Today is Trinity Sunday and its our parish's feast day. We had an early mass at 6 am and we end at 8 am to allow the parishioners to go home and make preparations for our parish outing. We decided to celebrate our feast by the pool in one of the resorts in our city, about 15 km from the city proper. About 45 parishioners joined the pool picnic and the children had a great time splashing in the cool spring water. The mature ones had a great time talking about life and the blessings God has poured upon His children. Dcn. Sen and his wife Claire led the children to some pool games and the children gamely enjoyed every one of it. We ended the picnic at about 5:00 pm and we all go home tired but happy that God has blessed us with His presence as we fellowship with one another.

Last May 10 2010 election I served as chairman of the BEI. I woke up at 3:30 am, after having my morning coffee to wake my senses I proceeded to the City Hall to get all the election paraphernalia. I arrived at the polling precinct no. 18 (cluster of 53A, 53 B,54 A and 54 B of about 761 registered voters) at about 4:30 am. The polling place was still closed because my poll clerk has not arrived yet and so ws my third member and two support staff. I texted my poll clerk and she replied that she asked her son to bring the key to me because shes not yet ready, cursing the water district for cutting off the water supply. The ballot box and the PCOS machine were safe. Barangay tanods guarded the machines the whole night. I posted the rules and arrange the polling area so as to make the proceeding as smooth as possible.

At 6:00 am there were people moving around the polling place because they already want to vote.They're too excited about the historic automated election or they're just avoiding the rush.

Voting started at 7:00 am after the preliminaries were done. The people waiting and lining up to vote seem not to stop even when its lunch time. The line only slackened after 3 pm and like a trickle after 4:00 pm. I even manage to vote in my own precinct in Pangpang (for we were prohibited from casting in our assigned precinct. In my precinct about 79% voted.

When the voting was closed we had some eager observers and when we printed the first 8 copies and read the results, some are ecstatic on how fast the proceedings were and their candidates won even in the precinct level. We then transmitted the results electronically using the sim provided by Sun telecom because the Globe sim was not functioning well. We then finished the paper woks and proceeded to the city hall to submit needed results.

I thank God that nothing untoward happened and that my co-members of the BEI were amazingly cooperative and efficient. We went home before 12 midnight. The election was a success and a breeze compare to manual system.

The Bishop visits Sorsogon

Last Sunday, Bp.Paul Villavicencio made a pastoral visit to our church, being under his diocese. He was accompanied by his only son John Paul, the deacon of the cathedral Dcn. Johnmark and Dcn. Albert. They were welcomed by Fr. Angelo and Sis. Gloria welcomed them into her house. They arrived last Saturday and took their rest for the sunday liturgy.

The Sunday mass was celebrated by the good bishop and assisted by our parish priest. The worship was awesome even with only a guitar and a dilapidated tambourine being used by Sis. Baby. The dance ministers

headed by Sis. Claire prepared a heartwarming presentation with the song Oh I want to know you more by Steve Green. It was one of my favorite christian songs when we were still a non-denominational and non-liturgical group. Its power to touch the heart never wane with time.

The homily of the good bishop was powerful enough to open the eyes our our hearts. Its about the decision of blind Bartimaeus to change his life by acting on his faith and trust in the power of Jesus.

According to the good bishop we are all blind by our own choice and we have been relegated to the sidelines as we continue to grope in the dark. However even in our miserable state, the grace of God is always available for us. We only have to throw our cloak-our false sense of security-and throw ouselves into the power of God' love. We should decide to follow God in a way that we touch the heart of God and get His attention.

God is greater than our present state and it is His desire to change our life for the better.

Really the congregation was blessed by the presence of the bishop.

May the Lord give him many. many years....

Last Saturday I went to Naga City, about 3 hours ride from Sorsogon City to celebrate a deacon's mass with the mission there. The mission was actually under the Cathedral of St. John the Divine but on the order of our bishop, Rt. Reverend Paulino Villavicencio, we share the burden of taking care of the mission since it is within our region. The mission was birthed by the willingness of a sister from the Cathedral of the King to open a mission with her family and her children and grandchildren. There are about 12 attendees, mostly young couples and children. However, the opportunity for growth is there. With the right attention and care I know it will grow and expand.

Fr. Pierre Paje, a diocesan priest and a fellow Bicolano, alternately celebrate the mass there with a deacon from Sorsogon City. Fr. Angelo, our parish priest, have not gone to Naga to visit our brethren there not even once. According to him, he's still trying to fix the "problem" in our of our parishes in Gubat. He's in-charge of two parishes-the Holy Trinity in Sorsogon and the Holy Cross in Gubat. Gubat started to have some problems when it experienced a split with 3/4 of its members converted to othodoxy last 2006. The remnants of the group who decide to stick with CEC encountered a huge problem about keeping the church property which is built on rented lot.
God is good and everything will be perfect in His time. amen.

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