Pit Senyor!
Whether the weather will be sunny or rainy, the thousands of devotees will continue with their novenas and will join the procession and the Masses for this year's Feast of the Santo Niño. Let us also offer prayers that all will enjoy, be well, safe, and protected for this year's celebration.
Let us also pray together that all the thousand devotees and visitors in Cebu will show and share their care for the city and God's environment by keeping the streets clean, with garbage responsibly managed by everyone. Will this be the year God will smile to see a basura-free celebration of Baby Santo Niño's feast?
We look forward to the active involvement of the Church, other religious groups, schools, offices, and barangays in this year's waste-free campaign for the Sinulog. We call out to everyone to seriously take time to properly dispose and manage their own garbage. We can all easily do our share and keep the streets basura-free for the Santo Niño.
This early, we would like to thank all those who will responsibly manage their waste, those who will remind everyone else to keep the streets clean, and most especially, thank you to the staff and volunteers of the CCENRO Basura-Watch campaign.
Let us all enjoy a happy, festive, safe, clean waste-free Sinulog. Pit Senyor to all!
Many await the Sinulog because it allows families and friends to gather for or to extend their happy reunions. The Sinulog is another fiesta among the unending fiestas in the Philippines and in Cebu, the Sinulog also allows Christmas to be extended until the third Sunday of January.
Our clan always looks forward to another happy occasion to eat, chat, laugh, and be together at Tia Rosy Lim's home and at the Gallardo's spacious building along Mango Avenue. Thanks to Tia Rosy and to our ever-ebullient Alice (a.k.a. Samantha) and the rest of the Gallardos in Cebu and abroad (Tony and Teresa and children, Mylene, Jonas, Peachy, and their children, Evelyn, Maritess, and Marge), Sinulog and the Fiesta Senyor is a most-awaited reunion time for us all. Every Sinulog especially, we fondly remember Tio Loloy and Tia Feling who graciously started this beautiful practice of bringing us all together for this joyful celebration. Although no longer physically with us, they are now celebrating each moment they are with the Lord, together will all our other dearly departed family and relatives.
Beyond the food, the glitter, the merriment and happy reunions, the Sinulog also provides the occasion for spiritual reflection and continuing prayers much needed by our troubled people, country, and world.
May our Santo Niño hear our prayers for genuine public servants for our people, those who are humble, just as Jesus humbled himself (Philippians 2:8), those who will "look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interest of others" (Phil.2:4), and those who have the grace and gentleness to value others above themselves."
At present, the proud and powerful may appear triumphant, ramming their numbers and their own agenda through the corridors of rule, law, justice, and truth. God's people may think this is the season of defeat. However, "God wins His greatest victories through apparent defeats. Very often, the enemy seems to triumph for a season, and God allows this. But then He comes in and upsets the work of the enemy, overthrows the apparent victory, and "frustrate the ways of the wicked" (Ps:146:9). (From January 18 reading of Streams in the Desert).
"For no other god can save us in this way" (Daniel 3:27, 29). We may feel defeat at the moment versus the rushing mad political minions in our midst, but let us be heartened. Jesus told his disciples that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). "This apparent defeat will result in a miraculous victory."
"Come, Lord Jesus, come!"
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