Faith, hope and love: Pilgrimage to Antipolo
My family had recently acquired a new car. And the first thing we always do with new vehicles is to get them blessed in Antipolo.
Last Sunday, we arrived in Antipolo all the way from Quezon City. The sun was still high and shining. It was a busy afternoon, with many cars passing through Sumulong Highway. Our destination was the International Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage.
We arrived on the church grounds at 2 p.m. A multitude of Sunday church-goers and Marian devotees were all over the place. Shortly after, the church bells rang to signal the beginning of the hourly mass. Devotees quickly filled the pews, while others set up their own chairs at the gates.
We weren’t really there to attend the mass. My mother and I went to the parish office to give a donation for the car blessing. But while inside, the drizzle had grown into a rainstorm. And so, my mother and I stayed outside the parish office, waiting for the rain to stop.
I heard the gospel proclamation over the speakers. Since I was just standing near the cathedral doors, I decided to listen in. The gospel reading for the day was taken from Mark 5:21-43.
A summary of the gospel is that Jesus was visited by a man named Jairus, a leader from the synagogue, asking Jesus to heal his sick daughter.
On the way to the daughter, a sick woman touched Jesus’ garment, thereby healing her from her disease. Jesus had felt this and stopped in his tracks, looking for who it was, and the woman came forward to admit what she did. At that time, some people came from the house of Jairus to inform him that his daughter had already died, and that Jesus should no longer go.
Even having heard this, Jesus told Jairus not to be afraid; just believe. And so they went, and Jesus raised her from the dead.
Trusting the process
The priest delivered a short but meaningful sermon. I presume this was in line with Pope Francis’ recent instructions to shorten the homily. The priest asked the crowd if they were responsible with their time.
He noted the people’s attitude of “Filipino time,” a concept of arriving later than the agreed time. He then likened that to how people are demanding in their daily lives and in prayer.
At times, people demand things to go their way. But he admonished everyone to trust the process, and that we all should aim to live without worry.
After the homily, we received a great blessing—a miracle occurred for us. The rains immediately stopped! It was as if the Lord made us pause with the rains so that we could learn an important lesson.
We quickly fetched the minister assigned to conduct car blessings. And finally, my whole family gathered to get the car blessed.
After the blessing, I decided to sneak off and join in on the final part of the mass. Once the celebration was over, I walked toward the back area of the church and climbed up some stairs to a special place.
In the Antipolo Cathedral, there’s this area where devotees of the “Reynang Kayumanggi’’ could get close to view the Virgin at arm’s length. My family had been bringing me to the area ever since I was young. My lolo in particular, may he rest in peace, always brought me to visit there. And so this felt like a reconnection to him and his devotion.
Mix of devotees
The solemn room also bore various relics of the cathedral, such as the different clothes for the Virgin and even other holy images. Behind the Virgin, one could also view the Golden Rose, a gift from Pope Francis. The Golden Rose is the highest honor given personally by the Pope to a Marian image or shrine across the world, as it is a commissioned gift from the Pope himself.
That Golden Rose is the first to be given to any Marian shrine in the whole of Asia.
Next to the wall was a system of tables and boxes for devotees to write and drop their petitions, thanksgiving letters and other devotional focuses for the Virgin.
That Sunday was the end of the sixth novena for the Virgin of Antipolo in the pilgrimage season. Various liturgical events were held that afternoon. It all culminated with a mass celebrated by the Most Reverend Broderick S. Pabillo D.D., apostolic vicar of Taytay.
The mass was followed by a solemn procession of the Virgin of Antipolo throughout the streets of Antipolo, with a multitude of devotees in attendance. It was sweet to see a mix of families, partners, nuns, children and many more in prayer. The air was filled with faith and fervor, all bearing the spirit of a pilgrimage to honor Our Lady of Antipolo.
