‘Make this Christmas a Christmas responds to hunger’ – Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith
“There are a large number of families facing hunger in Sri Lanka today, therefore I especially invite our Catholic faithful to think about those who are in hunger around the country and do not waste your money on external preparations such as crackers, or decorations, or any other special things for forthcoming Christmas but focus on the “true spirit of the Crib” and try to spend your Christmas with those “hunger people”. said Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith.
Cardinal Ranjith said that a true disciple of Christ is not someone who pursues false motives and gets happiness, but “is a person who reacts against the reign of sorrow, pain, injustice”.
“Don’t waste your money to decorate the churches, decorate the Crib but bring the poor people to the Crib and give them the food bags they need, give the children the books they need and, try to spend this Christmas with the hungry people. Share the love of Christmas with the poor people so that they can eat a meal on Christmas day. Then we will become true Christians.” Cardinal Ranjith invited the Catholic people to share the love of Christmas with the hungry Sri Lankan people.
Archbishop Cardinal Ranjith expressed these views during the homily at the 75th Diamond Jubilee of Batapaththala St. Theresa’s Church in the Colombo Archdiocese, last Sunday, the 16th of October.
Noting that one’s religion is not just going to the church, lighting candles, participating in the procession, receiving blessings, and going home, Cardinal Ranjith said that religion means “living in love”, and living in love means “understanding and responding to the pain and suffering of others.” he explained.
Cardinal Ranjith said that Jesus, who was born in a cowshed and a manger, became a human being and lived among us. Jesus felt too the hunger, sorrow, pain, and fatigue.
“Therefore, Christ said that a disciple is not a person who follows false motives and enjoys empty pleasures.” he said.
“Where there is pain and suffering, where there is injustice and injustice, the Christian should be with them and be a part of that struggle. That is our duty. We must fight injustice and injustice. We must stand up against injustice. We must love the poor without doing lies. That’s what Christ taught us. He came to this world for the poor and oppressed. Give them comfort. Give them a smile.” Said Cardinal Ranjith focusing Catholic faithful.
