed to be pure.”

Fr. Asante also likened Jesus to a divine GPS, able to guide and locate anyone, anywhere. “If it were today, he would have given them a GPS. In the kingdom of God, Jesus is the GPS. Wherever we find ourselves, Jesus knows it because he is the GPS. Whatever is going through your mind and life, Jesus knows it because he is the GPS.”