“I don’t believe in God, I don’t go to church,” or “I say my prayers but I don’t believe in church (or any organized religion),” are very frequent answers to questions like: “Do you have a faith?” And reasons are: “Because churches are full of hypocrites. Every Sunday going to Mass, looking very holy and over the week living sometimes even worse than other people.”
“How could you go to church with those people? They cheat, they lie; how can you go to church, I know you mess up, you hurt people.”
To which I answer: “Yes!!! You’re absolutely right.” Our churches are full of sinners. People mess up all the time. And that is exactly why we go to church, to mass every Sunday. Some people go every day. If I had no sin I wouldn’t need Eucharist, I wouldn’t need to go to church. I can say my prayers as I want and when I want. I do go to church every day (if I can), because I am not able to live my life without the help of God.
Eucharist is not reward for anything we do. It is a gift. It is God himself who gives His own body to me so I could carry on. I used to think, and this thought still keeps coming to my mind time to time, that when I sin I can’t go to church, that I am not worthy. But it actually is the time when I need God the most and when I need others.
And so I come and with the offerings I offer myself to God, asking forgiveness and transformation. There on the oltar I am transformed in very mysterious way for I am a part of the body of Christ that is really present there. And then I receive the living body of Christ – the strength, the forgiveness and sanctification. There I’m washed clean in the blood of my Savior. Then when I leave the church I have enough strength to carry on in my daily life.
That is why church is full of sinners, for without Church we are not able to live our lives to the fullness. Without God we are nothing.
“How could you go to church with those people? They cheat, they lie; how can you go to church, I know you mess up, you hurt people.”
To which I answer: “Yes!!! You’re absolutely right.” Our churches are full of sinners. People mess up all the time. And that is exactly why we go to church, to mass every Sunday. Some people go every day. If I had no sin I wouldn’t need Eucharist, I wouldn’t need to go to church. I can say my prayers as I want and when I want. I do go to church every day (if I can), because I am not able to live my life without the help of God.
Eucharist is not reward for anything we do. It is a gift. It is God himself who gives His own body to me so I could carry on. I used to think, and this thought still keeps coming to my mind time to time, that when I sin I can’t go to church, that I am not worthy. But it actually is the time when I need God the most and when I need others.
And so I come and with the offerings I offer myself to God, asking forgiveness and transformation. There on the oltar I am transformed in very mysterious way for I am a part of the body of Christ that is really present there. And then I receive the living body of Christ – the strength, the forgiveness and sanctification. There I’m washed clean in the blood of my Savior. Then when I leave the church I have enough strength to carry on in my daily life.
That is why church is full of sinners, for without Church we are not able to live our lives to the fullness. Without God we are nothing.
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