ZERO LOVE IN SYRO MALABAR CHURCH

Let us first admit the enmity prevailing among the Christian community including the priesthood in Syro Malabar Church. Each one of us may now ask  ourselves these questions. 'Am I a Christian? Do I believe in Jesus Christ?'. Now find the words of Jesus Christ. "These are the directions I give you, that you should love one another." (John 15:17) 

About the unity also Lord Jesus said: "So may they all be one. Just as you, Father, are in me, and I am in you, so also may they be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me."  (John 17:21) Do anyone including priests follow these words of Jesus Christ?

Now, irrespective of all that disputes and fighting going on in the Church  about the Holy Mass, we may find a few things about the mass of today in Catholic Church.As per the Tridentine Council the mass promulgated by Pope Pius V in 1570 must be the most recognised mass of the Catholic Church. The Holy Mass as we see today in Catholic Church was first promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 1969. The Holy Mass which is under dispute today for facing the people or not, does not have a history of two thousand years to take as a deeply established observation.

"Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." This word of the Lord in the Passover supper is interpreted as the Holy Mass after 1500 years. These words in fact confirms the imminent sacrifice which Jesus reminded the disciples around Him. God became man, suffered and died on the cross for the salvation of entire humanity ever taken birth in this world. Saving man from certain  punishment was the sole purpose of Jesus Christ to come to this world. He did it most successfully with no error of any sort. Anyone who believe this sacrifice for their forgiveness of sins shall certainly be forgiven. This is confirmed in 1 John 1:7, " ... and the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God purifies us from all sin." When this sacrifice of the Lord is for rescuing man from punishment, the Church, instead of teaching us to believe in His sacrifice for forgiveness of our sins, prescribes alternative means; confession to the priest. This denotes our faithlessness and disobedience to Jesus Christ.

Now, coming back to the Holy Mass, we may first understand that the final destination of man in this world is the Kingdom of God. To attain that most holy place we must be free of all stains.  As God Himself is absolute, before dissolving into Himself we too should become pure. In other words, before leaving this world we should make ourselves free from all sins by realising the crucifixion of Christ for each one of us. If this is done, we shall certainly reach God. Under this circumstances we may evaluate the significance of the priest looking this side or that side in the Holy Mass.

Let us, therefore, love Jesus Christ, believe in His sacrifice, share love and compassion amongst us and leave this Holy Mass performance to the clergy than trying to bring in democracy in it. We must understand the fact that as far as God is concerned, it may make no difference whether the Mass is performed facing the people or not. Wherever the priest and the participants look, God is there.

K V George

kvgeorgein@gmail.com