Holy week or here we called "Semana Santa" Is getting near, hear in our country we do such tradition and it is week of solemn contemplation on the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, this is being observed in our country every year. It is a special as any of the regular holiday season specially for devout Catholics.
And although all of us may differ in value and beliefs, religion and spiritual growth still plays a significant role in us Filipinos. This is why Philippines remains to be the "Bastion of Christianity" in Asia and its the 5th largest catholic in the world.
Traditional and Practices that Filipino usually do during Semana Santa.
Waving of the palspas
In Palm Sunday also called the Passion Sunday, this is were we buy our palaspas or decorated Palm fronds to church to be blessed by the priest. Then we attend the Sunday mass and waved it upon the priest's entry to the church is a customary and a reenactment of Jesus's entrance to the Jerusalem. Where our Lord also knows that after his welcoming he is entering a pain that he never know he'll have.. Then after the mass we will bring home out palaspas and it will be replaced after another year of palaspas.
Fasting from Food
I remember my mom evey Sunday that we will go tattend a mass she will not eat any food just half cup of tea is okay with her. She said that every Sunday she'll first take the body of Christ or the oscha during the communion. So our mass needs to be early because we really feel the hunger after the mass, but Jesus while carrying his cross had no meal or even water. So why we can't bear a hungry stomach for God and the Church also ses that every Good Friday only one meal is ehough. Although liquids were never mentioned during the Lenten fast. This is a part of remembering the sacrifices that Jesus did for mankind.
Participating in "Pabasa ng Pasyon
Pabasa ng Pasyon or Reading of the Passion during holy week in our country is a devout Catholics practice in reading or Pabasa by constantly chanting the Pasyong Mahal a 16th century poem narrating the life Passion death and resurrection of Jesus. It really takes almost a week our old maids or server in the church patiently chant the pabasa.
Visiting seven Churches "Visita Iglesia"
The Seven Churches Visitation is a Lenten tradition that dates back to the 1500s. Considered to be one of the most common practices when remembering Christ's Passion. I remember we do this kind of visiting, we will start early in the morning about 6am then every church will stop we will go down and visit the church mostly we start with the farest church because we will finished by late night it's really a tiring day but it's all worth because seven Churches to visit. Then my mom said when you enter a church that's new to you you can make a wish. And so I did because out Lord grant my wish.
Staging Senakulo
Senakulo was derived from the Spanish word cenaculo which means the place where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his discipline. And our country it's already part of the Lenten tradition to stage a Senakulo, a play depicting the life and passion of Jesus Christ. I remember when I was in aunts place I watched the act of Senakulo where our countryman will present an act where they will crucified their selves in the cross. I was then amazed because I also see a man who acts a Judas the one who betray Jesus he hang his self on the tree and the presentation was really closed to real scene.
We also had pentensya or repentance is a Lenten virtual which is practiced on Maundy Thursday and Holy Friday. Locals typically perform the rituals as a spiritual gesture to repent for sins, to commemorate and appreciate the sacrifices of Christ, and to fulfill a vow or a promise. Controversially, and contrary to the wishes of the Catholic Church, which views the ritual as heretical participation involves penitent; hooded, half naked men, scouging themselves by cutting and whipping their flesh with leather straps or straps of bamboo as an extreme act of mortification.
Joining the salubong on Easter Sunday
Salubong is one of the most common religious traditions in the Philippines that happens during the morning or dawn of eater Sunday. This Is where we are going celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. And i remember we walked far or called prosisyon where we start fron our Church and go to a place only by walking i was young and tired and I'm only with my mom and I can't just gived up because that's the thing that us Catholics had stedfast, strong and had a long patience. It's all worth it because it's all because of our Lord comeback to life
Closing Thoughts
My mom was really a religious person. I adore her for her amazing knowledge in our Religion so she enrolled me in a catholic school were I learned all about the saints and Jesus 12 disciples. And even having a good and a pure heart. "He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds are healed" (Isaiah 53:5) The innocent Son of God took our punishment for our own sins. He cleaned and washed it all for this world to be pure and healed. And we all hope that all of us who knew his words will tell everyone the Gospel of our Lord. We know must repent our sins and took a change for a better us.
Thank you so much for dropping by,
Love, UsagiGallardo215 🌙
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