Reflection Paper from the Holy Week of 2002

Traditional Roman Catholic Filipinos would spend their Holy Week in solitude and in prayer. They would pray all day and all night, recite different readings and reflect on their lives and on the life and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. This would reflect the devotion of these people to their religion and tradition. In the present times, the traditional people I was referring to earlier are already a scarce in the society. Typical Filipinos, including Roman Catholic’s, would spend their Holy Week vacationing, frolicking and resting from the hustle and bustle of our frantic city life. I don’t see it as a bad thing for I am not a Catholic myself. I read the papers during the Holy Week and read the opinions of the Priests of the Catholic Church saying that they’re saddened with the fact that the people are not that devoted to the Church in following the traditions of the Church during the Holy Week. Nevertheless, it’s a fact that we must all accept that times are changing and so are the people.

As for me, I spent the Holy Week working on all the things I can do in the house, taking the opportunity of the long vacation. Yes, working through the Holy Week. Bad trip, right? Pero ok lang yun. As I said earlier, I am not a Catholic. Protestant po ako. For me, the most important date during the Holy Week is Easter Sunday for this is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and this is really a day of celebration! But for the rest of the week, I worked my ass off in the house but not that literally. We also came to visit some of our relatives in the nearby provinces and had a fellowship there.

While working, I was also reflecting on what I’m doing and what Jesus had done. What I’m doing was nothing compared to what he did for me and you…to die for our sins. Pretty though, right?? But then, I’m only human and cannot match what He did but Him?? A God who died for mortals like us? It’s pretty amazing and touching! I felt that I am really special that He did that for me for me not to go through all those hardships!

Next year, I would probably do what I did this year or even go on vacation but one thing’s for sure, that I’ll always keep in me the true meaning of the Holy Week and Easter that no matter how you spend it, you know the meaning and you keep in you!