I was born to Tomas and Dahlia Torres and baptized a Catholic by the late Monsignor David I.A. Quitugua. Life’s journey since then has been a series of ups and downs, successes and mistakes, and a vortex of never-ending appetite for satisfaction. I even survived multiple rapes by a Catholic school teacher that was covered up by a Catholic school and the Archdiocese of Agana… the same archdiocese that continues to victimize us survivors every day its leaders refuse to acknowledge its role in the cover up.
But life’s journey, I have learned in the most joyful way, is very different from another journey I began about three years ago: a journey into my Christianity. A Christian journey. A discovery of my Catholicism.
I started simply by going to Mass every Sunday. Just like many other Catholics, it was going through the motions for me. It started as a safe place, and a quiet sanctuary. Then it became a learning experience. And then I discovered that every Sunday, in that one hour of devotion, Jesus Christ Himself is present with me and everyone else in those pews.
This Christian journey has been my redemption. Don’t get me wrong; I am a sinner through and through. There is much for which I atone. Every day, in my thoughts and in my words; in what I have done, and what I fail to do, my unworthy soul is redeemed by His mercy and Grace. And so, in turn, the change I want and strive to bring into the world is marked by a search for truth and justice through kindness, respect, humility, patience, mercy, and love. It is an imperfect path, because I fail along the way, but it is one worth following nonetheless. Because no Light is brighter, warmer, and more desirable.
This weekend, the Light enters the world. I want to be there when He comes. I want to be touched by His warmth. And if you and I and us all are gathered in His name, there He will be. Join me in this journey. Let’s go back to Mass, together. You have nothing to lose by making this decision, and quite literally, everything to gain. ♥️, Troy
