Sunday Reflection: “You Are Not Alone” — Fr. Pius Odediran Delivers Powerful Message On God’s Presence In Every Storm

Akahi News learnt that Rev. Fr. Pius Odediran, a respected cleric in the Osogbo Catholic Diocese, has delivered a stirring reflection for Sunday, May 10th, 2026 — a message of courage, divine presence, and the unshakeable truth that God never abandons His children, even when the storms rage hardest.

Fr. Odediran’s meditation, titled “God Is Standing With Us, We Stay With Him,” draws from the day’s Scripture readings to remind the faithful that persecution, defeat, and disappointment are not signs of God’s absence — they are opportunities for expansion, growth, and unexplored territories. Akahi News gathered that the priest’s words come at a time when many Nigerians feel overwhelmed by economic hardship, security challenges, and personal trials that seem never-ending.

It was alleged that some believers have begun to question where God is in the midst of the nation’s troubles. Fr. Odediran’s response is clear: God is standing with us. The only question is whether we will choose to stand with Him.

From Persecution To Expansion: When Defeat Becomes Growth

The priest took his congregation back to the first reading, where the disciples of Christ bore testimony to the risen Lord. Through their efforts, the Samaritans received the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. But here is the detail that Fr. Odediran wants no one to miss: Philip got there because he ran from persecution.

Yes, they were fleeing for their lives. Yes, the situation looked like a defeat. But they believed that Jesus was still in control. And that belief transformed their running into reaching. Their persecution became the very engine of expansion, growth, and exploration.

“May our defeat become expansion, disgrace become grace,” Fr. Odediran prayed. “May our failure become a source of growth.”

It is a radical re-framing. The Nigerian whose business collapsed last year is not being told to pretend the loss did not hurt. He is being told that God can take that very rubble and build something new. The woman who lost her job is not being dismissed. She is being invited to watch God turn her disgrace into a testimony of grace. Akahi News had earlier reported that many Christians struggle with the theology of suffering — but Fr. Odediran is not offering a theology of suffering. He is offering a theology of resurrection.

The Advocate Has Come: No Spirit Of Timidity

The promise of the Advocate — the Sacrament of Confirmation — endows believers with great power and privileges, Fr. Odediran reminded his flock. The Holy Spirit, received through the laying on of hands as the apostles did, strengthens and makes every Christian a true soldier of Christ, referencing the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1303-1304).

Then came the words that should echo in every Catholic heart: “Give us courage. He helps us to bear witness to the truth without fear.”

The priest quoted directly from Scripture to seal this point: “You have not received the Spirit of timidity, but the Spirit of courage and sonship. The Spirit bears witness that we are God’s Children” (Romans 8:15-16).

This same Spirit, Fr. Odediran emphasised, resurrected Christ and gave life to our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11). As the principal agent of evangelisation, the Holy Spirit confirms the truth we preach. When you speak truth to power, when you stand for justice in a corrupt system, when you refuse to bend your conscience for comfort — that is not your own strength. That is the Advocate at work within you.

But how many Nigerian Christians have received the Spirit of timidity instead? How many remain silent when they should speak, compliant when they should resist, fearful when they should stand firm? The priest’s message is a wake-up call: timidity is not from God.

Respect For Others And The Animating Power Of The Holy Spirit

Turning to the second reading, Fr. Odediran highlighted Peter’s encouragement to treat others with respect. The apostle reminds us of the animating power of the Holy Spirit, even in the life of Christ: “In the body, he was put to death; in the spirit, he was raised to life.”

The same Spirit that raised Jesus sustains us in the truth. Peter made it clear: the Spirit of God comes upon us, and we become active for Christ because, as John 6:63 declares, “What gives life is the spirit of God.”

It is a profound shift. Too many Christians live as if their faith is a passive membership — attending Mass, paying dues, avoiding major sins, but never actively engaging the world. Fr. Odediran insists that the Spirit makes us active. The Spirit makes us agents of change, not spectators of salvation.

Consider the Christian teacher in a public school who faces pressure to inflate exam scores. The Spirit gives her courage. Consider the Christian lawyer who is asked to defend an unjust cause. The Spirit gives him discernment. Consider the Christian mother who is exhausted from caring for a sick child. The Spirit gives her supernatural strength. This is not poetry. This is the promise of Pentecost.

“I Will Not Leave You Orphans”: God’s Presence In The Storm

The coming of the Holy Spirit, Fr. Odediran declared, is the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise to stay with us in storm and crisis. An Advocate — one who stands beside you, not one who watches from a distance.

The priest quoted Christ’s own words from the Gospel of John: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I shall ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever, that Spirit of truth. I will not leave you orphans.”

“PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE STORM,” Fr. Odediran emphasised in capital letters. “YOU ARE NOT ALONE. NEVER ISOLATE YOURSELF IN DISAPPOINTMENT.”

This is the heart of the message. When the fuel price rises again. When the news brings another report of kidnapping. When the marriage is struggling. When the child is sick. When the job offer never comes. The natural human response is isolation — to retreat into a cave of disappointment and nurse wounds alone. But Fr. Odediran warns against that very instinct. Isolation is not holiness. Isolation is not humility. Isolation is the devil’s playground.

The Spirit of truth is with you. You are not an orphan. The Father has not abandoned you. But to receive the Spirit of truth, conditions must be met.

What We Must Do: Go, Love, Obey, Submit

Fr. Odediran outlined the pathway to receiving and walking in the Spirit. First, “Go into the whole world and preach the good news to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Evangelisation is not optional for the faithful — it is the commission.

Second, love both God and neighbour (Luke 10:25-27). The priest reminded his congregation that the greatest commandment is inseparable from the second. You cannot claim to love God while hating the person beside you in the pew — or the person who does not even sit in any pew.

Third, consciously accept the Holy Spirit into your life. It is not a passive event that happened at Confirmation. It is a daily, conscious invitation: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the heart of your faithful.”

Fourth, be obedient to His commandments and words. Obedience is the language of love. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” There is no shortcut around this.

Fifth, submit yourself to His will. This is the hardest. Submission means surrendering your plans, your timelines, your definitions of success. It means saying, “Not my will, but yours be done,” even when His will leads through a valley of shadows.

The priest also issued a warning: many are being deceived into seeing God’s worship as a burden. They wake up on Sunday morning and feel oppressed by the thought of Mass. They see prayer as a chore, Scripture reading as a duty, and service as an obligation. That deception, Fr. Odediran says, is from the enemy. Worship is not a burden. Worship is the air that resurrected lungs breathe.

Finally, the priest pointed to the apostles themselves. They held on to Christ in their storm and confusion. They did not understand the crucifixion. They were terrified after the resurrection. They doubted. They fled. But they held on. And because they held on, the Spirit came. And because the Spirit came, the world was turned upside down.

It is not a child’s play, this business of faith in difficult times. The Nigerian Christian who holds on today may not see the breakthrough tomorrow. But Fr. Odediran’s message is a promise: you are not alone. God is standing with you. The question is not whether God will show up. The question is whether you will stay.

May our defeats become expansion. May our disgrace become grace. And may the Spirit of courage, not timidity, fill every heart that dares to believe.

📌 Fact Summary Box

Reflection by: Rev. Fr. Pius Odediran (respected cleric, Osogbo Catholic Diocese).

Date: Sunday, May 10th, 2026.

Theme: “God Is Standing With Us, We Stay With Him.”

Key Scripture references:

• Romans 8:15-16 — “You have not received the Spirit of timidity, but of courage and sonship.”

• Romans 8:11 — The Spirit that raised Christ gives life to mortal bodies.

• John 6:63 — “What gives life is the spirit of God.”

• Mark 16:15 — “Go into the whole world and preach the good news.”

• Luke 10:25-27 — Love God and neighbour.

Core message: Persecution can become expansion; defeat can become growth; God’s presence remains in every storm.

Warning: Do not isolate yourself in disappointment — you are not an orphan.

Call to action: Preach, love, accept the Spirit, obey, submit to God’s will.

Before You Go: Stand Firm In Knowledge — Akahi Tutors, Ile-Ife

While Fr. Odediran reminds us that God stands with us in every storm, parents have a duty to ensure their children stand on a foundation of knowledge that no economic crisis can shake. Akahi Tutors, Ile-Ife is currently preparing students for JAMB, Post-UTME, WAEC, NECO, GCE, JUPEB, Pre-degree and School of Nursing entrance examinations. The Spirit gives courage — but courage without competence is wasted. Call Akahi Tutors on 08038644328 or send a WhatsApp message to wa.me/2348038644328. Because the best way to honour the God who stands with you is to stand firmly on the ground of academic excellence.

Akahi News will continue to bring you Sunday reflections and daily inspiration from trusted clergy across Nigeria. Stay with us. Stay in faith. And remember: you are not alone — never isolate yourself in disappointment.