Stop gazing, get to work

By Klysha Best

“We are not being good witnesses.”

That’s according to Vicar for Communications Fr Robert Christo, who made the statement on Ascension Sunday at the first in the 2026 series of devotions at the Laventille Marian Shrine.

Fr Christo urged the congregation to stop being passive worshippers and become active witnesses. Drawing on the Gospel account of the Ascension (Mt 28:16-20), where the disciples stood gazing at the sky, he challenged the faithful to move beyond empty rituals and sentimental piety.

“There is a Judas in all of us,” he said, calling for honest self-reflection. He criticised the tendency to reduce faith to words and attendance. “Church is not words. It’s action. The word ‘Mass’ means go. Go and be a witness.”

He warned that God is not fooled by outward displays. “God is not stupid. He knows those who love Him. If you love Me, you’ll keep My commandment.”

“He’s present in the world. He’s present in the poor. He’s present in the Church of God. He’s present in the Holy Spirit who lives in us…”

Fr Christo distinguished between mere worship and true discipleship. “God doesn’t want worshippers only. God wants followers.” He lamented that many Catholics know the sacraments but have never met the person of Jesus. “You have met all the sacraments… but you haven’t met Him.”

He shared a poignant story of a little girl many years ago, who brought her old, tattered doll to be blessed. When asked why she loved that doll, she replied, “That’s the one most in need of my love.”

He used the example to illustrate that authentic love reaches out to the undeserving and the forgotten. “If you can’t love the one most undeserving of love, you can’t love.”

He also rebuked the culture of “gazing” and watching others struggle without acting. Recalling an evening when he stood in the rain after Adoration, a woman passed him without offering a ride. “I became a priest to make a difference,” he said.

Fr Christo called for an end to “gazing” and a beginning of mission. “Stop gazing and get to work. Be a missionary, a digital disciple.” He insisted that every Catholic has a responsibility to bring at least one person to Christ. “If you have not brought one person minimum, waste of time.”

The 2026 Laventille Devotions continues on June 14 with Fr Augustine Kintu expected as the celebrant for Holy Mass.