Happy Easter

And again this is the second time that I know (or I thought) I have published it but when I woke up I didn't. Oh what is happening to me? LOL.

First of all I want to greet you all a Happy Easter to all of us! 

How was your Holy week? Earlier this morning I have heard a loud honk outside our house and I just woke up so I still do not have energy to get out of my bed. When I heard it, I know that it was the procession of our Risen Christ and our Mama Mary. Last year it was how our subdivision celebrated the Easter Sunday. We heard mass over Facebook live streaming from our local parish. Due to the pandemic and the increasing cases here in our country we are under second enhanced community quarantine again. 

However I was not able to wake up early because I stood up late checking out different andoid phones. Also my mom did not told me that there are already few church goers the past few weeks so I thought that they would not do the procession again. As much as I wanted to go out, I cannot since I was already too late. But even if I did not witness the procession, I just said a short prayer. 

After that, I cannot help but to think of the Holy werk that we had in the past. We are not the type who would go on outings or go out of town or out of the country during Holy week. When we were young, we used to be together in our house just watching some stories about Jesus especially before where cables were not yet known. Most TV programs were about Jesus. Even if we had watched it every year, it still feels good. Another show that I used to watch when I was young was 7th Heaven. There was a marathon of that show and you will really learn from Camden family which is really perfect for the Holy week. 

But there was one time when I had my summer vacation at my aunt's house is Laguna. I think I was less than 10 years old and it was my first time to see a person doing penance where he also nailed himself in the cross. I was so young that I did not know what that means and as I grew up, I have known that some Filipinos make it their Holy week tradition to do penance and one of that is by nailing themselves into the cross. Though I do not know what happened to them after because my older cousin covered my eyes when the guy was being nailed. Then after that we ate street foods and it was my first time to know about betamax, pig's blood but I haven't tried it ever in my life. I hope soon I can try it. 

Going back, it is so sad to say that there are now only a few shows that talks about Jesus or even if there will be some shows about it, people have many options to switch to different channels or watch different movies or vlogs that is not about Jesus. I feel like people are forgetting why we are here today. I too am guilty of not reflecting during this Holy week nor did I fast in a long time. I remember that we would rent some VHS tapes just in time for the Holy week so that we have something to watch on Good Friday. Let me know if you can relate with VHS tapes. LOL. 

If we are not in pandemic right now, where do you think would you be? As for us, my family will still be our house but we usually do Visita Iglesia on Maundy Thursday. I am not really sure how many churches it is during Visita Iglesia but we visit 7 churches and recite 2 stations of the cross on each church. After that we would have lunch and then go home. On Easter Sunday we will hear mass and that's it. We do not have any celebration or feast during that day. I have not experienced those Easter egg hunt when I was young and I do not even know the reason behind it. It is like a normal day for our family. 

I think there was only one time when I had an outing during Maundy Thursday and it was with the second company that I have worked with. If you have read my Missing you articles, I have mentioned it there. My parents does not really want us to go out of town during Holy weeks as they feel that we are more at risks during those times especially on a Good Friday. 

I just hope that in the next Holy week, people would learn how to reflect during this days and never forget about the real meaning or purpose of it. I hope that there will be more shows that teaches us about Jesus or shows about life's lessons. Last night my mom and I were watching Sa'yo Lamang (or Only you in english translation). I have already watched it before but no matter how many times I have watched it, I still ended up in tears. It was my mom's first to watch it and she was totally crying. I told her that most Filipino movies that are about family are really a tear jerker. I enumerated some and she agreed. When I have mentioned Magnifico, it turns out that it was the next show. Although we did not watch it because it was already late and my mom would cry again with that movie. 

Lastly, I also think that parents should also be a role model to their children during Holy week. They should set an example so that even if there aren't any shows or story about Jesus on TV, their child would grow up to know more about Him and His savrifices for us. If we would always rely on TV, then they may grow up not knowing about our Saviour. 

I have one college blockmate who disconnects from social media during the start of the Lenten season. It is her way of sacrificing one thing. I know that the Lenten season is over but if you were to sacrifice one thing, what would it be and care to share why? At this moment, it is hard for me to think of what to give up for more than a month. I cannot say that I would also give up my social media accounts since I have been inactive on those platforms for quite a while now. I only posted during my dad and my brother's birthday in the past few weeks. Though I have not posted my brother's birthday on Facebook yet. I also cannot remember the last time I scrolled on my Facebook. On Instagram I have checked out some food businesses since my friend tagged me in a lot of food the other day. 

The only thing that I can say that is hard for me to give up is my phone. Even if I am not active on Facebook and Instagram, I am active here on read.cash, noise.cash and other money earning platforms. I am still not sure if I can sacrifice it next year but who knows right? If I cannot give up my phone then next that I would give up are eating pork/beef, carbs, oil, sweets and salty foods. I had done it in the past and the first few months were really a struggle for me that I want to cry for only having boiled chicken and boiled vegetables but I have survived. I guess I have to think of what to sacrifice next year if I want to really take the Lenten season whole heartedly and I hope you would do to as well. 

We love because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19

P.S. my lead image was the procession from Easter Sunday 2020