SIMBAHANG LUMA, MADUMI AT MAINIT

Old, dirty & humid. That's the Church that I go to. The old paint on its wall peels off like dry skin. The dust from the repairs looked like white powder on some of the pew. The fan blades were moving but one can barely feel any wind.

And that's only the visual defects. Marami pa akong depekto na nadinig tungkol sa Simbahang Katolika.

"Makaluma na ang turo dyan!"

"Madumi ang mga pari!"

"Mainit sa Misa, boring ang sermon, pangit ang mga awit"

Some people asked me the same question over & over - "Why are you still with that Church?"

I reply back with a smile & two words. "Why not?"

OLD. Yes, my Church is old. It's 2,000 years old. Actually, it’s 1985 years old if you want to be exact about it. But I don't care if it’s old because Jesus founded this Church. In Matthew 16:18 He installed Peter to lead it, "And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church"

DIRTY. Yes, a few of our priests did not make the right, moral choice. A few means limited, not many. Pero sabi ng iba, "kahit konti meron pa din kaya hindi na banal yang Simbahan". Ang tao po hindi banal pero ang Diyos ay parating banal. The men that lead the Church may not be perfect but God is perfect. Even the men that Jesus personally appointed failed. One betrayed Him, another denied Him & a lot of them left Him. The Church is Holy not because of its human leaders. The Church is Holy because God's Holy Spirit runs it.

HOT. Why does the Church go against every "hot" topic? Divorce, same sex marriage, EJK, abortion, etc. Basta trending, kontra ang Simbahan. Bakit nga ba? Because the truth is the truth regardless of what era we live in. Si Kristo ang katotohanan (Juan 14:6). When HE says these are wrong, they are wrong. No questions. Jesus is the head & the Church is the body of Christ. Whatever the head says, the body follows.

Pero di ba may iba pang simbahan? Why not attend those? These churches are more hip, modern & open minded.

My answer is simple. Because I am like my Church. I am DIRTY with my sins. I cannot get rid of my OLD bad habits. I become HOT headed with the people who I am supposed to love. I too am DIRTY, OLD & HOT. Yet, God was willing to die to save me. This dirty, old & hot Church is always ready to accept me. This Church is always open for everyone. That's why I love my Church.

This is why I believe and standby my Church. Wala akong takot kahit sino man ang manira sa Simbahan. Because I know that "even the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18).

Lastly, I respect the other Christian churches. I have a lot of non-Catholic friends. I believe that our teachings have more similarities than differences. I also respect the other religions. Let's not bash or criticize one another. Instead, we are called to respect one another. We are called to love and pray for one another (Ephesians 6:18). May you all have a blessed week! - alvinfabella@yahoo.com