Every first Saturday of the month, Barangal Aramal celebrates the Eucharist. The celebration this Saturday was joyful. I even had a longer homily than usual, explaining within it, the Holy Week schedule of the Parish. After the Prayer after Communion, I called the April birthday celebrators. Five came forward and received a special blessing. We sang "Happy Birthday" to them.
Then, just before the final blessing and dismissal, Bro. Rod who was the lector and the commentator, and was sitting infront was approached by his son. His young son whispered something to his father. Bro. Rod, in a flash, was out of the chapel, and was running so fast. I saw him ran the length of the field by the chapel and disappeared from my view!
Then, I heard somebody shouted: "Po-ol! Po-ol! (Fire! Fire!)
Bro. Rod's wife followed. She ran as fast as her husband. The whole chapel was now in a commotion. Everybody ran towards the window; everybody was by now looking out in the direction of Bro. Rod's house!
I heard somebody shouted, "Napopo-olan so abong di Bro. Rod!" Bro. Rod's house is on fire!
Soon, everybody was out of the chapel. Even my two servers were out.
I was the only one left.
And I had not even given the final blessing and the dismissal yet!
(As a postcript: The fire gutted the outside kitchen of Bro. Rod. It did not do any damage to the house itself. Except for the malagkit, and some pots and lots of firewood, nothing much was destroyed by the fire that disturbed our regular barangay Mass. Cause of the fire: an ember left burning by Bro. Rod after he cooked some bananacue).
1 April 2006, Saturday.
