Residents in spiritual mood ahead of Easter
dubai — Churches across the UAE are draped in a veil of prayer and reflection as Christians observe the holy week with religious devotion, leading up to a joyful Easter celebration on Sunday.
“This is the time when we contemplate on Jesus Christ’s passion, a pious narrative that provides hope and inspiration,” said Dubai resident Miriam Santos, who goes to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oud Metha. Christians in the country have also contemplated on their religious life as they praised the government’s policy on religious tolerance.
“The UAE’s Year of Tolerance, marked by the recent visit of Pope Francis, has movingly strengthened the bond of two of the oldest religions in the world: Islam and Christianity,” Dr Rex Bacarra, professor of philosophy and humanities at The American College of Dubai, told Khaleej Times.
For Bacarra, this passion story is being experienced to a lesser degree by Christians in diaspora. “The pain of separation from our loved ones, the sacrifices just to send money and support back home, the discrimination that may arise and the inequality that may befall, the tears of a wife or a mother, a husband or a father, or a child at the other end of a long distance call, are but a sharing of the suffering of Jesus.
“But we have the leaders of the UAE who are making sure that our
stay can feel closer to home. The visit of the Pope and the celebration of the Year of Tolerance and its implications are concrete manifestations of a country trying its best to make us feel good and at home, so that we may not have to endure the burden of time,” he underlined.
For Tina Flores, holy week and Easter are a time “to celebrate God’s goodness and blessings in our lives as expat workers. “It is a time to value Jesus’ sacrifice.”
“Easter to me is a time for celebration,” added Dubai resident Karen Lobo. “It’s a time to celebrate — a time to forget all the stress of our everyday lives and bring families and friends together under one roof and create beautiful memories.”