Hooray! It's my birthday!
Good thing that this year my birthday was on a Saturday. I started my day early. I was up at 7am to eat the traditional birthday misua (noodle soup) with my family and left the house before lunch time to visit my grandparents in Ongpin. Asked my dad to just drop me off, so I can walk around Binondo after the visit.
First stop was the Sto. Cristo de Longos beside Shopper’s Mart and San Lorenzo Ruiz Academy. My mom introduced me to this Santo Cristo. She would always bring us here to light incense and make “pai pai” to the big cross. I could still recall that I would always try to reach the black wooden, heart-like thing at the middle of the cross.
Second stop was Binondo Church (Basilica Minore de San Lorenzo Ruiz, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish). I was fortunate to be christened in this beautiful stone church. Before entering the church, I visited the Virgen Santo Rosario in the chapel at the back. The image of Santo Rosario was rumored to be taken care of San Lorenzo Ruiz when he was still serving the church.
To be honest, I couldn't recall how the interiors of the church looked like. I was just amazed with the fresco and very beautiful retablo. It has become a habit of mine to peek at the baptistery before exiting the church. This is to chance on seeing, maybe and still hoping, the image of Pronto Socorro. But guess what, still no luck. Maybe one of these days I will be given that opportunity.
Visiting Ongpin on my birthday was really heartwarming. A lot of good memories came back to me as I walk around and I just smiled and thank God for all blessings he gave me and my family.
Good thing that this year my birthday was on a Saturday. I started my day early. I was up at 7am to eat the traditional birthday misua (noodle soup) with my family and left the house before lunch time to visit my grandparents in Ongpin. Asked my dad to just drop me off, so I can walk around Binondo after the visit.
First stop was the Sto. Cristo de Longos beside Shopper’s Mart and San Lorenzo Ruiz Academy. My mom introduced me to this Santo Cristo. She would always bring us here to light incense and make “pai pai” to the big cross. I could still recall that I would always try to reach the black wooden, heart-like thing at the middle of the cross.
Second stop was Binondo Church (Basilica Minore de San Lorenzo Ruiz, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish). I was fortunate to be christened in this beautiful stone church. Before entering the church, I visited the Virgen Santo Rosario in the chapel at the back. The image of Santo Rosario was rumored to be taken care of San Lorenzo Ruiz when he was still serving the church.
To be honest, I couldn't recall how the interiors of the church looked like. I was just amazed with the fresco and very beautiful retablo. It has become a habit of mine to peek at the baptistery before exiting the church. This is to chance on seeing, maybe and still hoping, the image of Pronto Socorro. But guess what, still no luck. Maybe one of these days I will be given that opportunity.
Visiting Ongpin on my birthday was really heartwarming. A lot of good memories came back to me as I walk around and I just smiled and thank God for all blessings he gave me and my family.