The Herd Against The Shepherd

Attending the Sunday mass has become my habit for years. Due to some things I love doing in the early part of the day, I always opt to attend the last mass, the 7 PM mass. In addition to this, most of the priests that I like the most hold their mass on that slot. I liked these priests because of their comical yet virtuous stories during the Homily. Well, I guess many priests are good fiction storytellers. Kidding. LOL.

Last week, I was quite disappointed not to see my favorite priest, the one with the same body built as mine. LOL. Nevertheless, the homily was still interesting. As far as I can remember, the Good Shepherd and the flock was what the Gospel is all about.

Father: Ang ating mga nanay at tatay, sila ang pastol ng mga anak sa buong mundo. O, eto. May itatanong ako sa inyo. Tingnan natin kung magagaling kayo. Sino ang pastol ng Simbahang Katoliko?
Crowd: (Quite whispering as they answer in chorus like grade school children) Pope Benedict XIV.
Father: Naku, bakit yata mahina? Parang hindi natin kilala ang Santo Papa. Tsk. Kilala ba natin? Amen?
Crowd: Amen.
Father: O, sige. Sino naman ang pastol ng ating diocese? Kilala po ba natin?
Crowd: (No response)
Father: (Asking response from the crowd) Si? Si..
Women in Green*: (As if coaching the crowd) Archbishop** Jose Oliveros.
Father: (Shakes his head) Naku, naku. Hindi pala natin kilala. Tsk. Pupunta pa naman siya dito sa ating fiesta sa susunod na buwan. Dapat kilala po natin s’ya. Pakiulit nga po natin. Si..
Crowd: Archbishop Jose Oloveros.
Father: Ayan. Mabuti naman. Tandaan po natin , ha. O, eto! Siguradong kilala ninyo ito. Sino po ang pastol ng ating bansa? Si..
Crowd: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Father: Tumpak po! Hehe. Kung makikita natin, karaniwang sumusunod sa pastol ang mga tupa. Eto, tanong uli. Kayo ba naman ay sumusunod kay Presidente?
Crowd: (Low in volume but well-enunciated) HINDI.
Yom: (Simultaneous with the chorus) HINDI! ASA PA S’YA!
Cutie beside Yom: (Looks at her)
Father: Naku, hindi pala sinusunod ang ating Presidente. Tsk. Alam naman po nating nasangkot sa iba’t ibang katiwalian ang Pangulo. Pero kahit gaano pa kasama ang ating pastol, ano ho, dapat pinagdarasal natin sila upang magbago.
Yom: (Agitated) Tang-ina, if we’ll only pray, kamusta naman ang Pilipinas!
Cutie beside Yom: (Looks once again)
Yom: (Smiles)
Yom’s thought: Ang cute n’ya, ang cute n’ya! LOL.

* The ones who collect donations during mass. LOL.
** Unsure about the head of the diocese. I forgot if it’s the Bishop or the Archbishop.

Misa de Gago

The Advent is about to end this coming Sunday, which means that the preparation for Christmas will end in a matter of days. Yet, I don’t really feel the atmosphere and the attitude peculiar to the Christmas season.

***

Speaking of Christmas season, one of the most notable tradition that we have is the Misa de Gallo. Literally translated as “Rooster’s Mass“, the practice is traced during the Spanish colonial period. The mass was actually intended for Filipino farmers who want to attend the mass but could not leave their fields. Misa de Gallo, in addition, lasts for nine days (December 16 – 24) and is usually another way of preparing for Christmas. There’s this belief that if a person were able to complete it, s/he is guaranteed and privileged to wish.

Waking up early might be a big deal for some, and the so-called Anticipated Mass is crafted. This is, in my opinion, the Simbang Gabi in a literal sense. It starts on December 15 and ends on December 23.

I was in Grade 6 when I was able to complete the Simbang Gabi (the Anticipated Mass). Because of my great desire to pass the Manila Science High School entrance exam, I exhausted every means to gain Divine Intervention! Haha. Every first Thursday of the month has become a novena day to St. Jude Thaddeus in Mendiola, the Patron of the Hopeless Cases. Well, I’m not a hopeless case, for that matter. Lol. In addition to that is the completion of Simbang Gabi. Fortunately, I passed because of my innate intelligence (LOL!) plus the Divine Intervention.

After that completion in 2001, an attempt to have a back-to-back year almost succeeded. Had our family wasn’t scheduled to spend our Christmas in Pangasinan, I could have not missed the last day of mass that year. Attempts to complete the nine-day-tradition became unsuccessful during the past few years.

This year, I’m on my sixth day. That includes the third day which I almost missed! Contrary to 2001, I’m attending the madaling-araw mass. (How conyo! Haha.) Imagine the hardship I am experiencing everyday. WAKING UP EARLY ISN’T MY THING! Yet I’m making my way towards the completion of the Rooster’s Mass.

However, I just want to note some observations regarding the tradition.

On Bended Knees

In our world, diversities in terms of theological belief exist. Some were born and raised as Christians, Moslems, Buddhists and others. Some, in turn, converted themselves into another religion; some even extinguished the transcendental existence of a Higher Being. Well, just to be quite specific, Islam do not regard their “converts” as such.

This post neither aims to elevate a certain religion (I prefer theological belief than religion) from the other, nor criticize flaws of certain theological belief. I believe that no one is entitled to say that their religious doctrine offers the best way to salvation, or Nirvana in Buddhism. I hope I’ve remembered my History 2 under Professor Esguerra. Right, Arnel? Haha. Besides, theological belief is a very sensitive issue, and for a not-so-religious-guy like me, I don’t have the guts to scrutinize these sets of belief.

Regardless of religion or theological belief, I think most people believe in a Higher Being — an entity that is believed to surpass human limitations. An omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent entity whose power is mainly characterized by love. Prayer happens to be an essential part of every religion, since this is the only medium of communication happening between the believer and the Higher Being.

Kinds of prayers include grace before and after meals, morning and evening prayers, novena, Islam’s Salah or the Five Daily Prayers, and others. Prayers are also done for various purposes, like glorifying the Higher Being, reflecting, asking for guidance and thanksgiving.

In your life, when was the last time you prayed with all your heart?

Explosion

God saved us.

Last Thursday, my bestfriends and I were planning to set a day-out to “formally” introduce my girlfriend. Since I was the one who called for a day-out, the planning and the decision-making is in me. We are supposed to play bowling at Bowling Alley in Makati, then have our lunch at Glorietta. However, Fatz (one of my bestfriends) can’t remember where the Bowling Alley is. In addition, Mads (my other bestfriend) has less money as of the moment. Kite doesn’t even know how to play bowling, and she insisted not to play even if I shoulder the payment. I then decided to change the earlier plan.

Friday. The Formal Meet-Up at Trinoma. While eating our lunch at Chef D’Angelo, my mobile phone received a couple of text messages.

Glorietta was “bombed”.