Visita Iglesia : A Well Spent SUMMER! Not Just About Swimming!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Summer is fun, isn’t it? But it will be more interesting if we spent it productively, right?

Well, I started my summer by attending the debut of the daughter of my aunt’s bestfriend. And I am telling you, it’s not a waste of time! Why? It is because you can meet someone and be friends with them. It’s really an unforgettable occasion.

What is summer without swimming, right? We didn’t spend a huge amount of money because we just hang-out at the club-house that was actually inside our village. For me, it was a tiring day yet it is something to be remembered.

Also, we went to different churches to go Visita Iglesia. According to Wikipedia, Visita Iglesia is a pious Roman Catholic Lenten tradition by attempting to visit seven churches or religious sites. But what we did is we visited different churches per station. If you haven’t done this in your life, you should do it next summer because it’s like you’ve missed half of your life!

The practice dates back to ancient times when Holy Thursday was marked in the Holy Land with a visit to some of the sites associated with the defining moments in the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

Due to the obvious difficulty of going to Rome or Jerusalem during this holiest of weeks in the entire year, Filipino Catholics carry out church visits—now fast becoming religious sightseeing tours—of seven churches of their own choosing. During these visits, prayer and meditation are the norm and any small talk or boisterous laughter is always frowned upon. Some recite the rosary at every church; others break this down into parts, reciting a portion at each church. Still others go through all the 14 Stations of the Cross that are conspicuously spread around the church and pray at each stop. The tradition makes for a somewhat lively yet solemn pilgrimage.

Now, your summer is incomplete if you’re not with your family. Do you agree? Like what they usually say, “There’s no place like home.” So during my last weeks of summer, we stayed at home and bond with each other. I also became a babysitter of my youngest cousin. Yes he is super energetic and "makulit" but I assure you, you’ll definitely love him!

That’s the end of my summer vacation-story. And I will be glad to hear your stories too.

Contributed by : Khayrielle Phebolz Dela Cruz