Greenbelt Chapel

I've often reminisced about how the Makati Commercial Center evolved.  I can still remember having Sunday lunch at Fork and Spoon with Gwammy, eating the super delicious burgers with Kong at Sulo Restaurant, and having mami & siopao at the Ling Nam counter that was located at the Quad Plaza.  You would come out of Rizal theater, and have a little drink at Leila's or have some tea at La Cibeles Pasteleria y Salon de Te.  But new features are added to the MCC every couple of years, and the Glorietta-Greenbelt area is so different today--gearing for higher population densities and heavier foot/vehicle traffic.  Despite the progress however, some things are kept as is to provide consistency and continuity, and the Greenbelt mall somehow attached itself around the Sto. Nino de Paz chapel.  I'm happy that Ayala Land has managed to blend the old and the new in stylish proportions.

Looking back, I've really taken the Greenbelt Chapel for granted--we'd stroll past saying quick prayers, without really stopping by for the full and complete church service.  I just recently learned that the Greenbelt Chapel is officially known as the Chapel of Sto. Nino de Paz.  Paz = peace.  By mid-afternoon, the ice cream cone I had from Gelatone had lifted my spirits, and I decided to sit for some thirty minutes at the chapel to reflect on life and say a prayer of safe journey for Monique (she had just left for a two-week winter study tour in Guang Dong, China with her classmates and friends).  It was a meaningful prayer; somehow, the lush garden setting allows one to have a peaceful oasis in the middle of the commercialized jungle.

I like visiting chapels that are airy, well-lit, and have a steady stream of devotees, but without the maddening crowds.  This chapel is definitely on the top ten of my list!

It's very quite there, a sanctuary for prayer, a gentle reminder that while material things are important, the food for the soul must not be forgotten.  I just love sitting down to rest at their open pews, just to close my eyes and gain strength, recharge and revitalize.  The structure has been around since the late seventies, and despite the ever changing face of the MCC, this holy place remains a constant!