GOOD FRIDAY

zzZZZZ... 03.35.05. 0600H....fone is ringin', answer key was pressed and "hello"...the other line blurted out- "dito na kami Cuenca!"

It was a typical holy week for me, i went home to batangas on a Maundy Thursday,(can you really believe that?) i usually go home on a Palm Sunday and spend the rest of the week at home with my family.Then on a weekend  i would climb to the groto at Mt. Makulot with my ghetto friends...same route, same experience, and i would reflect all by myself....

until this year's Holy week! History didn't repeated itself..*relieved* because a batch of 6 individuals will make a new one...ha! Arvin and Lheng are from the same town and they brought Abby, Donna and Pj along with them and ofcourse because i also live on the same place...i joined the group, besides they are my brothers and sisters in the community.

(Gurl, i believe i will be experiencing a one of a kind trip after all.)

We first went to the Chavez's place (Arvin and Lheng) Afterwards we  prepared for our journey, Donna told the group that we will be having an activity (hmm..that made me more excited) and so we started our walk.

0800H,At first everyone was telling stories, cracking jokes (some senseless...hehehe) and laughing out loud...but after about 20 minutes of walking that was the only time we reached the bottom of the mountain (ok...so that walk was just an appetizer ) and in another few minutes we have sucessfully landed on the first station of the cross. (whew..that was someting) [Compensatory mechanism: the hypothalamus signalled thirst!] and yes thank you for the brother who never complained?! of bringing gallons of water in his backpack, Arvin i may say, everyone drank and started to pray.

Donna led the prayer...as we started and she spoke of the prayer...i found myself astonished...She was telling us to leave SOMETHING on the Cross (well it's not some material thing or even Pj or someone else)...something intangible but i believe affected a lot of us,our attitude, our behavior, our  holistic self in way.)

Ok...ok...fine, perhaps that was the right time, so everyone prayed and left that "thing" there. And as we continued our journey, i realized that in every station we would leave "something" and gradually I am feeling a lot better.

14 stations, 14 "things" was left behind. As we uttered our prayers, felt the breeze of the wind and   heat of the sun that triggered our sweat glands, we have finally reached the groto at 0930H hand in hand.

Yes,as we took a rest and finally viewed the wonderful works of God (include the wondrous mountain and the calm lake) i cannot agree more that God is GOOD!

( Climbing that mountain was a typical thing for me but that day, March 25,2005 was DIFFERENT) I was with good people ,we have our own baggages that we left on our way up. We felt that we are being emptied but later on realized that it is because God had filled us with the Holy Spirit.

1015H we started our way down, we thought it was easy (that was according to the law of gravity i guess) but we were wrong. Nimbus clouds were on its way and in no time. (plak..plak...plak...) rain was pouring down which made our way more difficult because we have to step on slippery stones.( in about 15 years of of climbing that mountain this was the first time i experienced such event...husay!) Traffic,people shouting and starting to loose their patience,other making their way out more easily by taking advantage of other people...we got stucked for a moment. But the rain quickly stopped (praise God!), the line moved and  with the help of the our courageous brothers we reached the bottom safe and sound.

1200H we were again on Arvin and lheng's place and we ate our lunch! Bon appetit for it was really one of a kind lunch under the tree. I thought it was the end for me, i have to go home afterwards because i was not allowed to come with them at Lumampao,Cuenca (another place, but this time along the shore, with 1000+steps to walk on to be able to reach the place)

After eating lunch, telling funny experiences on our way to the mountain, indulging with a cup of halo-halo i finally have to go home so they accompanied me to my house....then*&(%&^#^$#%R^&....God really amazes me....

I found myself walking with them through the 1000 steps!

i have been there once but it was like ages (i was 2 yrs old then) and i cannot imagine the feeling again (well, i was just sitting on my uncle's shoulder that time..hehehe)

Our way down was easy,well not that much for PJ (who is suffering from a Knee tendonitis that time <-- according to him ofcourse *basketball players...shhessh what do we expect!)

We placed our things and by 0600H we hurried down to the seashore and waited for the sunset, while sitting on a "balsa" we started to form objects from clouds and after sometime we saw the rays of the sun on one spot, as if a miracle was about to happen. It came to our senses that we don't have any camera with us (*that was so sad*)but one of us just said that maybe because God just wanted us to enjoy the view and express it through words ourselves.

It was really one of the best sunset i have seen, because i didn't saw the sun set perse.It is indeed true that real peace was when you saw a sunset or a sunrise and knew Whom to thanks. the sky turned orange on that spot where the sun was hiding between the clouds and amazingly a shadow of a lying cross appeared. *sigh* and everyone concluded...THIS IS THE SUNSET OF A GOOD FRIDAY!

Before we had our dinner we came down the shore once again, this time darkness filled the sea but thanks to the moon that broke the monotonous ambiance. We sat under the mango tree and perhaps Christian instinct, we started to sing praise songs and later on shared our experiences that day, how we enjoyed the journey, how we faced the tremendous rocks,the countless steps we made, the gallon of sweat, the laughter that reached the top of the mountain and even  simply the silence in our hearts but most of all how we have come up to realized how great God is and how much He loves us even we continually giving him our baggages.What we shared that night was something i can never forget. I can't even believe  what i just told them that night about my realizations(now i can breath more freely) A bond that made our friendship stronger and to a new level just took place.

So at 0830H dinner was ready and whoa, i thought it was the last supper, the food was so good that i could even forget my name afterwards (thanks God i didn't)...the night was not so young and we have to follow Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of need...WE ALSO NEED SLEEP!..and so after doing our rituals, the lights were turned off and zzzZZZZ....

March 26, a saturday after gettin dressed, eating breakfast (which by the way a good one too) and thanked Arvin and Lheng's family for their hospitality ,we hurried back to the town. But This one is tough...our way back, coz we have to go up the  1000+ stairs, well this time PJ is in top of the line together with Arvin while Abby, Me, Donna, Lheng and her cousins just follow through. (the exchange of gases became faster, i could hardly catch my breath, adrenalin workin, muscles almost gone twitching) I cant believe we SURVIVED!!!

As we reached the town i recalled everything that happened and yes i believed it made me a better person, never giving up no matter what, besides you have friends who will be there for you.

I really have to go home by 12 noon, i have a family day to attend to so i had no other choice but to bid goodbye that day. After thanking them for that  wonderful experience in my life and having a group hug we declared ourselves BATCH ONE " A JOURNEY TO THE DEEPEST OF OURSELVES" ( it just sounded good..)and decided to bring more brothers and sisters to experience the extremes of our journey next time.

After finishing a cup of Mt. Makulot ice cream, i thanked them again. I went home with such big smile on my face, and told my self that i really had a one of a kind holy week this year. It was a total blast! I would always remember PJ,Abby, Donna,Arvin and Lheng for bringing such happiness in my life that time.

As i arrived home and sat back for a while I could still recall what PJ have shared that night to us, something very special...he told us that " THERE IS NO PAIN SO DEEP, THAT GOD IS NOT DEEPER STILL"

I could say Amen to that. hmm...Can't wait to see them in Manila!

 

-firm believer of God,

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