More than 1,350 people participated in the Bible Mahotsav organized by the Archdiocese of Nagpur.
The September 30-October 2 festival addressed themes such as Word-centred Families, Small Christian Communities as Church in the Neighbourhood, and Family-School of faith.
Bishop Raphy Manjaly of Allahabad reflected on the topic “Tomorrow’s Church is in the neighbourhood.” Looking back to the early Christian communities he said, the Church grew from a small group of Christians who suffered for Christ. “They were like a magnet. They lost everything in life, but their number increased day by day because people were attracted to them by their love for one another.”
They had gone through the crucible of suffering for Christ’s sake, but they were blessed with intense love for one another. They accepted one another, prayed together. They experienced inexplicable joy. And this was a point of attraction,” the bishop said.
“Joy attracts others like a magnet. And the mark of a Christian is joy,” Bishop Manjaly pointed out, and added, “Today our Small Christian Communities are called to radiate joy. And the future of the Church will be in SCCs.”
“A sad Christian is a contradiction. When Jesus is with you, you are filled with joy,” he said . “A persecuted Small Community is attractive. People came to them. There is great power in SCCs. It is a vehicle to proclaim Jesus.”
The Church is missionary by nature, and if it stops sharing Christ, it will not be true to her nature,” the bishop added.
Sr Christine Joseph of Holy Cross of Chavanod, who has worked with the Small Christian Communities for 26 of her 40 years of religious life, commended the Nagpur archdiocese for its 400 active SCC units.
