Monday, April 14, 2014

Serious Talk

Warning: I'll be talking about faith and beliefs, Catholic specifically. I am not trying to offend anyone, I am usually reticent talking about my faith because I think it is something personal and a subject that calls for utmost respect, but I do want clarity and truth.


Sharkteeth and I were in Laguna since Saturday to tidy up the place a bit. We had a lot of things to clear and clean up (one of which is a DEAD CAT inside the house, WTF, right?!) and decided to stay overnight instead of going home to the parentals. S and I attended the Palm Sunday mass at St. Peregrine in Muntinlupa. Anyhooo, during the homily, the priest was lecturing against people who go on vacations during the Holy Week. Naturally, tinamaan ako kasi pupunta kami sa Baguio and it perked up my waning attention (sorry, but I have a self-diagnosed ADD). And the priest said, "Yung mga pupunta ng beach at magbabakasyon, pag may nangyaring masama sa inyo, don't expect God to help you kasi PATAY ANG DIYOS" [emphasis mine]. "Patay ang Diyos"? What the ...???!!! I so wanted to raise my hand and challenge his statement, but with the church being filled to the rafters and not wanting to mortify S, I timidly stayed my hand.

As far as I know, though admittedly, what I know about matters of faith won't go very far, the Church's dogma on Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection is precisely that -- He died on the cross and resurrected after three days. So where is this priest coming from? Where was it mentioned that Jesus dies during each and every Good Friday, as what the priest's statement implied? It saddens me that these men of faith --  those who are supposed to bring more believers to the fold and "win" back those whose faith are waning -- have a wrong understanding of the Church's belief(s), of the basic foundation of the faith they're supposed to be spreading. Either he doesn't really know what he was saying or he was trying to "scare off" people from doing fun things during the Holy Week, and I don't even know which is worse -- a priest, one whom I might secularly refer to as a professional, who knows nothing about his "profession" or a priest who lies to the believers to further an agenda only known to him.

When the mass was over, as S and I were leaving the church, instead of feeling at peace, as I usually did in my youth, I was just full of questions and confusion.

8 comments :

  1. And this is exactly why I had stopped going to church and have begun to question almost all of the Christian/Catholic teachings altogether. I believe in God - I believe that He created everything. As for the everything else that I had been taught in Catholic school - well, these ideologies are all man-made, aren't they?

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  2. All throughout history, wars were fought, propaganda were spread, "truths" were forced in people's throats (might have even been literally) to serve a [selfish] goal, it kinda makes you wonder what other lies have been told to and ingrained in us, right?

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  3. This is the reason why minsan nakaka-"turn off"mag-mass I appreciate priests who explain the gospel like academicians, tipong biblical exegesis ang approach. There is this one priest whose style of sermon is just like that; and believe me, ang tahimik talaga pag nag-start na sya ng homily =) Kaso lately, hindi ko na sya nakikita sa parish; baka lumipat na hehe.

    Anyway, I miss his commentaries because he doesn't attack people, or our system or our culture. The sense of sacred scripture is not lost at all. So unlike other priests na pilit pinapasok ang RH bill sa sermon kahet walang kinalaman sa readings.


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  4. Don't even get me started with the RH bill. Hahaha! It pains me when they use the pulpit for their propaganda and politics.

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  5. i feel you sis! minsan talaga kakatamad magsimba lalo na pag yung mga priests ang layo ng homily sa gospel.tsk! and yes, i hate those priests na puro politika ang sermon. jusmio patawarin!

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  6. Angel E, nakakalungkot ano? These are the people you are supposed to put your trust into, yet many are either stupid or dishonest.

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  7. Tsk tsk Father, sorry mali po eh :( I feel worried for the kids attending the mass and will never have the chance to have Religion or Theology classes. They will develop the misunderstanding.. unless otherwise they have parents who can clearly explain everything. :(

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  8. You've got that right, Diane. And I imagine it wasn't the first time he said it. :(

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