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Possessed

My Christmas and New Year vacation is coming to an end maybe 2 days from now and this has really been one of the best holidays I've had celebrated in my entire life. It was full of things I have never really expected.

The best way to describe me is that I was really possessed for the past two weeks. I've done the craziest stuffs and everything and it was really a lot of fun.

I'm sure gonna miss all those people I've hanged out with especially my high school classmates. You were great guys. This has been one of the best vacation I've ever had.

Warm Greetings

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of You...

Day 7 and 8 of simbang Gabi

I'm bouncing back from an absent on Day 6 and this time, I'm already HOME. I decided to hear mass at our very own parish in Baao - St. Bartholomew Parish. I thought that they have the same time of start of masses like in Manila but it's much early here. As early as 4 AM you can already hear the voice of the priest. What has been a tradition here during dawn masses is that every after the mass, some sponsor barangays of our town conduct ashort program in the Patio asa way to entertain the parishioners. I've been used to it since I was a kid.

You really have here the "Probinsya Christmas Fever". Unlike in Manila where there is the Puto Bumbong and Bibingka, it's Ginalpong that greets the parishioners after masses which is a "kakanin" prepared by the sponsor barangay. Another thing I love aout masses here is that every dawn mass from Day 1 to Day 9 makes the church Jam-Packed. People are coming from far places and even from those mountainous areas of our town. It's really one big proff how devout the people of Baao are.

No wonder because history has been a big part of it. Hello? This is where the first Filipino Bishop was Born. No Baaoenyo is an idiot of that fact.

Anyways, I'm still enjoying and ecstatic about my stay here. Tomorror is the last morning of the 9-day sacrifice and hoping I would come early for the mass.

Day 6: I'm home

I missed Day 6 of Simbang Gabi ending my streak to 5.

Reason? I went home to Camarines Sur. Hoping that the bus would come as early as 4 AM so I could still attend the mass in Baao, I decided to go home early for the Christmas break. Unfortunately things got worse. There was a major traffic in EDSA(which always happened) and a car accident along the way in Laguna. I got home around 5 AM and decided not to go to the Church anymore because it would be too late.

I'm home. I'm enjoying my stay here but I'm also missing some people I left there in Manila.

By thins time, let me greet everyone an advance Merry Christmas.

Day 5 at PACO

With no Church left in my list, I decided to hear mass for Day 5 at the San Fenando Dilao Parish in Paco, Manila.

It was a newly painted church. They have those Latin phrases encrypted on its walls and ceilings which makes it hard for like ordinary layman to understand. I think one thing why its hard for parishioners to understand the teachings of God and why it is hard for priests to evangelize is because most teachings are really hard to understand by the ordinary people. How will someone try to reflect on those teachings if they could not understand what it means? What will a mother tells her child if asked what does those things in the ceiling says?

I hope that with the new order of Pope Bendeict that Catholics evangelize Catholics, maybe the Church reaches out to its people on how they could clearly understand the teachings in their own tongue.

Wednesday is for Baclaran Church: Simbang Gabi Day 4

I'm still on my "Visita Iglesia 2007" which coincides with the Simbang Gabi and unlike before which I have my last minute decision of where and what place Church to go, this time it was my girlfriend Clarizze who suggested 2 days ago that we hear mass at Baclaran in Paranaque or the National Shrine of our Lady Of Perpetual Help.

It's wednesday and for most religious Filipinos, Baclaran is the number one place to go even in normal Wednesdays and not only during Christmas Season. Many believed that the Our Lady of Perpetual Help image is really one of the most miraculous among all images of the Virgin Mary. No wonder that thousands flocked in this Church yesterday for the fourth day of Simbang Gabi despite the slumpy streets of Paranaque along its way and the danger of snatchers notorious in all corners of its streets. This is the only church where in I've lost my concentration during the mass because I can't help to look at the people around me who really came from all walks of life.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out where to go later for Day 5 of Simbang Gabi. On my list are Paco Church and Ermita Church.

Binondo Church : Simbang Gabi Day 3

I'm still on my 9-day "Visita Iglesia " as part of my Simbang Gabi ritual which I intend to start only this year.

After Malaate Church and Manila Cathedral for Days 1 and 2, Clarizze and I intended to hear mass for the 3rd day of Simbang Gabi at theMinor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, Manila.

The Church was stunningly beautiful. It's one of the most beautiful church I've ever been to. It's like a replica of the St. Peters Basilica in Rome with all its beautiful paintings and murals hanged in all its wall. Too bad I haven't brought my camera to capture the beautiful church of Binondo.

Simbang Gabi Day 2

I'm currently on a RELIGIOUS TOUR of the different churches here in Manila as I plan to complete the nine dawn masses or the Filipino's official countdown of Christmas.

Yesterday I was at MALATE CHURCH or the OUR LADY of THE REMEDIES PARISH and earlier this morning, me and my girlfriend Clarizze hear mass at The Basilica-Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception or known to many as THE MANILA CATHEDRAL.

It was my second time to be in that Church but it was my first time to hear mass inside the Cathedral. It was really one of the most beautiful Cathedral I've seen in my entire life with all those Spanish Architecture depicted in every wall. There really is a strong Spanish environment inside. We were waiting to see Padre Damaso or even Maria Clara to appear. LOL.

I really wish I could complete my 9-dawn expedition and right now, I'm thinking of where I plan to hear mass tomorrow for Day 3 of Simbang Gabi.

Dawn Mass

Today is December 16.

"Simbang Gabi" kicked off earlier this morning . It is a 9-day early masses which starts December 16 and ends on December 24 and concluded by a mass on Christmas eve. Of course, being in Manila where Christmas is felt as early as October, I decided not to sleep yesterday so I could be on time for the for the start of the "Misa De Gallo".


I decided to hear mass at the Our Lady of Remedies Parish or popularly known as MALATE CHURCH. I was one of the first to go inside because I was there as early as 3:15 AM and the Church is only about to open. I intentionally planned to go there early so as to have a seat luxury and I was lucky to be in front of the altar and beside the Chorale Group.

Lights inside the church were turned on at around 3:30 AM and I was amused to see that they are using LCD projector for their masses. Wow and lucky for them to have that kind of luxury. An early reminder was flashed on the screen saying:

ATTENTION
Please do not leave your
Personal Belongings Unattended.
Somebody might think
its the ANSWER to their prayers

I grinned when I read the sign. COMEDY inside the Church. Anyways, the whole flow of the mass in Malate was different from those I've attended in the past year. In Malate Church, they change the tradition of praying the rosary before the mass to giving lectures to the people and letting the parishioners understand why they celebrate such things and how Jesus infancy was told in the GOSPEL. I think its better than the old one because we should put importance in educating everybody and telling them about God as a whole instead of letting them pray tons of Hail Mary's without understanding why such things were done.

Another good thing about the MALATE CHURCH is that the Celebrant gives homily as fast as One Minute unlike in other Churches that HOMILY could take to about 30 minutes. Just a short message and everything was fine. Let the people think and reflect on the message rather explain to them the whole bible which for sure they could not understand.



Of course, as soon as the mass ended, the best way to start the morning after the simbang gabi is to have a taste of the PUTO BUMBONG and BIBINGKA. The Puto Bumbong took time for them to cook that is why I opted for the BIBINGKA.

And yes, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED for today.