Elliysse Cafe: Maundy Thursday

This has been a personal event for me every Holy week for 7 years. I don't go to church everyday but I know when to thank Him for His sacrifices and everything that has happened in my life wether its good or bad.

9 years ago we were emotionaly and financialy devastated. It came to the point of selling anything we could to make ends meet. I just graduated and was desperate to take on any job to help out but sadly I can't get myself any.
Two years after it was holy week of 2009 and I was still jobless, my Mom told me why not join the Holyweek tradition of walking to the grotto place then ask for blessings once we got there. I was thrilled that maybe this was what I'm lacking. It's going to be a 15.2 kilometers walk and I am so fired up to take on the challenge. I only have a biscuit, a water, a friend and my bare feet with me for that 15.2 kilometers walk. Oh did I mention its a 15.2 kilometers walk?!!

This is the Our Lady of Lourdes Basilica church there is a small hill behind it which where the Grotto and stations of the cross can be seen.

If you go around the church and enter the place you will see this first. This is the Grotto (shrine) which is a replica of the shrine of our Lady of Lourdes in France.

Then you can walk around the hill for the station of the cross and see the life-size statues on each stations. People visits every station to pray, sing prayers, read novena, lament, take photos, take selfies (sadly yes some do) or just look at the statues on every station.

This is the First station. I hope people will stop doing selfies on each stations I find it disrespectful.

And some are too lazy to place their candles on the station ground so they place their candles at the grass instead. *poor grasses

Since we moved I can't walk from where I live anymore because it's 4 cities away. We then took a bus and waited for 3 hrs to get here instead.

My companions under the piercing heat.

Back in 2009 after walking 15 kilometers and walking around the hill for the station of the cross I sat inside the church. I asked for forgiveness, the strength to continue and that me and my family be blessed, that was thursday. The next week thursday I got hired I was offered more than enough to support the whole family. I almost cried on the train on my way home.