This is related to 'Faith Within' post, posted 6/28/13.
Most non-Catholics question the Catholic practices. I don't like it. I don't like how people question me, my Faith, or God.
I respect your religion, you respect mine. I respect your faith, you respect mine.
If you ever mock my religion and faith again, I'll.. joke lang heheh
Faith, again, as what I've said before is that ultimate and special bond we have with God. Every person has that different kind of faith, it's always, one of a kind. ;)
With faith comes a lot of things. With faith in the Catholic world, comes with Catholic practices. People often question several paulit-ulit na things which we Catholics always clarify but people never really get us. Why don't you listen to us, once and for all?
The pauli-ulit na lang:
1) Why do Catholics have idols - Wala nga kasi kaming idols, wla wla wla. ;) Statues are representations. In the same way that a Daniel Padilla poster, is not Daniel Padilla himself. Need I elaborate further? When we use handkerchiefs to wipe a statue or any image, it's the same way as kissing a poster, or a billboard (pano un? haha), a magazine page, etc. The next time I see you going gaga over a celebrity, I'll accuse you of idolatry, is that fair enough?
If you study in a Catholic school, that's the first thing the teachers will tell you. For some who studies in a different school, I don't think they'd elaborate further on that. They'll just teach you the ultimate thing you need to learn and know, God. But I believe it would help a lot, if we always try to guide the young ones in correcting this notion of idolatry with the Catholic Faith.
2) Why do we pray the rosary/have standard prayers (Lord's Prayer, Nicene Creed, etc) - Does your company have a vision? a mission? how about company prayer (we have that in my previous job :D). Or your school, a school hymn? a theme song? a guide?, or when you celebrate the whatever event of your foundation, organization, whatever '-tion', do you have a standard something?
That's our guide. Respect it. And that's not the only thing we pray. We pray a whole lot of things. But you know, when people have this mantra like, 'this is gonna be a great day', or 'this is it', 'I can do this' blahblah, it gets a whole lot powerful? Like the vibe, it's different. Like epic. So let's use the word, mantra. that's our m-a-n-t-r-a. Respect it.
When I'm all lost in delivering a speech, I admire how mentors would guide me, give me tips how to say my intro, even sometimes telling me the entire speech I'm supposed to say, but at the end of the day, I deliver the speech. I make the ad libs, I incorporate that speech guide. And so it is, with prayer.
3) There are priests who are not all-good - We are humans. When you're a Catholic, it doesn't mean you're invincible. Try to listen to yourself every time you say, your pastor is like this, like that, all good, etc. Roman Catholic priests, they undergo thorough theological education plus whatever studies. They even still get lost in guiding us at some point. Why? They're humans.
So I ask you, how long does your pastor do what he's been doing now? How long before he started doing that? Have you seen your pastor, outside the 4 walls of the how-do-you-term-it, prayer room? let's use that. Have you seen them, outside the prayer room? What have they been doing? I don't want to burst your bubble but they're humans too.
For me, priesthood should be a dedicated vocation. It's like being a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, or whatever profession. Professionals undergo thorough study, masters and masters and who knows what and still they're not perfect, there's always room for growth, improvement..
Tell me, how did your preacher started preaching? Just asking.
There is such thing as God's grace: giving you the gift of discipleship (did I use the term right?); the one when you're smoothly able to invite people to become closer to God. But it's not always the case. Sometimes, it takes practice. Like you want to be a Chef, but you don't have that gift of awesome taste buds, etc so you study Culinary. I hope you get my point.
4) Processions, rituals, etc - When you go to a concert of the band you so want, like EHeads (gosh, I'm telling again my age l0l! but I think Eheads is legendary. It's still in the list with 1D nowadays or Bieber, or Myley, or whoever), you're ready to go crazy with whatever has been set for the night, right? Let's just say, that's how we go crazy about God.
I know not all people meant all the walking during the procession, etc. In the same way, not all people who attend events like fashion or concert or art displays, musical whatever, intend to go to those places. Sometimes they just tagged along with friends so you don't see much of their enthusiasm during the event.
5) Christmas and Holy Week - let go of this issue, puhlease? Let me ask you. Which is better, celebrating the birth of Jesus (which noone really among us knows when, might be Nov 10, or Jan 1 or Feb 14, or baka wala talaga because He's divine and noone among here now got the chance to meet him in person, like in the human flesh in this human world?) or celebrating the foundation of your religion? I'd rather spend Christmas and Holy Week, celebrating about God, remembering what He did for us on the cross than questioning this Catholic practice.
I ask you, what do you gain questioning this practice? What happens to us if we do it? Or what will happen to you if you practice them too?
I think I'm gonna stop here. I'm hungry. :p But I guess those are the basic pa-ulit-ulit na lang. ;)
Goodnight.
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