I grew up Catholic. I was baptized in the Catholic Church in our village where I also received my “sacrament of confirmation”. My parents were both active in the Catholic Church. My Father was a former president and lay minister of a chapel in our place. He also never missed going to Quiapo, bare-footed, during the Feast of the Black Nazarene. My mother would always bring me and my sister to Baclaran every Wednesday for she was a devotee of Mary in the Redemptorist Chruch, where we learned how to read the novena booklet, light candles and walk through the center aisle of the church by our knees.
During my younger years, I was actively participating in different programs of the Church. I used to recite poems during the feast of Immaculate Mary. I joined the street dancing during the parade of different Sto. Niños along Roxas Boulevard. Whenever I join different academic contests, I always had a small Sto. Nino in my pocket which I rub when I do not know the answer (my parents told me that it would help me think for the correct answer). When I reached my adolescence, I joined the choir in our church. And since I was inclined into bands and playing musical instruments during that time, when the guitarist of our choir left the group and went abroad, I was the one who took over. Sometimes, I was also assigned to be a lector and commentator during the mass. I regularly attend the Charismatic Youth Ministry, a youth organization in our church where in we do bible studies (or shall I say, we read one verse per session), singing songs while our eyes closed and both hands raised, and a lot of “speaking in tongues” – saying such words that we do not really understand. More so, I also graduated in an all-girl school run by nuns. But though I was an active Catholic member, this didn’t help me to become a better person. But instead, I gave me a way to do all the pleasures that a typical youth was doing. I was always going out for gimmicks and watch rock bands with my friends until the wee hours of the morning, barkada trips, even ear and nose piercing.
With all my background and experiences, I may say that I was a “Katoliko Sagrado” with a twist. As the people described me, I was a saint during the day, but a sinner and certified rocker at night. I had this thinking that there is no problem doing those earthly pleasures because there will come a time, when I get old already, I won’t be able to do those things anymore. Besides, I was active in the Catholic Church so I believed that my entire shortcoming will be forgiven. My basis if my sins were forgiven was the "ostia" or host given by the priest. According to our belief then, if the host stays long in your tongue, your sins were already cleansed. If it stays only for a couple of seconds, you are still not forgiven.
I was not really a problem child. But I knew there was a tendency that I would become one if I kept walking on that track. But God is good and He never let me continue walking through that path.
One day, my father and I were watching the final game of Ginebra (I think was Gordon's Gin at that time) and Alaska on TV. I was an avid fan of Alaska and my dad was a fan of Ginebra. Alaska was leading and my dad got irritated because his team was losing so he changed the channel. While he was browsing channel, a religious program with a preacher speaking angrily caught our attention. It was the first time we heard the preaching for Bro. Eli Soriano through RJTV 29. Then we found the program ANG DATING DAAN. We knew about Bubble Gang’s Ang Dating Doon but we were not eager to search which religious program it was spoofing. During that time, Bro. Eli was very angry explaining why Mary should not be worshiped. I, who was also a Marian devotee since child, got offended and wanted to disagree with what Bro. Eli was saying. I said in my mind that Mary should be worshiped because she is the Mother of God, and I learned that from the priests in our church as well as from the nuns in my school. Then Bro. Eli answered that "Mary is not the Mother of God because God has no Mother—she is just the mother of Jesus who came in flesh. I was amazed! How come that he knew what was on my mind! I rapidly took the small Gideon bible in our altar with full of dust and was never opened since it was given to me, and checked on every verse that Bro. Eli is explaining. And everything that he says is all in the Bible. Even the worshiping of idols and eating of hosts during mass, which I thought would all cleanse my sins are all wrong. I also heard from Bro. Eli how youth must spend their strengths and knowledge – not in earthly pleasures and vices, but in serving Him. I started comparing his teachings with the teachings of our priests which are mostly no basis at all. But for Bro. Eli, everything that he says, he reads it in the bible. He always says “Basa!”, which I never heard from the priests and nuns. Since then, I was hooked to Bro. Eli’s program and never attended catholic church activities anymore.
My parents were baptized first. Then a few months after, I received my baptism too. And since then, my life has changed for the better. If not for Bro. Eli, my life would be miserable and I might be a liability of the society. With all His great works and for sending Bro. Eli, all I can say is Thanks be to God.
Please visit https://www.facebook.com/MCGI.org to know more about the religious org that I am now affiliated with. :)
