Celebrating our faith

HOLY Week is once again upon us. Like some kind of magic, we mysteriously sort of stop what we usually do, change gear and enter into a mode of prayer and silence as we commemorate the central mystery of our salvation as a people of God.

It’s a real phenomenon to see an ocean of piety flooding our churches, our homes and even our streets on these days. All of sudden, we see many people doing, individually or in groups, the “Via Crucis,” the “visita Iglesia,” etc.

Long lines of penitents approach the confessionals to purify their hearts. Many don’t mind the heat and crowd, sweating and often hungry because of the fasting and abstinence, just to attend the services.

Some of us find the time to go to a spiritual retreat or at least a day of recollection. I know many who just want to have some days of isolation, simply to be alone with God.

Many old women and those in far barrios still sing the “pasion” with gusto. You may get irritated with the singing, but your heart will melt at the sight of sincere and simple piety shown by these folks. Thank God for them!

Sometimes I think these people, together with the children and the poor and the weak who suffer all sorts of difficulties and injustices, do more in strengthening our Church than the supposedly bright and clever guys among us.

Every time I see these things, I get deeply moved. Seeing them makes me see the soul of our people who are trying their best to be true children of God. And I get convinced we have a wealth much more precious than what money can give.

There definitely are many imperfections, even mistakes, blighting these practices. And we may have conflicts, we quarrel and wrangle, but, heck, the good news is that we as a nation continue to have a living faith.

This is what truly matters. And that’s why I feel pained whenever I see that faith harmed.

Sad to say, there are indications this is happening. I am referring to many of our “educated” people, often rich and in very good position in our society, whose approach to religion is led more by their reason than by faith.

This is made worse by the fact that they often are quite articulate and vocal about their views. But, of course, what can we expect?

Because of this fundamental deviation in their approach to religion which is the virtue that defines our relationship with God, many could not understand why the Church still is against contraception, divorce, same-sex unions, etc.

There are many issues, often involving fundamental doctrines of Christ and of the Church, which they find hard to accept, since these to them go against what they consider to be reasonable, or practical, or convenient.

They tend not to be consistent in their being a Christian faithful. At one time, they feel they are part of the Church. And then at another time, they act against the Church. The typical fair-weather Christians, they seem to be active only on Sundays or in other formal occasions.

It would seem that to them faith is not a supernatural gift, something gratuitously given to us by God and gratefully received by us. It is more a product of their own making, of their own understanding of things.

If something proposed by faith fails to pass the test of their human intelligence, then it is rejected.

Or worse, when they see the imperfections and mistakes committed by some members of the Church hierarchy, they are quick to condemn, as if they themselves are immaculate and cannot commit mistakes.

This is what is happening for example in some of the views expressed regarding the Ligtas Bunltis issue. I find this lamentable.

One columnist even went to the extent of saying that the Church must be wrong about its teaching against contraception as it was wrong about the Galileo case.

They often boast that they are real Christian by hearts, but of the “liberated” type—they cannot be bothered by some details of Church life, laws and teachings. Thus, many times they don’t go to Mass, much less go to confession, etc.

Still, not everything is lost. There is still a lot of hope. The passion, death and resurrection of Our Lord, commemorated this Holy Week, gives us vivid reasons that a conversion can take place in the hearts of many.