It's been a year since our family has been to church to attend mass due to covid restrictions in our area. Still, we've kept our religious beliefs alive by doing rosary every night at 7 or 8 PM after we've had our dinner. Although this is an excellent alternative to going to church, it's still a different feeling.
A week ago, our parents decided to go to church and attend the 5PM mass in our local church. Contrary to my parents, I've always had trouble believing in the existence of God.
When I was in elementary school, I would join the annual Flores de Mayo and would always attend Sunday mass in our place.
But as I've grown older and got to see the wrong side of the world, I met conflicts in my religious belief.
One reason that I started to lose faith in God is because of my mother. My mother is probably the nicest person in the world; she continuously checks on her co-workers and is friends with almost everyone in the hospital. So why did God let her contract a severe and deadly illness?
Another is when I see my bullies from high school. I have always thought that God punishes awful people in the world, so why are the same people who bullied me from high school leading happy lives and seem to have no problem in the world?
The thought of this has always baffled me.
Regardless of my beliefs, I was forced to join them and attend the mass. Though I did not believe in God that much, I do appreciate a good lecture from a priest.
The local priest mentions a saying that resonated with me up until now. He said that "God is not a genie in a box," and so I was stunned;
I was so inspired by the message that I immediately wrote it down on my phone after the mass ended to write about it when I got home.
The reason I was stunned by the message is that I could relate to it deeply.
I resonated with it but not in a religious way, but in a practical way. The message that made me realize about my flaws.
And so it hit me, one thing I've always lacked, patience.
Everything in life takes time to develop, something that I am ignorant of.
Whenever I study, I look at the topic, complain, and don't study it at all. Whenever I get past that stage, I tend to break down and think I could never understand the topic. Completely disregarding the fact that practice makes perfect and that I had already given up without putting much effort into what I'm doing.
Another is a case in my pursuit of success.
I have always prayed to become successful, buy all the medications for my mother, and provide money for surgery in the following years. With time being of the essence, I've always searched for a quick path to success.
A quick path to success is never going to work out, everything takes time like building a profile and working as a writer as I have, or building a business from the ground up. Or even food, ever heard of dry-aging food? Time makes the food taste even better than it was before.
It always takes time.
This has led me to try things that I never wanted to do in the first place. Now, I realize my shortcomings.
That single mass we've attended after a year has completely changed my perspective on life. It taught me to become more patient in everything that I do.
That single quote made me realize a trait that I've lacked all my life.
That single quote stuck with my brain and positively changed my view of life.
Who could've thought that a single trip to the church could change the perspective of a non-believer who thought going to church was a waste of time?
Disclaimer: This blog is mine and any similarities with other blogs do not have my permission to take out any information from my article.