Day 1: You know it's the first night when there's that distinct smell of sweaters and jackets on their first excursion out of their owners' closets for the first time in months, maybe a year. Good for them. Cheers to temporary freedom!
Day 2: I fully understand the need of parents to bring the kids with them, I really do. Bring a toy if you must. We all know how kids are. But please, DO NOT let your kid play with a singing, dancing fish while at church. Seriously, DON'T. EVER.
Day 3: I tried to ignore them, truly. I reminded myself I was in church. That I was there to hear mass. Not to go grammar and spelling police so early in the morning. But... but I'd like to know who was responsible for the... the mistake? Who made those teenage boys wear green sash that says USHERETTE? You know what's even more sad? Those boys have no idea they are now, uh, girls.
Day 4: Wonderful singing voice by the one leading the Responsorial Psalm. You close your eyes and feel every word go right through your very veins. Yes, that kind. His voice quality is so outstanding I was half-expecting The Voice PH coaches to appear out of nowhere.
Chilly morning. Very Christmas-y. So refreshing especially since the mass is being heard out on the patio. You get a whiff of dog poop when the wind blows but it's just a tiny blip to enjoying Christmas mornings in Morong.
Day 5: I am officially an old maid. I get bothered easily by misbehaving kids, no, tweens, during mass. I can understand children. Those small ones have no concept yet of what's appropriate or not. But tweens, they're 10 to 12-year-olds, pass First Communion age, I'm pretty sure they know the difference between a church and a park.
Four of them, initially, were seated in front of me. Two steps down the patio stairs to be precise. One boy and three girls. Boy at far left has his head down on his arms that were resting on his knees, sleeping. And so was the girl at far right. The girl beside the boy has her cellphone out, checking out photos. I mean you can't help it. She had it out in the open, for everyone to see. No effort whatsoever to hide it or something. She had it on her hands, elbows on knees. It wasn't possible to miss really. The girl beside her was chatting with her, occasionally looking on what cellphone-girl was showing her.
The lector finished with announcements, prayers before Processional, priest arrived at the altar, officially started mass and so on. They group never stood up. Still sleeping, phone still out, still chatting.
I was confused, annoyed, flabbergasted, you name it. At some point they were joined by some of their friends, how many I wasn't sure. I tried desperately to concentrate on the mass, looked straight, never looked down. There was a rustling sound some time, I ignored it. Gospel, Homily passed, they were still in their own world. I guess I lost it at Offertory. I can't hear the priest, the group's voices were drowning what's being said. I let out a "Shhh!" then look down at them for a second. They got the message, for a minute. Then back on. I was at a loss for words. Just before the Lord's Prayer, cellphone-girl stood up. I was like, 'Oh finally!' But no, she got out of her seat, stepped down the steps and walked away, presumably to the restroom. Before the Lord's Prayer!
Thankfully, at long last, the group stood up to sing Ama Namin. Praise the Lord! Then sat down again after. Cellphone-girl came back to sit again. I was dying in disappointment. And believe it or not, when Communion is about to start, they stood back up again, to receive the Holy Communion. I was about to go crazy. For the love of... I stepped down, fell in line. Didn't come back there after. I chose a spot meters away from them and just stayed standing up until the end of the service.
i don't believe they were still there but for my own sanity I let myself in the fantasy.
I'm... I'm... What was the point exactly? Why bother getting up so very early in the morning just to... just to... hang?
Oh, I discovered the reason for the rustling sound before I walked away from them. They were eating! Like Chippy! That also explained the coughing fit I heard. Too much salt with no drinking water. Well...
I tried my best to concentrate but there's too much going on in front of me. I was so bothered by the utter disrespect for the church and of the Holy Mass of those young people.
I felt guilty myself for not being 100 percent into it. I hope to do better tomorrow. But please, kids, if you can't or won't participate in the service, don't bother coming at all.
Mass distraction, that's what they are. May they receive enlightenment hopefully before Christmas day.
P.S. Dear teenage girl in a blue Apartment 8 dress. You look good. Dress looks great on you. But the transparent part on the midriff area and down below close to the hemline is too inappropriate to wear to church. Seriously.
Day 6: As I have said before, I understand why parents bring their small kids to church. What I don't understand is why they felt the need to buy them a toy that is sure to disrupt the service. The twinkling multicolored lights are disturbance enough but tolerable. One that yells dancing tunes, that's just too much.
You have a toddler, you should know by now how to deal with your kid. A little manipulation never hurts. You give a child a toy that squeaks and sings, chances are he will get that thing to squeak and sing, over and over again.
I wanted very much to snatch the toy away, take out its batteries then give it back to the kid. Tell him the toy got tired and decided to sleep. Maybe he should sleep, too?
Day 7: Visiting priest from Pampanga was late for 45 minutes. Nothing else to do but people watch. Kid from yesterday turned up with his family clutching the source of my irritation. I chanted silently, "Oh no, not here. Not here. Move along." Lucky they did.
Service was fast but insightful. Morning chill chills. Seven down, two to go.
Day 8: Quiet service. Almost done.
I could do with some Christmas carols at the end but it's just me. I feel like we all need cheering up after the rains somehow managed to 'rain on our parade' literally.
Anyway, I did it. Again. From start to finish. Although it didn't finish the way it started, it was still the same old Simbang Gabi. Dawn masses, not the anticipated ones for me this year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME AND TO YOU ALL!
Let us not forget the reason for the season.
Day 2: I fully understand the need of parents to bring the kids with them, I really do. Bring a toy if you must. We all know how kids are. But please, DO NOT let your kid play with a singing, dancing fish while at church. Seriously, DON'T. EVER.
Day 3: I tried to ignore them, truly. I reminded myself I was in church. That I was there to hear mass. Not to go grammar and spelling police so early in the morning. But... but I'd like to know who was responsible for the... the mistake? Who made those teenage boys wear green sash that says USHERETTE? You know what's even more sad? Those boys have no idea they are now, uh, girls.
Day 4: Wonderful singing voice by the one leading the Responsorial Psalm. You close your eyes and feel every word go right through your very veins. Yes, that kind. His voice quality is so outstanding I was half-expecting The Voice PH coaches to appear out of nowhere.
Chilly morning. Very Christmas-y. So refreshing especially since the mass is being heard out on the patio. You get a whiff of dog poop when the wind blows but it's just a tiny blip to enjoying Christmas mornings in Morong.
Four of them, initially, were seated in front of me. Two steps down the patio stairs to be precise. One boy and three girls. Boy at far left has his head down on his arms that were resting on his knees, sleeping. And so was the girl at far right. The girl beside the boy has her cellphone out, checking out photos. I mean you can't help it. She had it out in the open, for everyone to see. No effort whatsoever to hide it or something. She had it on her hands, elbows on knees. It wasn't possible to miss really. The girl beside her was chatting with her, occasionally looking on what cellphone-girl was showing her.
The lector finished with announcements, prayers before Processional, priest arrived at the altar, officially started mass and so on. They group never stood up. Still sleeping, phone still out, still chatting.
I was confused, annoyed, flabbergasted, you name it. At some point they were joined by some of their friends, how many I wasn't sure. I tried desperately to concentrate on the mass, looked straight, never looked down. There was a rustling sound some time, I ignored it. Gospel, Homily passed, they were still in their own world. I guess I lost it at Offertory. I can't hear the priest, the group's voices were drowning what's being said. I let out a "Shhh!" then look down at them for a second. They got the message, for a minute. Then back on. I was at a loss for words. Just before the Lord's Prayer, cellphone-girl stood up. I was like, 'Oh finally!' But no, she got out of her seat, stepped down the steps and walked away, presumably to the restroom. Before the Lord's Prayer!
Thankfully, at long last, the group stood up to sing Ama Namin. Praise the Lord! Then sat down again after. Cellphone-girl came back to sit again. I was dying in disappointment. And believe it or not, when Communion is about to start, they stood back up again, to receive the Holy Communion. I was about to go crazy. For the love of... I stepped down, fell in line. Didn't come back there after. I chose a spot meters away from them and just stayed standing up until the end of the service.
i don't believe they were still there but for my own sanity I let myself in the fantasy.
I'm... I'm... What was the point exactly? Why bother getting up so very early in the morning just to... just to... hang?
Oh, I discovered the reason for the rustling sound before I walked away from them. They were eating! Like Chippy! That also explained the coughing fit I heard. Too much salt with no drinking water. Well...
I tried my best to concentrate but there's too much going on in front of me. I was so bothered by the utter disrespect for the church and of the Holy Mass of those young people.
I felt guilty myself for not being 100 percent into it. I hope to do better tomorrow. But please, kids, if you can't or won't participate in the service, don't bother coming at all.
Mass distraction, that's what they are. May they receive enlightenment hopefully before Christmas day.
P.S. Dear teenage girl in a blue Apartment 8 dress. You look good. Dress looks great on you. But the transparent part on the midriff area and down below close to the hemline is too inappropriate to wear to church. Seriously.
You have a toddler, you should know by now how to deal with your kid. A little manipulation never hurts. You give a child a toy that squeaks and sings, chances are he will get that thing to squeak and sing, over and over again.
I wanted very much to snatch the toy away, take out its batteries then give it back to the kid. Tell him the toy got tired and decided to sleep. Maybe he should sleep, too?
Day 7: Visiting priest from Pampanga was late for 45 minutes. Nothing else to do but people watch. Kid from yesterday turned up with his family clutching the source of my irritation. I chanted silently, "Oh no, not here. Not here. Move along." Lucky they did.
Service was fast but insightful. Morning chill chills. Seven down, two to go.
Day 9: Done! It's raining though so the mass was held inside the church. And I was a bit late because of two nieces who decided to join me for this last night. Church was packed. But people here are nice and merry they lent us their plastic chairs so we weren't standing all throughout.
I could do with some Christmas carols at the end but it's just me. I feel like we all need cheering up after the rains somehow managed to 'rain on our parade' literally.
Anyway, I did it. Again. From start to finish. Although it didn't finish the way it started, it was still the same old Simbang Gabi. Dawn masses, not the anticipated ones for me this year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME AND TO YOU ALL!
Let us not forget the reason for the season.
