Ako-lyte

My grandparents were very religious. Here in Manila, I remember how Lola Dita would go to church almost everyday, wearing her brown dress, brown veil and her large scapular. In Bicol, Lolo and Lola's house was just across the church, so it was very easy for them to hear mass.

Whenever I'd accompany them, I'd always wonder what it would be like to be an altar boy. I thought it was so cool that they're that close to the altar and are involved in all aspects of the mass.

That's why when I entered Elementary school, I volunteered to be an acolyte for masses. I still remember my first mass and my assignment was to ring the bell during the consecration of the host and wine. After the priest said: "Take this all of you and eat it, this is my body which will be given up for you..." I rang the bell.

And rang it.

And rang it.

And rang it some more.

And I kept on ringing it until I saw the priest look at me with a "Yes, young boy, you can stop ringing the bell. Now!"

Despite that bell-happy incident, my duties as an acolyte continued until I was 4th year high school. My "tour of duty" was so long, I practically knew everything like clockwork.

Since I went to a State University for college, there were no more weekly masses that we needed to attend. That's when my altar server duties stopped.

But today, almost 20 years since I last took on those duties, I found myself being an acolyte again.

To no less than Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle!

It was the student's Baccalaureate Mass this morning, and one of the former acolytes was now Dean. Ergo, he couldn't serve during the mass. Because of my altar serving credentials, I was asked to take his place.

And I'm so glad I did. Carrying the cross to lead the procession, assisting the Archbishop, assisting in the preparation of gifts -- all these activities brought me back to my childhood days when I'd relish the days whenever they had mass in school because it meant I'd serve again. It was such a great joy to serve again.

Apparently, my history in this type of thing is quite evident. After the mass, the Bishop's assistant and I had this conversation:

BISHOP'S ASSISTANT: Excuse me, Sir, were you an acolyte before?
ME: Yes I was. Well, in elementary and high school.
BISHOP'S ASSISTANT: I can see that. You move like an acolyte. And you carry the cross with such dignity and pride.

Imagine, almost 2 decades and I still have it.

Some things you really never forget.