Second Sunday of Advent 2016

For the second Sunday of Advent Mass (gospel reading: Matthew 3:1-12), we went to the Church of Nuestra Señora de Fátima, locally known as Our Lady of Fátima Parish Church. It is our second time to visit the place. The first time was last year, during Momay's 11th birthday (he was born on May 13, the feast day of Our Lady of Fátima). But this is our first time to attend Mass there.

My hubby Pepe's complaint is that it's very impossible to take a perfect shot of this church's façade because across the narrow street is a low-rise building, and then there are the pesky electric wires.

The church's bell tower can be seen clearly from our apartment building's balcony. It seemed quite near but we had to go through several streets and about five minutes of travel via tricycle just to reach the place. The church is small and simple for a parish church, just like the church of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Chrysanthemum Village which we visited last week. I noticed that its altar is made of a cross-stitch-like styled wall, so artistic looking. Some altar tables are made of marble or cemented stone, but this church has one which is made of wood, a classic-looking style, and that includes the podium and the ceiling. I love things that are made of wood aside from antique walls made of bricks.

The homily was about Saint John the Baptist and how he had baptized his second cousin, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The priest wanted to emphasize here how Saint John the Baptist prepared the coming of our Lord through baptism, and that millenials should be like him.

After the Mass, we and some of the parishioners all went to the priest, Rev. Fr. Venancio E. Silva, OSJ, to ask for his blessing. One thing I observed was that he was still having a conversation with the people inside the church even after the Mass. He looked very approachable and friendly. He reminds me again of my childhood years in Abra de Ilog. Our parish priest used to mingle with the community, walking around the town to talk to his parishioners. This is one practice that priests should maintain while sharing his holiness to the people around him. ❤ =)

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Fátima.

Our Lady of Fátima Church is administered by the Oblates of Saint Joseph under the Vicariate of San Pedro Apóstol which in turn is under the Episcopal District I of the Diocese of San Pablo. Please click here for the complete photo album and don't forget to LIKE US on Facebook! ¡Gracias!
Advanced Merry Christmas, everyone! =)

                                                  -Yeyette-