What is true worship

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

THE prophet Isaiah delivers a startling message from God. Speaking to the rulers of Sodom and the people of Gomorrha, God asks, “What are your countless sacrifices to me?”

He declares that he has had enough of burnt offerings and ritual sacrifices. Instead, he commands them: “Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Plead for the widow” (cf. Isaiah 1:10–17).

The point is unmistakable. God is not looking for religious performances. He desires transformed lives. Worship that ends at the altar but never reaches daily life is incomplete. The sacrifice God wants is a heart converted to him and expressed in justice, charity, and holiness.

This does not mean that God rejects the Holy Mass, novenas, the rosary, or other devotions. On the contrary, these are precious gifts that nourish our relationship with him. But they lose their meaning if they are disconnected from the way we live.

Beautiful liturgies and fervent prayers cannot compensate for dishonesty, selfishness, or indifference toward others. The altar and everyday life must never be separated.

It is easy to appear devout inside the church while living by a different standard outside it. We cannot worship God on Sunday and cheat our neighbor on Monday. We cannot kneel before Christ in the Eucharist and then ignore him in the poor, the lonely, or the difficult people we meet.

Authentic worship is measured not only by how we pray but also by how we work, forgive, serve, and love.

True worship continues after the final blessing of the Mass. It accompanies us to the office, the classroom, the marketplace, and the home. It is reflected in honest work, faithful family life, integrity in business, patience under pressure, and generosity toward those in need. Our prayers should make us more Christ-like, not merely more religious.

Unfortunately, modern culture often reduces worship to a private affair between an individual and God. Religion is seen as something confined to churches, chapels, or moments of personal prayer. As long as it remains hidden and does not influence public life, it is considered acceptable.

But this view misses the heart of worship. Worship is not simply an activity we perform. It is an attitude that should shape our entire existence. We worship because we are creatures who owe everything to our Creator. Made in God’s image and adopted as his children through grace, we are meant to live in constant communion with him.

This is why worship cannot be limited to rituals alone. It must embrace every dimension of life. We acknowledge that without God we are nothing, while with him everything has meaning. He cannot be pushed to the margins of our schedule or treated as an occasional concern. He deserves the center of our lives.

Every task, every relationship, every success and failure, every joy and every trial can become an offering pleasing to God. Our work, ambitions, sufferings, and daily responsibilities all become acts of worship when united with Christ and carried out for his glory.

Isaiah’s challenge remains as urgent today as it was centuries ago. God is not impressed by outward displays of religion if they are not matched by inward conversion. The worship that pleases him is the worship that transforms lives—a faith that leaves the church, enters the streets, and makes Christ visible in everything we do.

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com