He is a special child. He is affected with the Down syndrome.
He was hyperactive today. As soon as I got down from the Jeep, he was all over me. Almost embracing me, holding out his hand, and taking my hand for the customary "pinsiw". I was in his barangay to celebrate the regular barangay mass.
This afternoon, he did not want to leave my side. Even when I was already at the altar, he was still by my side. His mother came over and tried to talk to him to go down and stay with the rest of the congregation. He did not want to.
"Diman kalad leksab ta ongapo tayo lan manmisa", I told him. Only did he leave my side when I told him to go down with the people as we are about to begin the Mass.
He was singing extra loud! And he was making his own tune with his own lyrics! His mother had to tell him to soften a bit, as he was becoming the "choir" with the community his "back-up singers".
As I was giving the homily, he was seated, with a big smile on his face, looking at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him making gestures with his hands. I turned around and looked at him. As soon as I did that, he "clicked" his "camera"! He was making a "camera" with his hands and taking pictures of me! His face was all joy. His smile was wide! It was as if he was saying, "I got you!"
The Preparation of the Gifts. There was a procession of offerers, each one bringing their respective gifts for the celebration. When they stood up to go to the back of the chapel for the offertory gifts prepared on a small table, he went with them.
The procession started. Each one had their own gifts to bring to the altar: the candles, flowers, the bread and the wine. But, there was no extra gift that he could bring to the altar. Everybody had gotten what was prepared on the table. He had nothing left.
He was left standing at the back of the chapel, while the offerers brought their "gifts of bread and wine".
I received the gifts from them.
Then he came...
He was smiling. His face was glowing with joy. He had something in his hands. He had something left to offer to the Lord, after all.
He carried the whole table, and offered it as his gift to the Lord!
