A few more days to go and I'll be able to complete the 9-day Misa de Gallo. My dad is always checking up on me because he doesn't want me to miss a day. So I always make it a point to send him an SMS every time I get to finish a dawn mass.
For my 7th day, my friend & I decided to explore the walled city and found ourselves inside the Manila Cathedral. Another one of the magnificent old churches, Manila Cathedral is full of history.
According to the tablet in front of the church, the first cathedral was built in 1581 but was unfortunately damaged by an earthquake in 1582 and destroyed by fire in 1583. The church was rebuilt and this time, of stone, in 1592 but another earthquake around 1600 partially destroyed the structure. In 1614, a third cathedral was constructed but faced the wrath of another earthquake that happened 1645. By 1654 to 1671, a fourth cathedral was born but was destroyed in 1863 by (you guessed right!) another earthquake. A fifth cathedral was erected from 1870 to 1879 under 3 architects but was later on destoyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945. Not to be deterred, a sixth cathedral was reconstructed from 1954 to 1958 and is still proudly standing to this day. THANK GOD for that!
One might see it as plain history with facts and data, but I see it as a symbol of Filipinos' resilience and love of God.
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