Homily

I attended the 6:00PM mass yesterday at St. Christopher's church here in Taipei. Eversince I was assigned here in 2003, we've been attending the mass in that church.

I don't know if it's just me but, there is this priest who I don't like that much. I know it's bad but everytime that it's his mass that I catch, I end up not finishing the whole mass.

I don't know if its descriminating but, it is suppose to be an english mass but he keeps on talking in Filipino - which is undertandble in some point because it is a Filipino congregation after all. Nevertheless, you have to consider the other foreigners who might have been delighted to learn that there is a church holding english masses in this chinese-speaking country.

Again, I don't know it it's just me but, there are many from his thoughts that contradict to what I believe, differ from my stand point. And if that happens, I end up losing my interest in listening.

I respect everyone's opinion especially a priest like him but it is my character that firmly hold on my view points.

In his homily yesterday, he was saddened with the fact the mass attendees become thiner and thiner in numbers. He then compared attending mass with going to the hospital or going to the doctor. I agreed with the first two points he gave, but I strongly differ with the third one. He says that people doesn't go the hospital because it is very expensive to get sick these days, in which, he relates to attending mass and told everyone that (in gist) we say we love Jesus, we love God, but we don't like to spend. He cited examples such as the offertory collections. I mean, from what I believe, money offertories should be voluntary given, of how much should be the based on our own free will. It is one's prerogative how much one should offer, right? I don't so much about the bible but I know that there is written article that says a certain percentage of your wealth should be donated or given to the church.

But that is not what I am after for. The quantity of how much you love God does not equate to how much you give during offertory. Its how much we believe in Him, of entrusting our whole life to him, of doing the right things in accordance to what he says.

We always say money is the root of all evil. If it is, then in fact, the priest should not say those words.

Although, I am aware that in this modernly materialistic-driven world, we need money - even the church. But please, I hope the priest could have been cautious of what he says, of what he imparts to the people.

My two cents.