Monasteryo de Santa Clara at mga panalangin para sa isang kaibigan

Sabado ng hapon noon. Nagkita kami ni Gracia (di nya tunay na pangalan) sa lugar na ito na isa sa mga paborito kung lugar… Ang Monasteryo de Santa Clara… Dito, madalas magdasal ang mga tao, mga Katoliko, kadalasan ay panalangin para sa maganda at kaaya ayang panahon… Mga dasal petisyon na may alay na hinahandog sa monasteryo (Cloister sisters) – kadalasan ang alay ay itlog. Mahigit na sampung taon nang una akong nagtungo sa Monasteryong ito. Ngunit kahit yata paulit ulit akong bumalik sa lugar ay hindi ako magsasawa. Talagang may katangi tanging katahimikan na madarama sa lugar na ito. Bago pa man dumating ang aking kaibigan ay nakapagdasal na ako, nakapagsulat ng petisyon at nagtungo sa imahe at fountain… Nakakatuwang isipin na magkikita kami muli nina Gracia ngunit nakakalungkot din dahil naisip ko na maaaring may pagdadalamhati pa rin sa puso ng aking kaibigan, na maaring wala pa ring pagpapatawad sa isang taong nagkasala… Tunay nga, sa kanyang pagdatng, ito’y aking naitanong at ika nga n’ya: “wala pa din talaga s’ya sa puntong iyon – ng pagpapatawad… at hindi rin ito madali…”… Sa muli naming pagdadasal, aking naisip at ipinalangin ang aking kaibigan – na sana’y magkaroon na ng katahimikan… pagpapatawad… at sana nawa’y makahanap ng mga kasagutan sa mga tanong na pinagdadaanan n’ya sa buhay… (akin ding ipinagdasal pa ang lahat ng aking mga kaibigan, na nawa'y mkamatan na nila ang kanilang mga inaasam-asam)... Totoo ngang masarap magmahal ngunit napakasakit naman ang masaktan ng isang taong iyong pinagkatiwalaan at minahal ng matagal na panahon…. hay…

Saint Claire’s Monastery and prayers for a friend

It was Saturday afternoon then. Me and my friend - Gracia (not her real name) decided to meet in one of my most favorite places… the Monastery of Saint Claire… Here, people frequently drops by to pray, Catholics usually, to pray for a good weather… Lots of prayer-petitions are also done here, usually with offering for the Cloister sisters (nuns who have vowed to take their vocation by turning their backs to Earthly pursuits, they are not to show themselves to the people who flock the place and their clothes cover their whole body) – usually, the offerings for the monastery are eggs. It’s been ten years since I first set my foot in this Monastery. But although I come here over and over again, I will not get tired of it. There’s a special kind of peacefulness felt. Before my friend came, I was able to pray already, write my petition and went to the St. Claire Image/Relic inside, then, I went to the fountain… It is kind of amusing to think that I’m gonna meet again with my friends Gracia but it’s also sad because I think there still might be sorrow in her heart, that it might not be possible to forgive the person who did her wrong… Indeed, I asked her when she arrived, and she did say “ she’s not yet on that point – of forgiveness… that this is not easy…"… When we prayed again, my thoughts turned to my friend and I prayed for her again – hoping that there’ll be peace… forgiveness… and wishing that she may find answers to the questions of life... what she’s undergoing now…. (I also prayed then for all my friends, wishing they'd get what their heart truly desires) True, it is good to love but it is very painful to be hurt by the one you trusted and loved for a long time…sigh…