- Thomas Gray (1716 - 1771)
British poet.
A girl friend told me why she doesn’t go to the first-Friday-of-the-month mass anymore (held at the company). The whole assembly reeks with hypocrisy according to her. She said that she sins more going to that ceremony because anywhere she turns, there will be somebody she sees who will contribute to the ill thoughts. She cannot ward off the hostile feeling and the unease whenever she sees them. In the front, where the priest stands, stood the loan shark, who parades herself as a pious devotee. Next, in the front seat, line up the philanderers, the thieves, the swindlers and the adulterers, that masquerade as meek lambs. Beside her, are the co-workers who assume that they are the most sophisticated ladies in the company and snob anybody they dislike even for no reason at all. From not far away, are the two lovers, both married, glancing surreptitiously at each other. And from the other end, is the ‘homo’ who was caught inside a theater grabbing genitals. And many more.
She still hears mass but in a church where she knows nobody. This is probably the reason, too, why her husband doesn’t go to their church anymore. One day, she told me, she was able to persuade him to accompany her to the mass because it is their anniversary. Off they went to the mass, and after a few minutes came their elderly neighbor. Her husband wasn’t able to contain his thoughts and whispered, “Tingnan mo yan, halos araw-araw narito ‘yan sa simbahan at nagrorosaryo. Kulang na nga lang dito na tumira. Kumpleto pa sa get-up, ha, me medalyon pa. Pero sino ba ang naghalo ng ipa sa mga butil ng bigas, at saka pinakain sa mga trabahador niya?” (Look at her, almost everyday she visits the church to pray the rosary. It’s like she wanted to take her abode in the church. She even has a complete get-up with a medallion. But who mixed the hulls to the grain, and have them eaten by the workers?)
Really, such hypocrisy. I cannot blame her and her husband to feel that way because I also feel that way when I see parishioners who continue aggravating other people. Of course, their business is not our business but they are stumbling blocks. Then I said, "I don't go to the church for these people." To this she replied that she cannot prevent her bad thoughts from coming and it would be best not to go to that mass anymore.
I don’t want to sound like I am perfect. Neither does my friend want to sound like one, too. It's just that she desires peace when going to the church and she couldn't have it because she sees them. Maybe these people, she added, do not know what they are doing, or maybe they know that what they're doing is right as long as they are kept hidden. And my friend couldn't stand it.
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It's easy to love God. It's easy to love Jesus. It's easy to pray for the heathen African ten thousand miles from the house where you live. It's hard to call a lousy tramp your brother and set him down at your table.
Melvin Tolson (1900 - 1966)
U.S. poet and teacher.
That's why whenever I want to pray, I'll try to find a quiet empty chapel at odd times.
ReplyDeleteI remember a Pinoy who was quick to criticize me because, unlike all the others, I don't go to church. I told him I don't go because all I see and hear after a church gathering is GOSSIP and it turns me OFF. I said, I'd rather pray in my room where I can "talk" to HIM and feel his presence around me. Well, this guy was quick to lecture me about "it's your obligation, blah blah..". Anyway, I just shrugged it off, knowing that I have FAITH in the Lord and I don't need to put on a show just to impress them. To make the long story short, this "deeply religious" catholic guy is now having an affair with his wife's (ex)bestfriend, and is filing for divorce, much to the dismay and heartbreak of his wife.
ReplyDeletemuch more peaceful, di ba, single? 'alang distractions.
ReplyDeletehi, rhada! how are you? i am mostly affected with those churchgoers that you mentioned. meron din sa amin ng ganyan, sa harapang upuan pa palagi pumupwesto, pero mas madalas, hindi attentive sa pari, kundi dun sa katabi nya.
that guy is a hypocrite! most pretenders are very quick to see the dirt in the eye of another when there is a beam in their own eyes, much much larger.
I can sympathize to those who are weakened by what they see in the church. My wife and I moved to a different church precisely for the same reason - it doesn't help when you see people who have proven themselves as exact opposites of what they pretend to be. My parting ways is more on providing myself peace rather than condemning people. However rotten people are we cannot condemn them for going to church. While it is It is true that the church is a purveyor of transcendence, the church is not God, nor does God live in the church. The people is the church – not the edifice nor the priest nor the pastor. In the end it is our personal relationship with our God that counts – not what we see or hear in the church and this is my personal belief.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it like that in our country ano, Bing? And supposedly, the Philippines is comprised mostly of Catholics. I don't hear such things here. Well, at least not in the churches that I've been to.
ReplyDeleteI hear mass every thursday, I don't mind people attending the mass whether they are sinners or not.Siguro pag nagdasal tayo, isama na lang natin sila sa prayers natin.
ReplyDeleteIn the end it is our personal relationship with our God that counts – not what we see or hear in the church... i totally agree with you, bw. but maybe the desire of my friend to focus or concentrate with her conversation with God made her stop from attending that mass with such people around. and the difference with going to a church with mostly people you dont recognize, ann, and with those you know, is significant. i think one cant help be bothered with what one knows about a person and that person doing the opposite. and the best to bear in mind is what bw mentioned above.
ReplyDeletethat is very nice to know, irene. at least you are spared from thinking ill about others during a mass.
and to add, who we are to condemn others, when we are sinners ourselves? the thing is, it really affects others when some flaunt their transgressions, and seem to change the camouflage during a mass, and continue flaunting their shameful offenses, then attend again, then continue flaunting again. it does not make sense at all. let's put aside the fact that the church is not God, but what are the people of the church doing about this? there is something amiss.
i feel there's something basically wrong when a person's excuse for not going to church is because the people they'll see inside are hypocrites and sinners. by making such an excuse, it implies that the person is pre-judging the intentions of other people. note that the word "hypocrite" implies judgement on the part of the person making such label. it is not for us to judge someone as a gambler for example. who knows, the man might have other issues or is in church because he wants God to help him change his ways. whatever it is, it is not for any man to judge others.
ReplyDeletejesus when he was alive, preached, and dined with tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners. he did not choose only pious people to interact with. jesus saw everone as his flock. he invited everyone to his church.
one should understand that no man is perfect. you can not say this man is only good, another man is only bad. all of us have something good and bad. even thieves and murderers have something good in them. e.g. they still love their children, or parents. one cannot expect that only good people should go to church.
i confess, i don't go to church regularly. i hardly do nowadays. but i never make the excuse that people in church are so and so. my excuse, plain and simple, i'm just lazy.
your point is good, ku. your argument can apply to her if she does not go to church anymore. the thing is, she still visits other churches, without these people around. she is not a lazy churchgoer, too. but when anyone experiences working and interacting with those people, one cant help but feel that irritation and unease.
ReplyDeletein all fairness and honesty, there is no pre-judgment here because she is aware of what these people are up to. there are sufficient evidences of the crook that is in them. what is hurting and affecting her is they continue their evil deeds and continue to attend mass. kahit sino naman kung alam mo ang ginagawang kasamaan ng isang tao na hindi man lang nababawasan kahit punta ng punta sa simbahan, tiyak maapektuhan. i think knowing her personally, the description hypocrite is not applicable to her, not that she is a friend, but because she is one person who is always ready to help other people in little ways that she can, and she is a person of integrity. She had just reacted normally like what most of us feel towards the politicians in our country who parades themselves as meek lambs but are wolves inside. And i am not prejudging, i believe.
Oh, I know exactly what you mean because that's exactly why I stopped going to church. Since there is only one mass here every week, I have nowhere else to go to. :(
ReplyDeletethough i must admit that i go to church even with these people around, i can understand her. sadly, i am affected, too, seeing them there and doing the same things over again the following day.
ReplyDelete