Archive | April, 2017

Easter Sunday

16 Apr

The days of sorrow in the Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Black Saturday had ended. Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the tomb after the death of His physical body.  Easter Sunday also celebrates the joyful meeting of the Lord Jesus Christ with His loving mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. How could you imagine how happy they are.

In the Philippines, the Easter Sunday tradition started as early as 4 o’clock in the morning of Sunday.  There was a separate processions of the all the saints of the Catholic church together with the veiled Blessed Virgin Mary in one procession and the Lord Jesus Christ in another procession wherein people in both processions play sorrowful music. In one point of the crossroad in the community, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Lord Jesus Christ will meet each other in that particular place which starts the unveiling ceremony.  A young girl, dressed up like an angel in the air will unveil the Blessed Virgin Mary in order to see her beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Then, after the unveiling ceremony, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Lord Jesus Christ go back together into the Roman Catholic church. The people in the procession will sing together with happy church songs during the unveiling ceremony and while going back to the church.

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Good Friday: A Day of Sorrow

14 Apr

When was the last time that you had visited your mother or your child? When was the last time that you had spent time to talk with your mother or your child? When was the last time that you had served foods and spoon fed your mother or your child? When was the last time that you lifted up your mother or your child? When was the last time that you had changed the diaper and dressed up your mother or your child? Maybe your answer varies from one another. Your answer might be a few minutes ago, a few hours ago, a few days ago, a few months ago, a few years ago, a number of years ago or it never happened.

Good Friday is a day of sorrow. This was the day when the Blessed Mother, Virgin Mary, cried over the death of her beloved Son, Jesus Christ. This was the same day when the Lord Jesus Christ tearfully seen His loving mother crying continuously until no more tears came out from His mother’s eyes.  The truth behind this was the moment of dying brings out pains physically, mentally and emotionally particularly between the mother and child. Sometimes, the bonding break up may lead and result into a severe depression if not properly managed by concerned individuals.

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Holy Week

10 Apr

People in the Philippines went to their provinces on Holy Week.  They visited several churches or so called “Bisita Iglesia” to offer prayers. Every province had unique practices in observing the Holy Week. The Lenten season initially started at Ash Wednesday. It was followed by a number of bible readings that narrate the life of the Lord Jesus Christ commonly sung in traditional tune by the elderly citizens once a week in their respective homes or churches or so called “pasyon”.  Starting Ash Wednesday, fasting and abstinence practices were observed. In the Roman Catholic practices, Holy Week started in the Palm Sunday wherein people come together to greet and welcome Jesus Christ with the Palm leaves. Then, comes the Holy Monday and Holy Tuesday. During this period, Filipino families were mostly observed silence which means no disturbing noise anytime and anywhere.  They were just reflecting, meditating, fasting and praying in silence at home or in the church.  In the Holy Wednesday, the Holy Images of the apostles or disciples including Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ were shown to the people or so called “prusisyon” with candles and people walked together along the street to offer prayers to the Holy Saints and to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday were a three-day of reflection, meditation, visitation and prayers wherein silence is properly observed. People reflected the sacrifices of our Lord Jesus Christ together with her blessed mother. Christian people remembered the physical and emotional pains of the Lord Jesus Christ which He had experienced together with His sorrowful mother that bring them into tears. The Easter Sunday ended up the Holy Week wherein the Christian people remember how the apostles witness the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ which bring back absolute happiness to His mother, the blessed Virgin Mary.

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