The next step in my pilgrimage is the church closest to home. The beauty of this church is it simplicity. San Agustin Parish Church, manned by the Franciscan order, has served the people for a long time. It was named after St. Augustine. This is my home church, and this is the reason why I chose this to be a part of my journey.
Unfortunately, the church is closed until late in the afternoon. I couldn’t get in to pray at an earlier time. It was a problem because I didn’t want to go home late. But one afternoon of May 4, 2011, I didn’t have plans to visit the church at all. It was about 3PM and I went out to buy food for merienda. :P When I passed by the church, I noticed that the gates were open. Yay! So I happily went inside to pray. :)
There was a small group meeting taking place in there. That was probably the reason why the church was open at an earlier time than usual. Other than that, someone was also cleaning and polishing the floors, making the place smelling like paraffin wax. But I didn’t let it ruin my excitement to pray.
First, I prayed in the Adoration Chapel located at the west wing (photo shown below). The quote at the left side is a Biblical passage written in Filipino. It is translated as, “I am the Bread of Life”.
Then I meditated at the church Altar. The time was already 5:30PM and the spectacular Altar lights were on to prepare for the 6PM Mass. The interior became lively at the still brightness, which made me more than eager to continue with my prayers. The digital camera failed to capture the fullness of the place. But I still opted to take a photo of the Altar, though the colors fell short. :(
San Agustin Parish always reminds me of home. It is a place of happiness and security –two things that I hope to find at the end of this pilgrimage.
:)
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