Last Holy Week was a series of firsts and repeats for me. Here are the mentionable:
- First – My officemate/manager/friend invited us to go to their house last holy Wednesday. It was the first time I’ve seen the insides of their new home. We had our videoke session, something that all of us seem to extremely enjoy lately. As expected, the highest scorer is Jona, the song Goddess. Haha! Thanks Chris for the generosity in inviting us over! Till the next session!
- First – In my 3 years in SFC, I never had the opportunity to join my chapter in their annual Bisita Iglesia. This year, I asked my parents if we can just go home to Pampanga on a Thursday night instead of the usual Thursday morning. Thankfully, they agreed. Yahoo! Finally! It was a fun experience for me. Most of our new members were unable to join so only the old-timers were there. I don’t know how to describe the feeling.. but that event reminded me of how small our chapter was before and how big we’ve grown through the years. Ah I know! It was a comforting feeling that the older members are still active in service while newer ones are becoming more and more engrossed into this community. Happy times!
- Repeat – While in Pampanga, we went to Baliuag, Bulacan (about 30 mins away from our town) to watch the yearly procession depicting the life and death of Jesus Christ. Their procession is quite a big event for them because they showcase these magnificent looking statues. It started late (~ 10pm) so halfway into the whole presentation, we got so tired of standing for hours that we just decided to head home since we’ve already seen the whole thing last year.
- Repeat – I again met with my officemate/AAT bud, Karen, because we live in neighboring towns. This time she was with her boyfriend, which also happens to be our officemate, Elison. By the time I got there on the way home from the procession, Elison was already asleep so I was only able to talk to Karen. Last year, she was the one who dropped by our house, so this year it was my turn. Hehe
- Repeat – After visiting my relatives on my father’s side, we headed to another part of Pampanga to visit my relatives on my mother’s side (didn’t I tell you that my holy week is for family?! Hehe). We went to this resort in San Fernando called ‘Don Alfredo’s Resort’ something. We already been there last holy week but since it was new then and it was a good place, we just decided to go there again. Actually, I was a bit disappointed by how it looked now. It looked so good last year but now there are writings in their cottages, comforts rooms etc. I really don’t understand why people do that. It’s just a shame….
- First – While we were in the resort, my mom, dad and sister decided to go to mass. I was NEVER able to attend mass on Black Saturday because on those times, I am usually drinking in some resort with either family or friends. So this was a first for me. We went to this nearby parish called ‘St. Augustine’ something. Now, I tell you the mass was so interesting. We started outside the church with some bonfire, proceeded to enter the church, lit the candles in particular instances and the priest blessed the water and candles we brought. Oh, and did I mention that the whole mass was celebrated in Kapampangan?! Wow! I have now confirmed that I have lost my ability to comprehend the dialect. I used to be fluent in Kapampangan when I was a kid. In the mass, I only understood so little. I could not even sing the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father) because even the songs are in Kapampangan! Well, this was definitely a first for me….
- First – I ended my Holy Week by attending my SFC bro/adopted HH member’s birthday. We went back to Cainta, attended Sunday mass and went straight to Eugene’s house to celebrate. There were lots of food, good conversations, heartfelt laughter, sincere honoring of the birthday celebrator among other things. This was also a first for me….. Anyway, Happy Birthday Eugene! Good luck on your board exams, love life and service! God bless!
