Easter is perhaps one of the few feasts that has not gone into commercial overdrive. It is the celebration of the rise of Our Lord, three days after he died on the cross in Jerusalem, to save us from our own sins.

Easter is always celebrated with Mass and joyous processions, but it also reminds us of the sacrifices that one man made in order to show us our wrongs. Much can be said about the state of the Catholic Church around the world, as sex and abuse scandals continue to surface, along with allegations of money laundering.

But, it is the very same principle that Jesus died for – we are human and we err. The Catholic Church is also made up of human beings, which is why it is not infallible. We are mere humble creatures put on this earth to live our lives and do the best with what we can. And that is what Christ stood for – he stood for love, forgiveness, passion, compassion and tolerance. We would do well to heed his teachings and remember some of the lessons that were passed on about his life and his deeds in those special books, the gospels, penned by his closest companions – the apostles.

Even Christ had his moments – he was human and lost his temper in the temple, although his intentions were sincere – this too, reminds us of our humanity. They say wars bring out the best and worst in people, and perhaps this is what Pope Benedict was getting at when, in his Easter address to the crowds in Rome, he said that “Man is groping in the darkness”. Everyday life has become like a war. People are in constant competition to get ahead in this world and it has made everyone forget about basic values and moral principles.

It is this attitude of greed and materialism that has landed us in a situation where grand fathers are shooting themselves dead in front of democratic institutions because of the horrendous financial situation we are in.

We cannot only blame the bankers. We must also blame ourselves. Life is what we make it, and for the past couple of decades, we have got lost in chasing opulence, decadence and materialism. Community spirit, compassion and that very overly used word – solidarity – are absent in our lives and we are poorer for it.

One does not have to be a Roman Catholic, or indeed any form of believer to know that this message is true. It does not matter who the messenger is – it could be the Pope, an Imam, a Rabbi or an atheist. And this is why Jesus Christ’s teachings are still relevant to us today – who could argue with a man who devoted his life to peace and helping others? Church might not be relevant to everyone, any more. But lessons of morality are. We would do well to heed them, else we really will hasten the disintegration of society and life as we know it.