A big turn-out of church goers

Saturday has always been the day we attend the 5:30pm mass at St. Clement's Church.

This afternoon the children didn't go to mass with us. They went malling with their titas and cousins. We were a bit late. Nevertheless, we went straight to the usual pew we occupy near the front.

The church was filled to capacity. The big number of church goers was unusual. But then, these were unusual times. The parishioners could be doubly thankful for being spared from the onslaught of typhoon Ondoy.

The priest led the prayers of the faithful. It was specially composed to seek help during these times of never-before-experienced climatic tantrums. The homily was about love and marriage. Frankly, I felt sleepy during the homily. Daw ginaduyan ako. But during my scheduled sleeping time at night, waay gid ako ginatuyo. Ginakibang ako (Do I use this term right? Many times, I encounter terms that were used by my long-dead lolos and lolas, that already sound alien to me.)

Then came the communion. People lined the center and side ailes. Again, communicants were unusually so many. I was about to mention some typhoon supplicants when I noticed the communicants were mostly very young - too young to devote their lives to prayer (Di ba common impression sa mga young people, sa mall sila naga-agto. Mga mal-am kag mga manang lang ang naga-pass their time in the church. Of course, I don't consider myself mal-am. I am not religious. But I like religion, not necessarily Catholism. It brings order to life.)

Then I realized these so many young people were in the church because tomorrow, the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) would finally continue after it was postponed last Sunday, together with the Bar exams, because of typhoon Ondoy. The young people in the church were would-be LET takers (WLT). Tomorrow the BAR examination will also take place.

After the priest said the last prayers and exited, and as the regular mass goers headed for the exits, many WLTs headed to the bigger-than-life-size picture of the Mother of Perpetual Help near the altar, genuflected, and said more prayers. Some placed their hands or wiped their hankies on the glass surface. The scene was very solemn and very spiritual. If I were the Perpetual Succor, I will let them all pass the LET.

The recessional song ended. We turned back to the main door and was about to leave. But we stayed for a while because the front doors were just jammed with people. Many WLTs were there, saying more prayers with eyes closed or locked with the eyes of the saintly statues near the entrance. I was glad the kids were not with us because they always light candles after the mass. This evening, the candles area could not be seen because of the WLTs, five persons deep and in deep prayers before the candle stands. (If you are innocent of this Catholic practice, you might think the WLTs were standing there to warm their bodies before a fireplace lit with candles.)Even if the kids could pass by the immobile supplicants towards the bucket containing the candles, possibly there were no more unlighted candles left.

We went out of the church. There were still so many WLTs, giggling and planning where to go from the mass. Ang iba grabe gid ang Kinaray-a. Garagumo gid. Could be because the whole of Panay would take their LET in Iloilo City. Gani, tanan nga klase ka dialect nabatian ko.

Again, I repeated my prayer a while ago. Pangadi ko nga daad tanan nga LET takers buas makapasa. For a change, daad 100% and passing sa October 2009 Licensure Examination for Teachers. Pati na sa BAR exam. Impossible? When did you say, it is impossible for a flood to reach chest-high in the never-before-been-flooded subdivision where you live? @