Simala
Saturday, December 1st, 2007
Yesterday we were in Sibonga to visit Simala where a statue of the Virgin Mary shed tears. The little chapel now gives way to a cathedral that is currently being constructed on the holy site. Pilgrims come from many different places, and they come in droves! I was watching the devotees, amazed with their total belief of the strange phenomenon which strengthened their faith and devotion to the Blessed Virgin. They wiped the statues with their hankies, then wiped upon their faces. Young and old alike, the strong and the weak all queued to have the opportunity to touch the glass cage where the statue is enclosed.
With all these knowledge and information one finds in the internet, I have reservations in the founding of the Catholic Church. But it does not matter anymore, because it is not about believing in the old teachings, it is about how you live those teachings. Somehow, the catholic belief that was thrust upon as has transcended into something else, something more tangible and banal. And from what I have seen, the Catholic faith has achieved its purpose: To make people feel better with themselves, and that no matter how hard the situation is, there is always hope, in the divine grace, and the salvation of the soul…..
