Today is Black Saturday. As I am lying on the couch while my kids are still asleep, I remembered the day when my family visited the Kamay ni Hesus Shrine and Healing Center located in Brgy. Tinamnan in Lucban, Quezon.
I think it was the first time when we all gathered together to have a trip to a recreational place like this aside from swimming every summer. It was rougly about a six-hour journey from our home. If I am not mistaken, there were 52 family members including my 86 yrs old grandmother carried by 2 jeepneys and a car have had our first meaningful road trip early this year.
Kamay ni Hesus is a popular pilgrimage destination in the Philippines, a shrine where many people cling to their faith that they will be healed and lots of answered prayer were given to those who strongly believe.
I have heard a lot about this place from my friends and collegues. And now, I have seen it all by myself, the beautiful picturesque view with the lifesize statues depicting the 14 stations of the cross, Pieta, some scenes from the Holy Bible and the Mama Mary. What amazes me the most is the 50 feet statue of of Jesus Christ on top of a 290 steps up the hill.
If you will look at the height of the hill and the numbers of steps that you should take before having to touch the image of Ascending Christ, you'll get frighten and weaken by the thought that it may be too tough for you and you might not be able to make it. I felt it myself, and some of my relatives too.
When we started to climb, droplets of rainwater started pouring. My husband was carrying my 1 year old son then and we have no umbrella and no other roof left to shed as we were climbing the hill. But our willingness to reach the top gave us courage to start to climb. Honestly, I wasn't born to be sporty and strong when it comes to physical challenges like this. I am a self-confessed woman of clumsiness but surprisingly I made it to the top without stumbling and still has a steady heartbeat.
I was in awe looking at the statue, on how hard it was built that made it one of the highest in the country and how many people are with us touching the base, eyes closed and uttering everyone's personal intentions. I quickly put my hand on it, closed my eyes to say whatever in my mind at that moment while overwhelmed with emotions. I have a strong feeling that I regained my faith to the Lord as I was contemplating about the challenges that I have been through and how the Lord helped me to get through all of them. I was very emotional and as my tears started to fall, the heavens cried with me. The rain started pouring heavily and we decided to get down immediately half-walking half-running. We reached the bottom without even catching our breath. To me, that alone was a vivid miracle.
Everyone of us has to carry our own cross, sometimes we think it is heavier than the others but I always believe that when God gave us the challenges, he is also showering us the equal strength that we need. You might not feel it as you go along the process but look at yourself, you're still standing tall, braver than you think you were. You just have to get a grip, believe in yourself and cling to your faith.
I think it was the first time when we all gathered together to have a trip to a recreational place like this aside from swimming every summer. It was rougly about a six-hour journey from our home. If I am not mistaken, there were 52 family members including my 86 yrs old grandmother carried by 2 jeepneys and a car have had our first meaningful road trip early this year.
Kamay ni Hesus is a popular pilgrimage destination in the Philippines, a shrine where many people cling to their faith that they will be healed and lots of answered prayer were given to those who strongly believe.
I have heard a lot about this place from my friends and collegues. And now, I have seen it all by myself, the beautiful picturesque view with the lifesize statues depicting the 14 stations of the cross, Pieta, some scenes from the Holy Bible and the Mama Mary. What amazes me the most is the 50 feet statue of of Jesus Christ on top of a 290 steps up the hill.
If you will look at the height of the hill and the numbers of steps that you should take before having to touch the image of Ascending Christ, you'll get frighten and weaken by the thought that it may be too tough for you and you might not be able to make it. I felt it myself, and some of my relatives too.
When we started to climb, droplets of rainwater started pouring. My husband was carrying my 1 year old son then and we have no umbrella and no other roof left to shed as we were climbing the hill. But our willingness to reach the top gave us courage to start to climb. Honestly, I wasn't born to be sporty and strong when it comes to physical challenges like this. I am a self-confessed woman of clumsiness but surprisingly I made it to the top without stumbling and still has a steady heartbeat.
I was in awe looking at the statue, on how hard it was built that made it one of the highest in the country and how many people are with us touching the base, eyes closed and uttering everyone's personal intentions. I quickly put my hand on it, closed my eyes to say whatever in my mind at that moment while overwhelmed with emotions. I have a strong feeling that I regained my faith to the Lord as I was contemplating about the challenges that I have been through and how the Lord helped me to get through all of them. I was very emotional and as my tears started to fall, the heavens cried with me. The rain started pouring heavily and we decided to get down immediately half-walking half-running. We reached the bottom without even catching our breath. To me, that alone was a vivid miracle.
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