My friend Diane sent me a message on my Instagram account last month while I was in Baguio. In addition to advising me to have fun on the trip, she hoped I would have time to stop by a local church. But even though I was in Baguio, I was a little disappointed that I was unable to see the city's cathedral.
But just before we left Baguio, one of our companions mentioned that we will make a side trip to Manaoag -- a town in the neighboring province of Pangasinan. I immediately had a lightbulb moment. It was my first time to visit Pangasinan (even for a stopover), and what immediately came to my mind was I will still be able to fulfill Diane's request because I know there is a Catholic church in the said town.
When we got there, it was already late in the afternoon. I have never visited Pangasinan, let alone its church. Although I visit churches when I get the chance, the majority of them are in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila or the Diocese of Antipolo (where the church in my hometown belongs), so I think this visit is noteworthy. I was able to visit one from a different archdiocese this time. The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen–Dagupan. But the fact that it's a church that people (mostly students) go to to pray for their requests—especially those who are going to take their board exams and are hoping to pass them—made the place familiar to me.
I want to think that the opportunity to come see this church is truly meant to be. It's not easy to endure months of hardship. I won't be ashamed to reveal that the turn of events in my life left me feeling so overwhelmed that I started crying as I knelt to say my prayers. I just let the tears fall since they were a symbol of all the feelings I had been holding within for so long.
I did remember to pray for the needs of people close to me in addition to asking for clarity, solutions, and support with my own situation. Three of the four candles I lighted during my visit to the church were for other people's petitions. It's said that when someone visits a church for the first time, they can make a wish. However, I would like to live by the advice that our parish priest once gave: Do not underestimate God's kindness. I wasn't praying only for myself, so who knows, God might answer some of my prayers.
And I don't mind if the prayers of other people will be fulfilled first, and my personal petition with be granted last.
