In the Gospel of Mathew 5:23-24 Jesus says, “So if you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift in front of the altar, go at once and make peace with your brother, and then come back and offer your gift to God”. For the first time since March 22, churches in Goa are closed in the wake of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. This year, churches around the world will be celebrating The Paschal Triduum services behind closed doors without the presence of congregation due to the lockdown. It is important that we use the lockdown as a vehicle to travel the journey from Churchianity to Christianity. Churchianity centres around a building, rituals and social gatherings. On the other hand, Christianity means a religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Gospel of John 2: 19 tells us that while talking to the Jewish authorities, Jesus said, “Tear down this Temple, and in three days I will build it again”.
Many times, we develop a perception about others based on our own understanding. During the Holy Week last year some followers of Jesus looked at a helpless widow through filtered glasses. They only saw a few negatives of the struggling woman and completely ignored all her positive contributions of kindness to the family. She was forced to leave the house where she served everyone in the family with love. Like Christ she suffered under the Pontius Pilate as some in authority washed away their hands by saying it is a family matter. A Hindu brother played the role of a Good Samaritan by providing shelter to her and her son. This did not happen in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh but in our Goa.
Once someone said to my friend, “Only if you cross the bridge and come to the church I go, you will be able to place your orders when you go to the restaurant by looking at the left side of the menu instead of looking to the right side. Once on a Sunday as another friend of mine was on his way back home after taking part in Holy Eucharistic celebration in a city based Shrine, I heard someone saying to him, “It is a must to take part in the Holy Mass in our parish as we belong to the parish in our village.
In John 13: 34 Jesus tells us “And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”. We Christians must practise the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. It is important that we bury the rivalry among our families, different congregations, churches and Christian sects. Only then we will be worthy of offering our gifts at the Altar to God during the Holy Eucharist and the beautiful lines “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven” from the prayer Our Father which Jesus Christ himself taught us, will come alive and the Heaven will rejoice.
