"Oh Jesus I Love You, and I Love Buddha, Too......"

      This probably won't be a very long post, but I just wanted to write something very quickly about my experiences of being a Catholic and going to church in an almost entirely Buddhist country. About 95% of the people in this country practice Theravada Buddhism, while only about 0.5% of Thais are Roman Catholic. Now, this was not unexpected. I knew very well that I was going to be living in a Buddhist country- in fact, it was one of the things I was most excited about! As any of my friends from home can attest to, I am fascinated by and obsessed with Buddhism. In fact, I had a giant poster right over my bed at Loyola with the quote from Buddha that said, "The secret of health for both body and mind is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." I feel very connected to many aspects of Buddhism, and I am looking for ways to incorporate Buddhist philosophy in my Christian life. 


     Now, going to a Catholic Mass once a week was always something I took for granted- At Loyola, I would go to the chapel every week at 6 pm with my friends and participate in a Mass that was geared specifically for us as college students. It always renewed and refreshed me for the week that was ahead, no matter how stressful it was going to be. I have gone to about 3 Masses here in Thailand so far, and I've had a very mixed reaction to them. In one respect, the Masses can make me feel both extremely homesick for what is familiar at home, but also makes me feel unified with those around me- like I am a part of something larger than myself.
     At the end of Mass this past Sunday, the closing song was "I Am the Bread of Life." I've heard this song thousands of times before, but for some reason, hearing it this Sunday really struck me. It brought me back to countless Sundays at my own church, and it just got me very emotional. I never realized this until now, but there is something so comforting about hearing the same words at Mass in Thailand as I would in New Jersey, or at Loyola. It makes me feel like I am at home, if just for an hour.  


Oh, and go listen to the song "I Love You and Buddha, Too" by Mason Jennings. Story of my life! :)