Who is Religious

Every morning, I hear the 7:30 am mass at the Manila Cathedral. There were times that I do not understand the gospel and the homily, because the priest who says them seemed to be mumbling. There are three priests who regularly celebrate the mass. I see the same people everyday. We have our favorite pews.

This morning, the priest who said the mass was the one we can barely understand. As it went on, I noticed a curly-haired man with a green shirt who walked through the middle aisle and sat in front. I thought that he must be new to the place, and wanted to hear the mass that day. The next thing I noticed was his seatmate, a COMELEC employee, transferred to the pew across the aisle. There must be something wrong. His other seatmates stayed where they are. During communion, he stood up and fell in line, with a person between us. After he received the Eucharist, he genuflected. Then returned to his seat. I couldn't help but smell him. As I went back to my place, I prayed and asked God to bless people like him, so simple, without much want, and still with faith.

Then the Koreans began to spill in after the mass.