A 500-Step to Happiness :)

"A family that prays together, stays forever." 
         - Mother Theresa
One of the real challenges that we too often find in our contemporary and  busy lives is finding time to be together as a family. It is especially difficult to find oppotunities to pray together. And, if prayer, other than going to church on Sunday, hasn't been a family tradition, it can seem very "unnatural" to introduce it as something we might do together as family.

Prayer has always been a very essential, if not rudimentary, need of a family. It has as well been part of our culture which can also be developed through your parents' influences.

When I was younger, out of curiosity, I used to ask my mother this question: "Why do we pray?" Mom, used to answer me "It's a communication."


I wasn't really able to get what my mother meant, it was then later on that the communication she was referring to is the one we have between ourselves and our Almighty Father. These prayers are then addressed to  our varied saints or angels depending to whom we are a devotee of.  My grandma is a devotee of the Divine Mercy. So  last Sunday, January 13, 2013, my family , some relatives and I went to visit a well-known shrine at El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, a four-to-five hour drive away from ours.

We set forth as early as possible. We left exactly 4 in the morning and arrived in our destination exactly 8:45 in the morning.

    

Our 1st stopover in  Iligan City for breakfast. (Seafood Restaurant) ^^

Our arrival, with Lola Esang and the best mama ever, Mama Susan :)

Lucky for us to arrive early in the place for we were able to attend the mass. We attended the healing mass before we took a little tour at the place. I played  the role of a "tourist guide" to them for it was my 2nd time to visit the place. I was once visited the place with my co-teachers when we went for a seminar in CDO way back in my working years in FMC-MA School a couple of years ago.

The highlight of the Shrine is the 50ft tall statue of Jesus Christ.

They say, "One has to suffer before harvesting the sweet fruit of success",  so did I. We  need to go through 500 steps in order to get to the shrine but mind you all the sweat is worth that sweet fruit. :)

Another glimpse of the shrine.

The "Manang"  me hahaha

The shrine is a holy ground where shorts, sleeveless shirts, and other skimpy pieces of clothing are not allowed. So they provided us this hideous long skirt....and errr, I know it makes me look like "manang" (old woman).

Well at least everyone in the area were wearing such which means I'm not alone with this dreadful looking. hahahah!

If you want to go up to the shrine's heart, where an altar is located at the center most, you have to attend the mass first.

There's a very common saying which goes to say: "Behind a successful man is a woman",  which I find nothing to refute about. But I must have to add this line to that, "Behind a successful woman is a MOTHER." ^^


. . .I truly salute all the mothers in the world. ;)

Chai2x dealing with her "expertise" in photography. (left)

Taking her pose as if she is not in a sacred place made me laugh so hard. Good thing security wasn't that tight during that time, hahahah! (right)

Ary, Arjay, T Bodang, Lanin, and An2x ;)

Gemaimah, Ary, Lanin, and An2x

...with AJ and Kuya Wing's daughters ;)

 

Lola Esang and Lola Nena :)

Grannies: Mommy Baning, La Nena, Nanay Baby, La Esang, La Carmen ( left - right)

Devotees can also get the "holy water" in the shrine. They just have to bring their container and be sure of not selling such.

Other than the humongous statue, the garden surrounding it is beautiful and the whole place is overlooking the Macajalar Bay, which is a breath-taking sight. Over all, the place is splendid, enjoyable, and sacred. It's a place wherein one can really take time to contemplate a lot of things. A place where  one can refresh his thoughts. And a place beyond forgetting .Soon, I will visit again this sanctuary. ;)




. . .more of "ME TIME" ^^

*First stopover: Breakfast in Iligan's Seafood Restaurant

...was just fascinated with the simplicity of this view ^^

...during our arrival :)

 

 

...Chai2x's stolen photo of me ^^

...hihihi I'm successfully gaining tummy! hahahahah LURVE IT! ;)

Looking forward for another fun-filled trip! :)