Holy Week

''So how was your Holy Week?'' Either your friends from Facebook or colleagues from work may ask the same question. Some pampered themselves with a trip to the beautiful shores of Boracay or indulge with an out of town vacation. Others went to different churches and cathedrals, even religious sites to reflect and meditate. Not to mention, families and tourists came to watch the seasonal senakulo, a play which depicts how Jesus suffered and sacrificed His life for us.

Well, I celebrated the Holy Week with my family. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of this sacred celebration wherein palms are being blessed by a priest before or after the mass. Nonworking holidays fall on Holy Thursday and Good Friday while Black Saturday is reserved as a special holiday in the Philippines. These are the days in which Catholics are obliged to fast, reflect from sins and sacrifice from eating meat or vices.

By evening of Holy Thursday, we had our Visita Iglesia. From the word itself, it is a time when Catholics visit fourteen churches which symbolizes the fourteen stations of the cross. We went on various churches along Manila and Makati City. On Good Friday, we had our prusisyon. Candles lighted up the streets as it shows that Jesus is our light, having images of his sufferings until His crucifixion is being carried by men. Tiring as it may seems, people walked around the neighborhood as a sacrifice which also includes us. Many tourists are also present there to watch. Our aching feet is all worth it as compared to how Jesus did.

Likewise, it is a memorable experience. Most especially that this is what Filipinos should be proud of. So, even it is Holy Week or not, the true message of this meaningful celebration is that we should not forget that God is in our side in times of trouble and misery and thus, have a period to reflect and thank Him for the things he had done for us.