Rizal Churches for Holy Week 2016!

After so many months, let me allow to be a blogger again. Hohoho.

My kwento for today is about how we spent our Holy Week/Lenten Season/Cuaresma last week. :)

I am one of those living in a traditional era, where spending the Holy week with prayers, Visita Iglesia, fasting, or any activity encouraged by the Church. I may not agree with some people on their choices on spending the Holy Week at beaches or any places where they can party, rest or have some good time with their families and friends, but I am also not against on their decisions. Choice naman nila yun. Sino tayo para ijudge sila sa choice nila, di ba? Because I believe na "HINDI KA MAGIGING MABUTI/MALINIS SA PAMAMAGITAN NG PAGTURO O PAGPUNA SA GINAGAWA NG IBA."

Okayyyyy, so much for that.

Holy week has been one those seasons that I always look up to every time the New Year comes. I don't know exactly the reasons. But maybe because I am excited in long vacations, bonding with family and friends and also with the thought that I am saved again (for the nth time!) from the sins I've committed.

Actually (woo. Artista!), sobrang common lang naman talaga ng mga gawain ko kapag Holy Week. Kumbaga, ako ung taong kapag tinanong mo anong plano ko sa HW, sasagutin mo ung sagot ko ng: "ah, tulad lang last year?!". Ganern. Hahaha. Visita Iglesia with family and some friends on Holy Thursday, Pabasa in SJ on evening of Holy Thursday to afternoon of Good Friday, uwi ng Antips tas petiks na ng Sat-Sun. Tas Salubong kapag Easter Sunday na at nasa SJ kami. :) 

I started Visita Iglesia as my annual panata with my Tita Wilma and Ate Car last 2003 around QC-Manila-SJ Churches. And after that, naging yearly na. Hanggang pati friends ko nayaya ko na. Once lang yata ako di nakapagVI and that was 2014, i think.

Paulit-ulit ang VI namin sa QC-Manila-SJ churches. Sa sobrang paulit-ulit, kabisado na namin kung saan ang Church na susunod, if ever may nahuli o hahabol. Ewan ba namin bakit di kami nagsawa o naumay pero siguro dahil malapit sa'min tas magbabasa pa kami sa Pasion pagka-uwi. But this year, medyo naiba. Actually, naiba since last year. NagVI kami nila Ate Car, Jam and Jarie sa Antips Churches. (i'll try na ma-throwback regarding dun para sa future reference. Haha.) Tas ngayong year, Rizal Churches na kami. O diba, bongga?! Haha. This is a different VI talaga since nagstart kami kasi kasama din namin ang baby namin!

Anyone from our family and some friends na kasama ay wala naman sasakyan, hence, we've decided to hire a van na lang. Gladly, we've found a nice van driver/owner thru Tita Regie (Tita Weng's friend) tas sulit din yung bayad plus in-allow nya na isakay si Quinn. :) (Ad: If you're looking for an 18-seater van for your gala, etc., message nyo ko. I'll give you Kuya Mike's number. He's mabait and not reklamador. Infairness, plus factor sa'min ang attitude ng driver.)

Anyhoo, so ayun nga. Here's the list of the Churches we've visited:

1. Transfiguration Church, Antipolo City

2. St. Rose of Lima Church, Teresa

3. St. Jerome Parish, Morong

4. Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Cardona

5. Sta. Ursula Church, Binangonan

6. St. Clement Church, Angono

7. Christ the King Parish, Taytay

8:00-8:15AM ang usapan naming time ng pagsundo ni Kuya Mike para makaalis din kami agad ng 8:30AM. Okay naman sa time si Kuya Mike, kami ung hindi. Haha. 

From our place, inuna namin ang Transfiguration Church in Antipolo. We prayed the 1st and 2nd station of thw cross here.

Tapos nagtungo na kami sa Teresa. Grabe traffic sa zigzag. Woo. But Thank You, Lord pa din kasi akala namin hanggang Tanay na sya. Hahah. From 9:30 siguro, nakarating kami ng almost 10:30 sa Teresa. Kaya dito na din kami inabot ng lunch. Here's the St. Rose of Lima Church:

Nung patungo na kami sa Morong, nag-hello agad ang traffic sa'min. Haha! Galing e! 😂 Buti na lang at maganda ang St. Jerome Parish. Ang ganda kahit it's old na. I've never been to Italy pero ung structure nya, ang lakas maka-Italy. Haha.

The 4th Church is an old church din kaso as of Thursday, the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Church in Cardona is under renovation pa. Gravity ang init. Siguro dahil inaayos ung ceiling. At sa sobrang gravity ng init, nakalimutan namin ang magpicture. Here's the only decent picture I have for this church:

Our 5th Church, which is Sta. Ursula Church in Binangonan is an old church too. Medyo natagalan lang kami ng stay sa Binangonan kasi our group decided to go to Kalbaryo Cross. It is a cross located in a higher place. Mga tipong 400-500 steps daw kailangan hanggang tuktok. E goodluck naman sa'kin un. Saktong 3PM pa naman un at tirik na tirik ang araw. Kaya tumanggi ako at naiwan sa van. Haha. Mahirap na. Baka magPalpitations overload na naman ang puso ko. Here's the Sta. Ursula Church:

Ito naman ung moment nila sa Kalbaryo:

Grabeng taas no?! OA. Woo.

Wala yan sa itinerary pero dahil mabait si Kuya Mike, okay lang sa kanya ang maghintay. :) 

Anyhoo, after Binangonan, our next stop is at St. Clement Church in Angono. 

Winner 'tong Angono. Sila na talaga ang Art Capital of the Philippines. Kasi we've noticed na sobrang daming obra ang nasa pader ng mga bahay goig to the church. Di ko lang napicture-an pero ang gagandaaaaa. Winner talaga.

Isa pang winner sa Angono, naenjoy ko ang gulaman nila na pangTBT. Haha. Ung medyo old school ang lasa at di puro asukal. 😂

After Angono, nagtungo na kami sa Taytay for our last stop sa Christ the King Parish. It is known as the Church in the Sky. Kasi namaaaan. Church in the Sky sa talaga sa tarik. Hahaha.

Here's the Church muna:

So, paano sya naging Church in the Sky? Teka. Kalma lang. Ito lang naman kasi ang makikita mo kapag nasa Simbahan ka na...

Bongga di ba?! Ikaw na lang mag-isip kung anong hitsura ng kalye pataas. Haha. Try to visit this church, para maexperience nyo ang tarik. Haha. Btw, their Adoration Chapel is such a beauty. Daan din kayo dun. :)

We officially ended our Visita Iglesia around 4:30-5:00PM. Akala namin kaya ng half-day kasi may sasakyan naman. Di namin na-anticipate ang traffic. Haha! Kaya if you have plans for next year, wag nyo gawin ng Holy Thursday kasi grabe talaga. Ipit ka sa traffic going to churches. Pero infairness, going to Manila naman is maluwag at mabilis ang byahe. :)

Ayuuuun. That's our Visita Iglesia in Rizal Churches for this year. Hopefully, next year sa iba naman. Iba as in di ulit sa Manila. Haha! O well, kahit saan naman basta kasama sila to renew myself, my relationship with God, okay ako. :)

Hihi. Happy new you, guys and gals! Bukod sa masaya ang Holy Week dahil sa bakasyon, nakasama mo mga mahahalagang tao sa buhay mo, naramdaman mo ulit ang pagmamahal ni Lord, don't forget the reason kung bakit ka Niya niligtas. :) I know its hard to be a good (or better person) in this world, but at least you're trying di ba?! 

God bless everyone sa bawat journey naten sa pagiging mabuting tao at/o anak ng Diyos Ama!