Archbishop Gordon on issue of race

Roman Catholic Archbishop the Most Rev Jason Gordon Jason Gordon, has weighed in on the tension around the world on the issue of race. During his Corpus Christi sermon at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Port of Spain on Thursday, he said the problem exists because people don't treat each other with the same respect given to God.

He said Christians must understand that the core of the Eucharist (service commemorating the Last Supper), people must live and treat each other in a particular way for a better community and society.

"That's why racism is so terrible, that's why prejudice is so terrible, that's why disregarding the need of the poor is so terrible. That's why us looking down on people with prejudice is so terrible, that is why treating each other badly is so terrible.

"That is why when we do things to another person and do not forgive, that's why it's so terrible because we are united and knitted together as one body and cannot be divided because Christ's body cannot be divided.

"It is to understand we must treat each other with profound respect – the same respect we would give to Christ. We must give to each other this because they too are apart of the body of Jesus Christ.

"It means we are irreversibly tied to each other through Christ when we partake in sharing the body and blood of Jesus Christ."

Gordon also called on people to be grateful and use the celebration of Corpus Christi to reflect on the selfless love and humility of Jesus Christ who was crucified.

Thursday marked the reopening of places of worship after the government restricted gatherings in public places to no more than five people because of the covid19 pandemic.

Last Saturday, the Prime Minister announced that places of worship can resume activities, following certain guidelines from the Ministry of Health, on Friday. This was subsequently revised to Thursday to facilitate the observance of Corpus Christi.

Gordon urged Christians not to be angry for the time spent away from church.

"I know we haven't had communion in 89 days. I know we have had to try to manage with that. But the people spent 40 years in the desert with Moses. So we can't quarrel about 89 days.

"That's a long time to be away from the Eucharist and it's quite amazing that the day that we come back to the church is the feast of Corpus Christi—the feast of the body and blood of Jesus Christ and that is even more amazing."

He said just as God allowed the people of Egypt to spend 40 years in the desert to become humbled, so too did God allow 89 days without spiritual communion to humble Christians in TT." It was done to test us and know our innermost heart. That's the first piece we must understand from this incredible feast that we are celebrating."