Bababa ba?

For a change, yesterday our family went to the 6pm mass in the Church of the Holy Sacrifice in UP Diliman. It was jampacked with people who seemed to be very indifferent, having blank faces while the readings and the Gospel were read.

I was just so glad that the priest (I forgot who he was, all I know that he’s a Jesuit) was able to connect to the people, and connect the Gospel and the readings in his homily.

He started by describing who Jesus’ disciples were. They were fishermen (they were recruited in the gospel), tax collectors, zealots. Obviously, being in different leagues and professions have lead to different ways and principles. Surely, these people have had their misunderstandings.

But, the priest reminded us that the second reading called for unity within the divided church. In the reading, we were asked with the question, “is Christ divided?” (1 Cor 1:13).

Made me wonder, whom do we truly follow? Christ and his teachings? Or what our respective churches and traditional beliefs tell us to follow? Why then, are we divided?

Then the priest asks us to talk about the things that we don’t usually talk about. Topics that we shun because they’re “un-Christianlike.” Topics such as divorced couples, single mothers, rape victims, homosexuals, teenagers in love, elders who are just waiting for their last breaths to come, etsetera, etsetera.

Let’s face it. It is indeed awkward to talk about such things because our traditional beliefs say that so-and-so are to be avoided or shunned because (insert reason here). What we used to think, what were ingrained in our minds leave us being paranoid, avoiding such things or people we consider dirty.

BUT, the priest tells us that these are the people whom we should reach out to. These are the people who need Christians like us. Just like what was said in the Gospel two Saturdays ago, as Jesus told us that, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

Is that really the case nowadays? That people who supposedly believe in Christ reach out and help out? I’m not so sure. I see people being holy and all on holy days of obligation, but being indifferent to “un-Christian” or “un-Catholic” people and things on other days. Yes, one can be so holy on Sunday, reciting and responding with mechanical gusto and showing off how “dedicated” they are, but when a person in need asks for their help, they simply brush them off.

It’s ironic, really as the word “catholic” supposedly means general, universal, all encompassing. What’s so universal about conservatism and isolationalism, staying away from things “un-Catholic” thinking that these will destroy their spirituality?

It was said (I think) somewhere in the Bible for us to stay away from dirty stuff or people, but I doubt that it calls us to totally isolate ourselves from things and people un-Christianlike, ie, the topics that the priest called us to think about. Isn’t it that these are the people who need people like us the most? Shouldn’t we be more like Jesus, who rather than shunning people whom were considered dirty and sinful, welcomed them with open arms instead?

Finally, what struck me most about the priest’s homily this evening is his statement towards ultra-conservative Catholics.

He said, “Conservative Catholics say that ‘you [liberal Catholics] are destroying the Catholic Church.’ But no! I say to them narrow-minded Catholics, ‘it is you conservative Catholics who are the ones destroying the Church!”

I guess that could be considered too much of a below the belt statement. But, I guess that he was just asking us to bring back the “catholic” in Catholic.

Let’s reach out. :)

PS I am pro-Ecumenism. Call it un-Catholic, or whatever (the Catholic Church supposedly rejects other beliefs), but I believe that as long as we believe and follow Christ, and we listen to and live whatever He says, we are in good hands. For me, Christ is one. Christ isn’t divided. :)