The Way, 353, have you ever stopped to think how absurd it is to leave one's Catholicism aside on entering university or a professional association, a learned society or parliament, like a man leaving his hat at the door?
-St. Josemaria Escriva-
When I talked about faith to a 'free-thinker' friend, she said, "Ohh..I'm more into 'science-person', not into 'religion' ". Another friend said, "Just be a good person, no need religion."
It is as if faith and reason cannot go along with each other. This was my thought too. It is quite normal and acceptable in my neighborhood in Indonesia to advise someone, "Just accept it. This is our faith." We don't really demand explanation of faith. Coming into discussion with person of different religion, the conclusion is "I have my faith, you have your faith, no need to explain and discuss about it. It's just different."
Since I came to Singapore, I've been 'challenged' by lots of things. 'Challenged' doesn't always mean that someone attacks you with difficult questions. 'Challenged' might just mean something like this:
Scenario A (real scenario)
you've been sleeping late every day because of hall activities. What wrong is it doing if you don't go to Church for one Sunday 'only'?
Scenario B (real scenario)
A Catholic friend has a Protestant boyfriend and she misses mass on Sunday to attend Sunday service at the boyfriend's church. She said, "Anyway, it's the same God"
If only we know the beauty of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the logic and reason behind the mystery of how the Eucharist is a REAL presence of God, not only a symbol, things will be different. Mass is a mass, not a service. Missing mass equals to missing appointment with a SUPER IMPORTANT BEING (even more than missing appointment with Mr President). The feeling is not only about "3rd commandment: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day" so I MUST go to Church, but it's more into you go to mass because you love God :) more than when you have a boyfriend/girlfriend with a looooooooong distance relationship, you are looking forward to meeting him/ her :):) Believing this is not an illogical thing even though you cannot use formula A-Z to describe the mechanism of how bread is changed to the Body of Christ because there's a logic behind this transformation and this belief (--> homework for reader: find out about this :P)
So yeah...where I am just now?
This post has focused to one specific topic rather than commenting on that one point of 'The Way'. As now I'm leaving university soon, entering the jungle thicker than the jungle of NUS, it doesn't mean that I can just 'leave my Catholicism like a man leaving my hat at the door'.
-St. Josemaria Escriva-
When I talked about faith to a 'free-thinker' friend, she said, "Ohh..I'm more into 'science-person', not into 'religion' ". Another friend said, "Just be a good person, no need religion."
It is as if faith and reason cannot go along with each other. This was my thought too. It is quite normal and acceptable in my neighborhood in Indonesia to advise someone, "Just accept it. This is our faith." We don't really demand explanation of faith. Coming into discussion with person of different religion, the conclusion is "I have my faith, you have your faith, no need to explain and discuss about it. It's just different."
Since I came to Singapore, I've been 'challenged' by lots of things. 'Challenged' doesn't always mean that someone attacks you with difficult questions. 'Challenged' might just mean something like this:
Scenario A (real scenario)
you've been sleeping late every day because of hall activities. What wrong is it doing if you don't go to Church for one Sunday 'only'?
Scenario B (real scenario)
A Catholic friend has a Protestant boyfriend and she misses mass on Sunday to attend Sunday service at the boyfriend's church. She said, "Anyway, it's the same God"
If only we know the beauty of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, the logic and reason behind the mystery of how the Eucharist is a REAL presence of God, not only a symbol, things will be different. Mass is a mass, not a service. Missing mass equals to missing appointment with a SUPER IMPORTANT BEING (even more than missing appointment with Mr President). The feeling is not only about "3rd commandment: Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day" so I MUST go to Church, but it's more into you go to mass because you love God :) more than when you have a boyfriend/girlfriend with a looooooooong distance relationship, you are looking forward to meeting him/ her :):) Believing this is not an illogical thing even though you cannot use formula A-Z to describe the mechanism of how bread is changed to the Body of Christ because there's a logic behind this transformation and this belief (--> homework for reader: find out about this :P)
So yeah...where I am just now?
This post has focused to one specific topic rather than commenting on that one point of 'The Way'. As now I'm leaving university soon, entering the jungle thicker than the jungle of NUS, it doesn't mean that I can just 'leave my Catholicism like a man leaving my hat at the door'.
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