Religion Today

This weekend past and the topic of conversation on the Sunday table was Church.

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My Mother and Brother were chatting about how Saturday Mass in Church was fairly empty and that a lady announced that the people in the back move to the front seats.
Now, my family have been going to this Mass on a regular basis and you know the feeling of how we all have our special seats - whether when we were in a class room, or at our favorite Restaurant - Church being no exception, both my brother and mother who were sat separately moved a row or two in front but not too far from their area of "Zen" as my brother put it. To the astonishment of most in the back rows, the fans were all put off in the rear end of the church leaving all those back seaters hot and flie infested for the rest of the Mass.
I completely understand the intention of the announcer to bring people closer, but we are not living in an autocratic society or religion. During a time where the biggest loser of followers around the world is the Catholic Religion we should be welcoming our flock not letting them heat up because they do not want to move to the front rows. Church goers today are so few - An empty church that needs the front rows filled , now wasn't that a clue enough for that announcer?

On a different note - I was at mass on Sunday in Don Bosco's, Panjim and although am not trying

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to make this Blog sound like i am preaching but I was taken a back by the Sermon. It got me thinking and I felt that this was something I would like to share.
The gist of it was that Prophets over time and even our lord Jesus Christ were never really accepted in their own home town by their own people. They had large followings and were honored in other places, but rarely in their own home town.
It felt so true, as we are often taken for granted by people that we have known our whole lives and yet get revered by those who don't or hardly know us.

I guess, the difference is that people close to us judge us for what we were and our admirers judge us for what we have become. Think about that ..

Let me know what you think about this - your feedback is most appreciated, so please leave a comment.

Lester Melo

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