Philippines Vacation and Long Term Stay

By: J. C. Bulan The celebration lasts for eight days from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. The days are Palm Sunday, Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday. Often, Holy Week falls during summer vacation in the Philippines. There are specific customs done for each day. During Palm Sunday, church goers bring palm fronds with them to mass. After the mass, the priest walks through the church blessing the palm fronds, imitating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The Palms are blessed and are dried up. Next year all dried palms are gathered and burnt to be used on the next year’s Ash Wednesday. Holy Week is always spent with the family, like Christmas, but this time its the whole week. There are three events on Maundy Thursday. The first is the Chrism mass, the mass where many priests renew their vows. Church tools such as the Chrism, the Oil of the Catechumens, and the Oil of the sick are also blessed on this day. The second mass ...

by: Aileen Soriano HOLY THURSDAY Here's what I did with my family during Holy Thursday. We stormed the Holy Tabernacles with prayers of penance and thanksgiving. Holy Thursday is a feast day, its the day before Good Friday. Holy Thursday was a special day because it is when the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist was instituted. Historically, was the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples before being crucified. Holy Thursday is also the day when the Chrism Mass is celebrated all over the world. The Chrism Mass is when the those who had the gift of priesthood celebrate publicly. In the evening, the Holy Mass which commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist - a short play is usually done by the parish - 12 men are selected to act as apostles. The Parish Priest who represents that Jesus, washes their feet and kisses the washed feet. Then at the end of the Holy Mass, the Blessed Sacrament is transported to the "monumento".  This is the active re-enactment of the "A...

by: Daniel  Soriano (Guest Writer) Hello there, this is my chance to write some nice places for Visita Iglesia (Church Visits).  This article is for Catholic Christians who plan to spend the Holy Week in the Philippines. There are many occasions when we visit Churches as a family: a.  Holy Thursday b. Pilgrimages to our Lady c. Jubilee Doors Holy Thursday is a day during Lent that is considered a day of feast. It is when the Holy Eucharist is historically instituted during the Last Supper. Thus the Holy Tabernacle is exposed in the garden, commemorating the "Agony in the Garden" of Jesus before his crucifixion. Visita Iglesia  Visita Iglesia, St. Vincent Parish, Tandang Sora Pilgrimages to our Lady   anytime of the year, but specially on May and October. Through her intercession many wars, struggles had been won. Jubilee Doors the is the year of Mercy and Compassion, specific Churches have jubilee doors. If you pass through it, then pray for (1) one Apostles' C...

by: Aileen and Marty Soriano This article is dedicated to those who are at home during Holy Week.   Most of the articles coming up are articles about the Lenten Season in the Philippines.  It is best to take advantage of this season as it comes once in a year. The Philippines is the best place to spend the days of Lent as we are rich in culture. The Filipino is understood by studying the Lent Season in the Philippines.  Holy Thursday       In the morning of Holy Thursday a Chrism Mass is celebrated.  This Mass is for the renewal of vows of the Ministerial Priesthood.  Each Parish Priest and Religious Priest with their parishioners  with the Bishop of the diocese celebrate this important event.  This is when  the Holy Oils used for the sacrament of the Anointing  of the  Sick is blessed too.         In the evening of Holy Thursday, the remembrance of the  enactment  of the Holy Supper is...

By: Charles Bolanos               We still have more days for Christmas till our Lord's Baptism.                    What I am excited about is  Epiphany, the feast of the Adoration of the Magi.        The feast of the Three Kings is celebrated on 7 January 2018. It is famously called   Epiphany.          They are Kings of the Orient who had been following the big star announcing the birth of the Christ Child. They were the guests of our Lord in the manger, bringing frankincense, myrhh  and gold.              The shrine of the Three Kings is at Cologne Cathedral. Historically known where there bones are buried. It has been the pilgrim site of many Christians.  King Melchor, King of Persia King Balthasar, King of Arabia King Gaspar of the Assyrians (Chaldeans)  (north of Iraq and south of Turkey 2...

Our Lady: Mary as we represent her  Today is my birthday! 8 December is actually a big feast ... The Immaculate Conception .  Our Lady was truthfully proclaimed to be free of any stain of sin from birth.   This is hard to understand if you are not a Catholic Christian, but I am writing this to my fellow Catholics, as this day is a great feast!  The Blessed Mother who was the mother of God the Son is blessed - free of  any stain  of sin.  Unfortunately we are all born with "original sin" which can only be  cleansed by Baptism.  The Blessed Mother is redeemed by God himself in a most perfect way, since birth. If you like to watch the movie of St. Bernadette: The time when the "Immaculate Conception" was about to be proclaimed as the Truth of the Catholic Faith, Our Lady, herself proclaimed to St. Bernadette of Soubirous. If you come and visit the Philippines... I will explain a bit more.  Hope those who eventually land in the 7,107 islands...

by: JC Bulan History of Simbang Gabi Simbang gabi is probably one of the happiest and most anticipated occasions for Filipinos, next to Christmas and their birthdays.  This is the time when they anticipate Jesus’ birthday with the joy of the whole family.  Simbang gabi usually starts on December 16 and ends on December 24, the final mass before Christmas day. The nine-day Simbang Gabi, also called “Misa de Gallo” (Rooster’s Mass), is a devotion for Filipino Catholics.  The mass starts as early as 4:00 am or as late as 8:00pm.  The evening mass schedule is authorized by the Archbishop of the diocese as a ‘pastoral necessity’, to accommodate the schedule of the working people who wish to fulfill this devotion. The dawn masses root back to the Spanish colonial period when the friars allotted a time for farmers to receive the Eucharist before their work in the fields.  The nine-day mass series is in keeping with the farmers’ harvest time.  Church bells ringing ...