Making the true Christ experience

On the occasion of the feast of St Paul and the appointment of the new Archbishop, Mgr Paul Cremona, I felt the Holy Spirit urging me in my discernment to criticise constructively, but in a firm and loving way, the Catholic Church in general and in relation to the Maltese situation.

It is pertinent to ask the question: Is what we have in Malta by way of Christianity really what St Paul intended to bring to Malta?

The paganism we see in Malta is deeply entrenched in the blood and culture of these islands and most Maltese turn saints into 'idols and gods' worshipped by men. St Paul is definitely not the father of village festas or political religion but he is the father of our faith... and it is not just any faith, it is specifically the Christian faith.

In Acts 14:11-18, St Paul told us to pray directly to Christ. "The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them (Paul and Barnabas). But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them".

A very different picture from our 'made in Malta' paganism which just as the Maltese did 2,000 years ago, as it states in Acts 28, verse 6, has turned him into a 'god' and people still think they should offer him prayers and other religious acts such as candles which generates finances in a very ungodly way.

St Paul came to Malta to preach a Christian faith full of Holy Spirit power. That is what the Maltese saw in St Paul 2,000 years ago. But if he comes here again, would he think he landed on the wrong island he had visited back then?

Though we call it "our faith", it is a real pity that when one takes an honest look at the Maltese at large you don't hear an ounce of faith coming from their mouth because many people are still bound by doubt, fear and unbelief.

Christianity as explained in the Bible does not even compare to the kind of Christianity we have in Malta in most respects. Many people are living a lie because religion is all that they have experienced, not a genuine encounter with the Risen Savior, who still saves, heals, delivers and fills with the Holy Spirit!

Many Church leaders still exalt religion, yet in the Bible we never see once any of the apostles preach religion at all, but rather they clearly preached Christ Crucified and resurrected!

Acts 8:4-8, 35: "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did (not pompous parades), they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city... Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus."

Many people are living a lie because they think that just because they are religious then they are OK before God (irrespective of the Church denomination)! They have been told some truth, but not all the truth and thus even a half-truth is a lie! In actual fact what many people have never been told is that God almighty hates religion and pompous feasts and idolatry! The references that point this in the Bible are too many to even quote here. Amos 5:21-22: "I hate your show and pretence - your hypocrisy of `honouring' me with your religious feasts and solemn assemblies". (See also Mark 7:6-13, Colossians 2: 8, etc...)

St Paul brought us a message of salvation (Roman 10:8-13), healing (Acts 28:8-10), casting out demons (Acts 19:13-20), speaking in tongues (Acts 19:1-7). Many people do not know what authority they have been given through Christ and are also ignorant of the fact that they can claim it in the name of Jesus Christ.

Thank God, there are people who are studying the Scriptures but the labourers are few and the harvest is plentiful.

What is the use of being religious and full of pomp and pageantry when one does not witness healing and all the wonders that Jesus has given to His people? Jesus did not give us a religion of nice theories but He gave us a faith and message of power (1 Corinthians 4; 20, 1 Corinthians 2; 4-5).

Paul was a minority but he changed Malta. Yet many people who claim his succession cannot change anyone because they don't have what he had! This is a sad reality of what has happened since then!

The Catholic Church is experiencing widespread crisis with surveys showing dissatisfaction, attendance of Mass has plummeted, vocations are on the decrease, internal struggles are also shaking the Church with theologians, priests becoming increasingly outspoken and showing public dissent even though faced by disciplinary measures. Reforms in the Catholic Church are being urged in many areas.

It is no wonder that many Catholics are turning to more personalised Christian Fellowships, which are not bound by any denomination and man-made opinions!

These people come with an open heart to hear the untainted Word of God in a direct approach and 'feed' upon it because they are sick and tired of religiosity and want the essence and substance of their faith and not man-made religion that divides Christians (See 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13: "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. (11) My brothers, some from Chloe's household, have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptised in the name of Paul? See also 1 Corinthians 3; 1-5.)

Every Christian has an obligation to bring the true message of Jesus to the masses and strengthen the faith of the followers of Christ without the ambiguity and cloudiness created by religion. The less we know Jesus on the Day of Judgment the less will he know us (2 Tim 3:5).