There are over one billion Catholics in the world and we are all supposed to practise our faith. There are also many millions of Christians, who are not Catholic.

Our Catholic religion is not very strict; it just asks us to be good, behave properly, practise the teachings of Christ, and be present at Mass on a Sunday and on holy days of obligation if we possibly can. Our religion teaches us nothing else but good things, and ways to lead a peaceful life and, at the same time, give help to others.

So far so good.

To counter the teaching of our faith, and to influence our minds, our western society is inundated with every type of distraction and materialistic menace that we ourselves have created over the years and have allowed to flourish.

If we are true believers in God and the afterlife, and I mean true believers, we would all make sure we would not jeopardise our chances of an acceptable future, by misbehaving in the present. We would all lead a good life and behave ourselves. The result would definitely be a much better world.

All of us however have some nagging doubt about our faith, some much more than others, and a huge number nowadays are prepared to throw everything by the wayside and disassociate themselves from Christianity completely.

Malta is supposed to be a strong Catholic country, with strong Christian beliefs. As Europeans, we should be a shining example to the rest of Europe by having and maintaining our religion.

But are we, and do we?

Let us take Sunday Mass as an example. For an hour or so each week, we are all supposed to meet and listen to the word of God. Many Catholics claim they can pray and speak to God at home and do not need to go to church to do it, so church is given a miss. They think they are not doing anything wrong because they lead a good life, or, at least, they think they do.

Again, if we are true believers, at a certain point in the Mass, an amazing thing happens. A miracle occurs right in front of our eyes. At a particular point of the Mass, the priest changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Into the body and blood of God.

I sometimes think many of us miss this amazing happening, lost in the many other rituals that occur during Mass.

At the point of the transformation, the priest should say to the congregation: Hey, listen everybody, at this point of the Mass something absolutely amazing is going to happen directly in front of you. The God who you believe in is actually going to appear before you, for you to enjoy and worship. Wake up those of you who are dozing off, or distracted, and concentrate; you are so privileged to witness this miracle. This is your faith.

Of course, the people, who stay at home and pray, will not witness this wonderful change, and they will be the worst off for their non-attendance. And, yet, so many Catholics do miss Mass by choice, and miss the physical presence of God in their midst.

Are they true believers? Do they really believe in an afterlife? Do they really care about religion? Do they really understand?

Basically, our religion and faith is strongest where there is hardship and want. When there are problems, people turn to God. Whenever people have all they want, and are open to all materialistic temptations, religion goes by the wayside, except for the use of God's name in vain, and perhaps when near death's door.

Now, the world in which we live has another very strong religion. This religion believes in the same God, but goes about practising its beliefs in a very different way. Except for a minority, they normally live in areas of the world that are less affluent, and to them their God and their religion are paramount in their lives.

The followers of this religion, who are numbered in their hundreds of millions, actually stop everything, kneel down, face Mecca, and pray to God five times a day.

Can you imagine all of us Christians doing such disciplined worship? Can we wonder why this disciplined religion is now seemingly taking over all around the world?

Of course, at present there are some very bad things occurring in the name of that religion, and have been occurring over many centuries, but at the same time we Christians have not been angels either.

If we want our religious beliefs and principles to survive, and they are very good beliefs and very well worth saving, we must all make a more determined effort to support our faith.

The most basic action we should all do is to attend Sunday Mass, and witness ourselves the miraculous transformation by the priest, of the wine and bread being changed into the body and blood of Christ, and listen to the word of God.

Our Christian religion is declining all over the western and civilised world, as we like to know it. There is a massive shortage of priests and temptations are diverting our minds and actions away from the correct path, and we are letting it happen.

In some places, people are almost embarrassed to call themselves Christian and to say they practise their faith.

In a few short years, Malta has gone from a religious to a materialistic environment.

We are possibly two or, maximum, three generations away from a pagan-dominated western world, possibly pursued by stronger religions that will eventually take over. Quite honestly, if that happens it will be nobody's fault but ours and we will deserve all we get in return.

It doesn't have to happen. Like all things, people can make, break, and shape their own destiny.