A journey of faith with a Pilot

It was a scorching Holy Week, but the streets of the Metro Manila were empty and driving was a joy.

My first destination was Pampanga. I was test-driving a Honda Pilot and was excited to see just how this SUV would do in the heat of the summer sun.

For starters, I think the Honda Pilot stands apart from the majority of crossovers. What I really like about it is its rugged and macho look. While I’ve noticed that most SUVs have become more aerodynamic and carlike in the past decade, the Pilot has opted to go in the opposite direction. It started life as a wagon, and in the past years has adopted a more SUV-like shape. 

Although, the Pilot might have a more rugged look and seem daunting to most women drivers, it’s still a crossover and it makes driving it such a pleasure. No heaviness to the steering. Shifting lanes and maneuvering it into small paces was really quite easy for a small driver like me.

The Pilot’s boxy body has an especially roomy interior, as well as great versatility for busy weekend-hauling needs. Yet with a carlike unibody design, bolstered structurally with some of the benefits of an SUV, the Pilot is able to draw from the best of both worlds.

I decided to take the Pilot on a trip to Pampanga and in keeping with the Holy Week tradition I opted to head for Visita Iglesia and visit a few churches there.

The Pilot’s five-speed automatic transmission, its 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine, was a little cause for alarm for me as I thought that I might have to spend all my money on gas. But I was pleasantly surprised at how fuel-efficient this SUV is. I kept it on “eco” mode all throughout my drive to Pampanga.

The stop-and-go traffic on the NLEX was really bad. It took me almost four hours to reach the San Fernando exit. I had planned to make it to Sta. Rita Church first, then on to Betis Church and then to the Cathedral of San Fernando. That was not to be the case.

As I sat in the driver’s seat (yes, I was driving solo) I had time to fiddle with my chair and adjust it to the right height. The traffic did not bother me; matter of fact I welcomed it, as it gave me a better feel of the ride of the Pilot.

It was smooth and easy to maneuver in situations where I did have to overtake at a moment’s notice. At first I was cautious, but once I got a feel of the size of the Pilot and just how quickly it responded to quick lane switching — it was an enjoyable ride to Pampanga.

The real traffic, though, started at the Gapan-Olongapo road where traffic had built up really bad. There was chaos from the cars on the road, and the men walking while flagellating themselves was a riot.

I opted to turn back. And this is where the Pilot was truly a joy to drive. I was able to steer this SUV into small spaces — even with cars refusing to let a few of us drivers turn back. At the same time I felt truly safe inside the Pilot as its rugged body persuaded smaller cars to give way.

I was only able to make it to San Fernando Cathedral that day. The church was filled with folks doing the Stations of the Cross and others getting ready for the Washing of the Feet Mass that was going to take place in a few hours.

Before I left the Cathedral, I took a photo of the Pilot at the Cathedral parking area and I gave it a pat on the hood for being so good to me. I hopped on the Pilot and made my way back to Manila. The drive was a breeze as the NLEX was traffic-free coming into Manila.

I recalled having read recently that the Pilot has for years been a top safety achiever, and it includes side-curtain bags cover all three rows, along with the usual roster of security items. For this year, a rearview camera system is standard on all models and helps with visibility.  The rearview visibility really made backing up quite easy.

On Good Friday it is a tradition that I take my Mom to visit a few churches. Being in her 80s, she prefers to go to the churches early on Friday morning, as there are less people there. I can’t blame her. 

I took her on a ride in the Pilot and we took Vodka, my little Bichon Frise, with us. We visited three churches that day — all within the vicinity of Metro Manila. Our first stop was Mount Carmel Church in Quezon City. I like this church because it has such a big parking area. Our Next stop was Mary the Queen Church in Greenhills. I had to let my mom down first and then drive around because parking is a hassle in this area.

Our last stop was Santuario de San Jose in Geeenhills, another church where parking can be a problem. I did get to maneuver the Pilot into a small parking space.

“I like this car,” my mom said. “The seats here at the back are comfy and the air-conditioning is really cool considering it’s so hot outside.”

After I dropped my mom off at home, I headed south. My destination was the Cathedral of Calamba.  On that really hot Friday, by noon the Pilot kept me cool, not just with its air-conditioning, but also through the ease of driving it along the SLEX.

I got to the Cathedral of Calamba in 45 minutes. The church was full, but there was parking. Again lots of squeezing into small spaces for the Pilot, which was now feeling like my ever-reliable companion, and it did not fail me.

I took a walk through the Garden of Gethsemane in Calamba, which had the Stations of the Cross etched in woodcarvings.

That done, I drove back to Manila and opted to go to BGC and check out the interactive Way of the Cross there.

It was quite interesting, the way BGC had set up its rather modern, interactive way of the cross. So that one does not just read a prayer book, the Stations of the Cross were written on a black cloth and then at the end of each station, the faithful are asked to perform an act. For example, in the Station where Jesus carries the Cross, there was a cemented area where people were asked to carry a cross that weighed seven pounds to get a feel, even if just a small feel, of what Jesus might have felt when he carried the cross.

Interesting.

I had made a vow to complete seven churches this year. So, my next stop was Padre Pio Chapel on C5. 

I did not know that if I wanted to get into the area where the Stations of the Cross were in this church, I had to carry a cross. The crosses came in different sizes with the bigger ones for the men and the smaller ones for the women. I was given a small cross.

Since this was the second interactive Stations of the Cross chapel I had visited, it made me wonder if the new generation of people needed to have physical proof to strengthen their faith.  It was not like that while I was growing up, yet I believe the reality of Christian faith was no less real to me.

My last stop was Christ the King Church in Quezon City. I had fun with the Pilot getting into the parking area, as it was full and uphill to boot. But then, easy driving is an understatement in this SUV.

I headed home that day with much to ponder faith and how it seems to be changing.  Or perhaps the churches are trying to find ways to keep the faithful coming back — and to remain relevant to Catholics.

At the same time, I smiled amid my “profound” thoughts about faith and thanked God for the Pilot, which kept me safe through my journey of faith.