Christmas bright

It's been a long time since i woke up this early to catch the midnight mass. I must admit, I've never even come close to completing all nine days, nay even just a third. But this Christmas Catholic tradition lives on as we've found out going the rounds of churches the other day. Pinoys brave the chilly early morning air as well as the temptation to snooze as they find their way to churches.

Shooting at this early hour of the day carry with it its risks. Walking alone from the Manila Cathedral headed for San Agustin with my gear, I got nearly accosted by unlawful elements whose intention was not to attend the mass but take advantage of the early hour and the sleepy state of churchgoers. Tsk, tsk. Good thing there were mobile police cars plying the dark streets of Intramuros at that time.

In any case, we found the Manila Cathedral decked with impressive lights. A beneficiary of the Meralco's "Maliwanag ang Pasko" project(Christmas is bright), the church looked regal and stately, befitting its stature as a minor basilica. The message of a brighter future is evident in the way the church shone bright amidst the dark surroundings inviting the faithful to congregate and pray that next year would be better.Nearby San Agustin is less opulently-lit but is no less overflowing with churchgoers. Earlier, ironwulf found out from one of the security personnel of the nearby Palacio de  Gobernador that shooting the churches is prohibited during the daytime. I think that's a pity because they're really treasures that are ought to be shown to more people.For our third church, we stopped by at a favorite, the minor basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz. Otherwise more popularly known as the Binondo church, it is not bedecked in fancy lights but rather festooned with paper stars and the omni-present banderitas. (Incidentally, we also stopped by Quiapo church but were a wee bit disappointed to see it not really lit up for the season. maybe a case of energy conservation or something else.)