Dubai: Thousands of Christians spilled into St Mary’s Catholic Church in Oud Metha on Good Friday to observe the Easter holiday weekend being celebrated around the world.
Followers in the emirate were urged to remain dedicated in their faith in good times and in bad as the Christian world commemorated the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“Let us follow our Lord in our lives,” said Rev Petar Rajic, Titular Archbishop of Sarsenterum and Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE, during the service. “Never let ourselves be overcome by the evil that exists in the world, by the violence that we see around us. Let us remain faithful to the one who remained faithful to the father and fulfilled his mission to the very end.”
As part of the 40-day of Lenten season of prayer and fasting. Christians mark Jesus’ resurrection after being crucified, an act Rev Rajic said was “the triumph of God’s love extended to mankind.”
He encouraged those who falter in their faith to stay committed and follow Christ irrespective of their circumstances.
“Let us remain faithful to our commitment to Christ, to be his followers in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, the same way a man and a woman dedicated themselves to each other.”
He stressed that believers should find comfort and solace in the belief that Christians are never alone in their troubles.
“When we feel that life has become too much of a burden for us, when we feel that we have too many crosses to bear, and we don’t have the strength anymore to continue on our way, we only need to remember Christ’s crucifixion,” he said.
Rev Rajic said the little sacrifices Christians make in their daily lives are tiny compared with the enormity of what Christ did.
“We are never alone; he carries the cross with us,” he said. “He will never let our burden become too heavy for us to carry. This is our hope, this is our strength, this is our faith because he is our God who is a victor over death.”
