Just Have Faith

I'm not the religious type of person. I was born Roman Catholic as inherited. I go to church on Sundays when I was in High School, then after the mass we stroll at SM North Edsa. It was I think became a routine in our family. It is how my brother and I were encouraged by my parents to attend mass every Sunday (which we mutually liked actually).

I have a different view on 'religion' as opposed to my mother. It was a kind of orientation I grew up with. Since I entered kinder I never had a 'religion class' neither did I have 'values education.' It is a common joke to my schoolmates when asked about 'values' we'd always say, 'wala kaming values e." (we don't have values.) Its not that we don't have values per se, but we don't have the subject as part of our curriculum. I'd always say, "Hay naku, tinawag ko na nga lahat ng santong kilala ko dahil sa sobrang hirap at sakit." (Haay, I even called all the Saints I knew for its hard and painful). It is actually an expression or more of an exaggeration. But surprised of what I just have said. I stopped, and realized that I don't know the names of the saints. If I were to blame who for not knowing all the saints. I might question the UPIS Curriculum or the UP Administration. But what the heck, I'd already answered that a long time ago. "Better leave the teachings of God to the proper authority. And leave the teachings of knowledge of mankind to the educators of universities as the instruments of God."

I was brought up in a different kind of environment, different orientation, more liberal, more radical, more of an 'atheist' outsiders might think. But its not. We weren't, and we aren't atheists. We have the freedom to choose what to believe in, and freedom not to. And ones you already knew what to believe in, it is stronger and more than powerful. Because it is your own choice. And it is not forced on you to believe something that you don't. It is FAITH.

I have my own faith.

I believe in God.

I pray.


When I was in College, I have broken our family Sunday routine. I was mostly out. I didn't like the way my mother thinks of herself being blessed every Sunday having mass thrice or more. But little she knew she doesn't apply the teachings learned at Sunday school. She mostly commits sins and forget the values taught in church. The reason? She has stronger ties with the church than me who doesn't.

I then rarely attend church since then.

I don' t religiously attend mass, or hear the teachings of God. But I have my own faith. I believe that the most important thing that one should know is to be good and do good to people around you. Corny it may seem but my pattern in life is the teachings of Confucius, 'the golden rule.' I believe in the law of Karma, though its a Buddhist teaching. But I find it reasonable and logical. There's a good karma for a good deed and a bad karma for a bad deed.

When there's something I want, I pray hard for it. I believe that when I sincerely pray and ask for it, how impossible it may be. He'll hear me. He'll find a way. And God always has a way.

And I can say prayer really works. I've tested it several times and it didn't fail me. I believe in God. I trust God. And I surrender to Him. Just have faith.