Go in peace
IT just occurred to me that in writing a regular Sunday column, it is a bit ironic that I have never written about religious rituals of Sundays. Today seems to be a good time to do so. -oOoI have never been a religious person. I have always reasoned that my being nonreligious was my way of rebelling against my childhood and young adulthood, having been educated by nuns in a private Catholic all-girls school. College was the complete opposite of grade school and high school. I went to a non-sectarian co-ed university that avoided religious rituals in the classroom - but exposed me nonetheless to all kinds of religious denominations, as well as social, economic, political and cultural classes. In college, being an agnostic or an atheist was the “in” thing; and - for whatever reason - established religion went against flower power and Martial Law activism.
But I did not want to be an agnostic or an atheist. I wanted to embrace all religions because I believed then, and continue to believe, that all religions established by humankind have their valid reasons for existing. I wanted to be a polytheist - which, by my personal definition, accepts all religions. For after all, I believe that all religions are fundamentally the same, believing in one and the same God, called only by different names and worshipped through different rituals. -oOoToday, although I continue to embrace all religions, I have not regularly attended any religious rituals. I have been to a Muslim wedding, where I was invited to be one of the sponsors of the couple. I had once witnessed a Buddhist funeral. I have a few Jewish friends. And I have many dear friends from various Christian sects. I may not be religious, but I would like to think and believe that I am, in a rather limited sense, spiritual, contemplating on and giving thanks to the simple joys of life. -oOoI do pray - in my own non-religious way. More often than not, my prayers are conversations with God. Not many of my family or friends know that sometimes, I do write letters to God in a multi-purpose notebook that I keep. More often than not, my nightly conversations with God are prayers of thanks for the day, and guidance to be better for the next day. -oOoBut when the opportunity for communal prayer presents itself, it is the Catholic Mass I attend more often, joining my Mom and my siblings in prayer.
I like attending the Catholic Mass for many reasons. I like listening to the readings and the Gospel, which remind me of the nightly bedtime stories of my childhood. When I was a young adult, I did not like the priest’s sermons which often angered me and with which I mentally debated. I had then decided to stop attending the Mass as it brought out the rebel than the good in me. Nowadays, I think aging has mellowed me down: the clergy has their stories to tell. And maybe it is worth listening to, if not necessarily believing.
Although not by any means a gifted coloratura, I like listening to the congregation sing prayers; this, even though many, if not all, the lyrics and the melodies are totally unfamiliar to me. A line in “Our Lord’s Prayer” however brings new meaning to me each time it is prayed or sung: forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Easier said than done, really. But I think it may very be well worth the effort.
The part when the priest invites the congregation to give each other the sign of peace is likewise a feel-good ritual. Strangers to each other, everyone nods and smiles shyly at each other as a sign of peace. Awkward, I know, but it feels nice to smile at someone who smiles back at you. Then I become witness to loving families hugging and buzzing each other on the cheek, while the younger generation flash the “V” sign to those around them. -oOoThe ending of the Catholic Mass is also a part that I like, not because it ends the ritual (although that was the reason I liked it when I was young). After all has been said and done, the priest opens his arms, and bids us: “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” Go in peace. Be good to others. I guess this is what prayers do to those who pray. It gives us some kind of internal calm and quiet, even if temporarily. It makes us more gentle and kinder in our thoughts and deeds. Prayer - of any kind - is one good method to manage our human weaknesses of anger, hatred, envy and vengeance. -oOoToday is Sunday. And no matter which religion (or political advocacy) we believe in, let us go in peace... and wish others and the whole world the same peace.
Amen.