That’s probably the most remarkable part from the mass service that I just witnessed for the International Community here in Leuven, at the Sts. Mary & Martha of Bethany University Parish in Minderbroedrsstraat 15. This came in the offertory part, after all the kiddos offered their lit candles and adults gave all kinds of things (even bottles of coke!) ..then the African women started chanting and singing the phrase above from the back of the church and moving forward in a cadence bringing flowers to the altar. They definitely were the most festively dressed of the whole and celebrating the service with a lot of family and friends. And hearing”Kordero ng Diyos” sang by the majorly African choir was ear-opening…that they can do it so Pinoy-like!
After years living abroad, I think it is safe to say this is the first time I’ve attended Catholic mass on a Sunday, and after so long. Thing is the weekend in Oman is Thursday and Friday, so people go to church there on Fridays. After getting turned around trying to find the church the first time and was unsuccessful, I never returned. Also started reasoning that attending church is not the only thing I do for my faith. Yet as much as I want to think and totally be intellectual about it, I cannot entirely divorce myself from religion. True, there are atrocities committed by the church, especially the men in and out of the church which is indeed the ugly side of religion. But, our mother always taught us the spiritual side of things. Also that things are never black and white and you have to always listen to your inner soul. Trust God like a kid would and don’t be shy asking for mama Mary’s help. I was probably in grade school going to high school that time and was taught in a strict chinese-catholic school. I’m sure I only understood half of what that meant…
For now my inner self is in a quandary. In the scheme of things, a very trivial one but something that’s been bothering my mind for days. My question was should I break my accommodation contract which is still to start this 20th September, and move in to a studio by myself, hopefully closer to both school & town? Or stay here in this shared house with 7 other people and live through the noise and the mess the majority of the undergraduates normally do? They both have pros and cons and honestly the only thing really stopping me form moving out is the hassle of packing, transporting and unpacking… But if I find a reasonable studio somewhere, I can imagine myself taking it and living by myself.
But what if I totally missed out all the signs again? And that this is actually where I’m supposed to get out of my shell and comfort zone and interact. With housemates. Interacting is OK, but it’s dealing with the mess in the kitchen, the noise during evenings that makes my head ache. And if I’m going to do this the whole year, I better be in my best and most positive disposition given that I keep hearing everyone telling me that my chosen course is…intense, to say the least. Then there are practical considerations such as I already paid my landlord and signed the contract. Yet surely in the years since this university started, this is not the first time that someone was not comfortable in their first place and wanted to shift.
So there, I can only do so much inquiring and checking. I have to decide.
arkitrix 