Still ill
Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales gave a mass this morning at the Hong Kong Cathedral in Caine Road. He was invited by First Pacific, a company partly-owned by PLDT’s Manny Pangilinan. I had to go because it was a show of,well, solidarity with the Filipinos in the company (these difficult sosyalan gatherings I fear).
I’m not an avid church goer. One could call me a lapsed Catholic, and I suppose that is really what I am. I have issues with the Catholic Church, and I separate faith from religion; belief from faith; and belief from objective thinking.
In any case, I sat there in one of the pews immersing myself once more in the old-age worshipping traditions of Roman Catholicism. I couldn’t remember many of the responses; most of the songs have become unfamiliar to me; but if the outside trappings of Catholicism and religious pratice have become slightly alien to me, the core of my understanding about the purest intents of Catholicism, Christianity were still there.
Then the Archbishop delivered his sermon, and I once more bid a permanent goodbye to traditional Church-going.
He equated Jesus’ struggle against his mortal weakness ( "this bitter cup…)and his ascent to full godliness with First Pacific’s fight to become a top corporation.
I kid you not. I feel my stomach turning as I think about it. My ears burn at the very memory of hearing him, seeing him comparing Jesus’ love for humanity with First Pacific’s campaign to defeat its competitors and serve its SHAREHOLDERS better.
I left the church (a beautiful piece of architecture, by the way) feeling more than just slightly disgusted. The rich members of the Filipino community here in Hong Kong made beso-beso and got into their cars to have lunch with Achbishop Rosales and Mrs. Corazon Aquino (who also attended the mass) at the five-star, Four Seasons Hotel in Connaught Road.
Where is God in all this? I cannot, for the life of me, understand the purpose of this kind of religious worshipping among the elite and rich but to see it all as a chance to show off their clothes and display with smug pride that they’re in the in crowd.
I still feel ill.
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I am so sleepy.
And annoyed with work.
I want to watch happy cartoons. In particular, I want to watch The Smurfs or Rainbow Brite.
I’m buying a ticket to The Da Vinci Code for this Saturday. I don’t expect to be pleased or amazed.
Either the Code or X-Men the Final Stand or whatever you call it.
I want to relax. I need to relax.
A-hah! Gym membership is only $500! Harharhar. 24-7 use of all Fitness First facilities. That’s something.
I need a hug. I miss my hubby. Aaaaargh.
