The Season of Your Re-awakening by Marilyn Rivera
Lent is about becoming, doing, and changing. Whatever it is that is blocking the fullness of life in us right now. – Sister Joan Chittister, OSB As we approach Holy Week, many of us already has a planned itinerary for a family adventure, relaxation, and fun. Most of us, have flight bookings done, reservations made, and preparations all accomplished in our checklist. Our perspective has indeed changed from centuries before on how we observe this period of penitence, prayer and fasting to our present time.
would avoid using any technological devices. We can set our own penitence in respect to the greatest historical and religious turning event that changed our lives. There is no fixed or standard rule to follow just as long as you are committed in doing this for Him and to shake us from our own lethargy, as Pope Francis would say.
As a Roman Catholic, it never fails to awe me that our core tradition is still intact and alive every Holy Week. During this time, you would definitely hear Lent is the season of a single person or a group preparation before Easter doing “Pabasa" in their based on Catholic organizations. It runs for 40 barangays. Some find this annoying but if you can days excluding Sundays just imagine the efforts of from the recorded date of Ash Wednesday up to Easter the readers, singing pages after pages of Bible verses Sunday. And then during for days is truly a symbol the famous Holy Week, we of commitment and would normally witness some performing penitence dedication to our local tradition honoring Him. of whipping one's back while walking the distance from one church to another In some provinces like Zambales and Baliwag, as they are committed to people strongly hold onto their yearly penitence. And another core tradition. by the time they reached This is “Pasyon”, a play their destination church, which re-enacts the life of their back will already be covered with blood as they Jesus focused on His Passion, Death and continuously whipped Resurrection. The act themselves. normally starts from His captivity nearing His Most Roman Catholics eat persecution until He was sparingly during Lent and placed on the cross. This avoid any connection to also includes the two technology. Individually, thieves who joined Him some would set a personal being nailed on the cross. sacrifice that they would complete in the duration of And these are real nails and real hammering of the 40 days. For example, the nail through their some would stop drinking flesh. In other provinces, beer or any alcoholic residential houses create beverages while some
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MARCH - APRIL 2019
small shrines at the end of their street where people in penitence would stop and pray until they complete visiting all of them. And another tradition that we do is the “Visita Iglesia” where you visit seven different churches on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. By the end of your journey, you would truly feel the revival of your spirituality and feel your closer connection to Him before your journey began. How about you, what is your penitence this season or next year's season of Lent? The key note to place in mind is it is not based on the difficulty level of what you choose to sacrifice. The purpose of which is to renew our commitment that has grown dull and live our life more in reflection than by routine. The mere fact that you have set aside a simple pleasurable habit during this period of Lent like not drinking coffee or not going to malls is already a break or change to your daily habit. Make your penitence out from your own current life reflection, a retreat from your old self to a whole new one. Have a blessed and meaningful Holy Week!
