Trip to Monasterio de Tarlac

My Sister in Law got an invitation from her friend and now is a priest at Monasterio de Tarlac (Fr. Ezekiel) to come and have a chance to see the Relic of the True Cross of Jesus that was shown to the public last January 30. We were informed that this was a truly special event because the Relic will only be opened to the public only twice a year (Sept. and Jan). So, we decided to come and see it last Sunday, and thankfully we did.

We woke up at around 3am to travel from Manila to Tarlac to be able attend the 9am Holy Mass. Going to Tarlac was very fast now especially when the SCTEX (Subic, Clark, Tarlac Express Way) was already opened. I realized that the Monasterio is not yet well known by the locals since my relatives who are from Tarlac doesn't even know the place yet. From Tarlac City, you will cross a zig zag road and a steep path to the top of the mountain before you reach the holy place. Our car almost slid down the road when my Brother in Law made an unexpected stop at the top, thankfully some police officials there helped to push back on track.

What makes this place extra special you may ask?  You can read it here

Being expose to the sun, sacrificing a few hours of sleep to go here and having to wait in a very long line to wait for your turn was all worth it, trust me, when the moment comes when you are able to see the Relic of the Cross yourself and touch the glass container holding it. Taking pictures was not allowed so we don't have any actual pictures of the Relic. We can't explain the feeling we had when we saw it... it's magical and we felt like we were being touched by Him.

Here are some photos of the place

My sister in law and family

Bishop of Tarlac Most Rev. Florentino F. Cinense, D.D.

Balloons with wishes

people arrived from different places to  see the Relic

the 30 ft high statue of the Risen Christ

what ever happens in life we should always remember to live life to the fullest