How do you survive this time of new lock downs and their restrictions, and daily news that only have one topic: Corona, Corona, Corona? One of the most important parts in my life is the belief in supernatural power which governs the universe. Maybe, because I was born and raised in a parish house in Germany.
It doesn't matter which religion we belong to or believe in: the recognition of God as an object of worship, the form of worship should be our primary need. Sad to say, more and more people get another opinion nowadays. Criticizing people, who are praying more especially now, hurts me.
During my stay in several Western countries before this pandemic, I experienced icy and conceited comments such as religiousness isn't popular any more. Religiousness makes people unwilling and morose because of exaggeration and sometimes even hypocrisy.
How come? We want to see the religiousness of our fellow creatures. We want to understand their ideology.
But we are also poking our nose into other people's business too much. Let's look behind the scenes and let's find out what religious behavior promotes: humility in actual life. Maybe. It's hard for us to do without affecting others.
We even forget the real meaning of religiousness. St. John Crysostom subscribed to the topic "Pagans and Christians" very well: "There would be no pagans if we were good Christians. But the pagans see us manifesting the same desires, pursuing the same objects - power and honor - as themselves, how can they admire Christianity?"
They see our lives open to reproach and our souls worldly. We admire wealth equally with them and even more. How, then, can they believe? From miracles? But these are no longer wrought. From our conversion? It has become corrupt. From charity? Not a trace of it is anywhere seen. (Quotation "Winnowing Fan", Vol. XX, June 2003, S of G Foundation, Makati).
Well, during this really not easy time, I am proud of having people in my surroundings here in the Philippines who taught me how to be on the right track - unconcerned and unnoticed. Natural and uninhibited, they showed me how to put real religiousness into action besides praying and going regularly to church. I call such people religious. I mean it as praise because they don't like to blow their trumpets while acting as Christians in our daily life.
Having such people around us makes it easier to stay strong and to overcome loneliness and missing all the good things, we are no more allowed to do. Social gatherings, travelling, personal business meetings, visiting cultural events and to get the whole sacrament personally from the hand of a priest or pastor.
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