Aim must be renewed, not new, spirituality

Carmelita Roxas Natividad’s quest for a new spirituality (Opinion, 6/5/13 and 6/20/13) is foisted on the wrong practice of the faith, blaming the traditions, dogmas and rituals of the Catholic Church, especially the fall/redemption doctrine.

From this perspective, even the Mass, which is the highest form of worship for the Catholics, is inane. For the faithful, Jesus is actually present at the very moment—in persona Christi—in the celebration of the paschal mystery at Mass.

But one has to believe in order to know the faith. And the talk has to be walked, so to say.

And if the nexus of the faith is not imbibed by the churchgoer however often he/she hears Mass, then we have the case of a nominal Catholic who could “terrorize the neighborhood with her crabbiness the morning after, while the children engage in crime.”

But, of course, this is judgmental, and the observer could be reminded of Luke 6:37-38: “Be not a judge of others… for the measure you give will be the measure you receive back.”

The sacraments are provided by the Church to help strengthen one’s resolve to go through the rough and tumble of life; and the rosary is recited to instill deeply the immersion of humility, a forgiving heart, honesty, obedience and other virtues of Mama Mary in the devotee’s persona.

The quest for a so-called new spirituality could be sheer adventurism of a lost soul even if somehow fascinated by divergent expositions of some theologians of note and “visionaries with distinct credentials.”

It apparently seeks moorings for a sort of a happy-go-lucky life unrestrained by convention, discipline, laws and moral values, inter alia. But it could drift further out to nowhere.

“I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6)… is a simple guide to a great spirituality.

No better spirituality than this! Amen.

Let’s just renew and revive the faith. God bless!

—RUDY B. MEDENILLA,

[email protected]