We, me and my family, celebrated the mass 1st thing in the morning as the sun rise, at Anabu Kostal near Puregold Imus. It started 7:00 in the morning, with a greetings, an entrance song then so on and so forth. First in the march are the Altar Boys or Sacristans, Commentator, Lecturer, Readers, Lay minister’s and the Priest. The priest was wearing a white robe with a purple sash. The colors of the clothing of the priest’s are very symbolic in the Catholic religion, and white stands for purity and peace. The other altar boys were carrying candles while walking in a Christmas song as an entrance hymn, signifying the advent season.
Advent prepares for the birth of Jesus. When the priest began his opening prayers, he bowed his head in reverence to Jesus and chanted the opening prayer. Many Catholic masses operate in a chanting manner. As I observed the congregation, leadership, praise time, sermon, service and the people before, during and end of the mass they were all in a very cheerful, upbeat mood talking, joking, and laughing together. There are people of all age groups, mostly middle aged adults, many with small children. I pictured the kids playing and talking in the back pews even the small children.
Other ladies aren’t wearing a formal attire instead they some wore a blouse with the back open, spaghetti strap with a see through bolero or blazer. Others were wearing a skirt that is above the knee. The church at Anabu Kostal just finish an extension of a multipurpose hall behind as it was announced every mass and how much their expenses were. There were so transparent about the money that they collect which is good because people there can really do know how far the collection can go. They also announced some events like programs that in lined with the seasons, concerts, procession, simbang gabi and other stuffs.
As the mass end, lay minister sprinkles us with the holy water which quite different in Manila because they do sprinkle us with holy water at the 1st week of the mass and not at the very end of the mass. So as the mass ended, the choirs gathered and some organization too, people that knew one another and a lot more. Next week Dec. 16 will be the start of Simbang Gabi and the church will get crowded as it was our tradition to celebrate the simbang gabi because of our wishes, literally, that’s how I’ve observe it.
