Bakit Pa Ba? English Translation

Last year, I have the same YouTube video in my blog for Good Friday... I'm re-posting it again... but this time, I tried to put some english translation for some of my blog followers who don't understand tagalog...

Parish-homesick

Congratulations! to all the Parishioners of The Holy Family Parish in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City in Philippines for the Consecration of The Holy Family Parish church.

In the morning, I go online and waited for any news and updates about the Consecration of the Holy Family Parish church in Philippines, then... It's good that my sister-in-law Happy go online so I got as many information and as early as possible... I was really so excited to know on those moments about the ongoing consecreation then... I've heard it was so solemn that it's not possible to just make photos during the consecreation... The Bishop lead the consecration together with the priests... Seminarist choir came also to sing the Litany of the Saints... Grand Chorale sing for the Holy Mass... And those who attended the consecration especially members of different organization of the parish wear Filipino Costume.

I feel "parish-homesick" as I called it... The parish of the Holy Family is like a home for me way back in Manila... I started to join the Holy Family Choir and the Ministry of Lectors & Commentators in 1997 and became member till i went here in Holland last year... I've learned a lot when I become the Chairman of the PCY (Parish Commission on Youth) in 2000-2001. I was there from the very start that the church become under construction... And I became a member of the Finance Committee, of the Parish Construction Committee with helping in organizing the different fund-raising activities...

Today is the moment that we've been waiting for... the Consecration of the church... I wish I'm there.... tears came out from my eyes, when I saw the photos.... I miss everyone there in parish... but of course deep in my heart, I feel joy knowing that finally the The Holy Family Parish church was Full-Pledged JMJParish (JMJ-Jesus, Mary and Joseph)...
God bless us all.

Happy Fiesta!!! for tomorrow
May 9 - Sto Cristo, Sto. Rosario Fiesta or "Karuhatan Fiesta"

Palmzondag (Palm Sunday)

Yesterday, we've attended holy mass for Palmzondag (Palm Sunday) in Sint-Jozefkathedraal in Groningen... We received this plant (as you see in the photo) from the church as our palm leaves.

I remember in the Philippines, on Palm Sunday holy mass, catholic church goers didn't want to miss this holy mass because it is only once in a year for the special blessings of those palm leaves. Somehow, I miss the Holy Week activities in Parish of the Holy Family, in Karuhatan, everyday there's activity beginning Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, like Pasyon/Pabasa, Washing of feet on Maundy Thursday, Senakulo, Easter vigil and some other holy week activities in Philippines

Here in St. Vitus Parochie (Parish) there are activites too, but I'm not yet good in dutch language, so for sure I can't understand everything or every part of the activities then...

Anyway, while searching with some tradition here in Holland during Palm Sunday, I've read this part in Wikipedia -

Palm Sunday tradition in Netherlands

In the Saxon regions of the Netherlands, crosses are decorated with candy and bread, made in the form of a rooster. In the diocese of Groningen-Leeuwarden a great procession with oil lamps is held the night before Palm Sunday in honour of the Sorrowful Mother of Warfhuizen.

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I've seen this kind of tradition last year when we've attended Holy mass in dutch language here in St. Vitus Parochie, in Winschoten.... Indeed, Palm Sunday commemorates an event mentioned in the the Bible. Especially the Reading (Jn 12:12-16) during the Procession with Palm leaves...
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Jn 12:12-16

When the great crowd that had come to the feast heard
that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out:
"Hosanna!
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,
the king of Israel."
Jesus found an ass and sat upon it, as is written:
Fear no more, O daughter Zion;
see, your king comes, seated upon an ass's colt.
His disciples did not understand this at first,
but when Jesus had been glorified
they remembered that these things were written about him
and that they had done this for him.

Mama Mary's Birthday (September 8)

I received photos from my brother (Jon). An image of Mama Mary in Parish of the Holy Family (PHF) in Manila, Philippines and the Holy Mass today. Every 8th of September is celebrated in Catholic church as Feast day as Birthday of Mama Mary... please click here for more information about Birth of Mary ...

By the way, my husband was baptized 2 years ago also in Parish of the Holy Family.. so September 8 is really memorable for us....

This morning, I almost forgot it's Mama Mary's birthday... and when I go online Jon reminded me. So I light the candles in our altar here. I offered a silent prayer and included in my prayers that my Uncle who is missing in Landslide in Philippines yesterday....

An hour after my prayer, I received a text message from my cousin Aldrin, informing me that my Uncle is safe now and not missing anymore...

We Praise and Thank God for hearing our prayers... Amen

Sint Willibrordus kerk (St. Willibrord church)

Today we attended Holy Mass at the town next to Winschoten. We went to Sint Willibrordus Kerk (St. Willibrord church) at Oude Pekela.

Sint-Jozefkathedraal

Earlier, we attended Holy Mass (in English language) at Sint-Jozefkathedraal (St. Joseph Cathedral), in City of Groningen (30 minutes drive from Winschoten). If we can't attend for Saturday, then we normally attend Holy Mass on Sunday (in Dutch language).