[I and the members of my immediate family have included a prayer for the success of the DUTERTE Administration to bring much prosperity to our country as well as for Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s health in this year’s SIMBANG GABI novena masses. Indeed, SIMBANG GABI masses are familiar scenes during the Yuletide season in the Philippines from December 16 until December 24, in most of the churches in the metropolis as well as in the provinces. What has brought good news and good tidings to our country is that for the FIRST TIME, the SIMBANG-GABI was held at the Vatican. The first SIMBANG-GABI mass at the Vatican was held at the St. Peter’s Basilica where 2,000 Pinoys braved the icy gusts of the wind on a cold wintry morning. The first-ever SIMBANG-GABI mass at the Vatican was presided by Fr. Daniel Patrick Hwang, S.J. and concelebrated by forty-one (41) other Filipino priests. The SIMBANG-GABI mass in Rome was organized by the SENTRO PILIPINO CHAPLAINCY. At the UP Chapel, where me and my family members have annually heard SIMBANG-GABI masses since many years ago, I got so inspired. This inspired-feeling came about as I have not felt the usual diminution of the church-goers this December, as the novena sort of ebbs to its lowest number of attendees by the 5th day and the 6th day of the nine-day novena (we are actually now on our 6th day). Thereafter, it would surge to its original large number until the end of the novena, on the 9th day, the 24th of December. What appears best is that the newly-wed church-goers have gone to the extent of bringing/carrying their ruddy-faced infants/babies to the SIMBANG-GABI mass. Perhaps, the Filipino faithful including those based in Italy are now most fervently ALSO praying for peace, posterity in our native-land; and of course, good health and longevity for our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.]
In our annual early dawn masses, this year;
Indeed, it augurs well and it appears so dear,
That the CHURCH GOERS have not diminished in number,
That’s from the 16th till the 21st of December.
It would appear that the prayer warriors are getting bigger,
Praying for our country’s prosperity & success, ‘tis better;
And for President Duterte’s health to get STRONGER…
…the country’s HOI POLLOI has turned much MIGHTIER.
These CHURCH GOERS have even brought their kids,
Ruddy-faced infants in cradle were brought in by newly-weds;
Perhaps as GOD is fond with CHILDREN,
The presence of these CHILDREN is really good OMEN.
And it indeed is such GOOD NEWS,
For at the VATICAN they have peopled the PEWS;
For the EARLY DAWN MASSES, in the cold of winter…
They filled St. Peter’s Square with Pinoy folks clad in sweater.
And the prayer warriors have gone INTERNATIONAL,
Praying here in PH and up there at the QUIRINAL;
That’s a hill in Rome where the Italian Head and his family stay,
In ITALY indeed, Filipinos are already being given decent pay.
In my rumination, my gut-feel’s GOD’s already helping,
For sans any planning, the SUCs got their long-time longing;
Free TUITION fees for all the studes of about 114 SUCs,
I’m sure the studes will study hard, to get grades higher than “Bs”!
Our country’s TAIPANS have even joined the fray,
Their donating BILLIONS of PESOS for those DRUG’s prey…
More REHAB CENTERS will be a-building,
I’m sure those thugs will not anymore be DRUGs a-joining.
And the recent SWS survey has released a report,
Eighty per cent of PINOYs made an EXCELLENT retort;
They approve of the WAR on DRUGs that our Prexy is waging,
But with the new REHABS, there could be a STOP to the KILLING…
Another sign of that splendid Divine Providence,
Is how the TYPHOONS seem to have gone in awry cadence;
They have struck TANGENTIAL avoiding the ESSENTIALS,
As though they’ve gotten the phobia to
storm the Malacañangs*.
And even the EARTHQUAKEs which have pestered our neighbors,
They seem to be calm and soft when they’d rattle our doors;
Let’s continue to pray for our native-land,
To shower us with fortune and energize our people with much ELAN.
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[* With President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s ascension as President of the Philippine Republic, there are NOW two (2) Malacañangs; ONE in Manila and ANOTHER ONE in Davao.]
