Umbrella
By ingrid
@ridingbet (66854)
Philippines
March 25, 2018 6:19am CST
I positioned myself in the patio of the cathedral for the blessing of the palm leaves before the start of the next mass at 10:30AM. My sister went inside the church. The officiating priest’s voice can be heard outside the church because of loudspeakers.
Communion of the faithful came, and the priest for the next mass came. He went up the small stage, and prepared the Holy Water to bless the palms. Many people started to shake their palms, but I whispered the priest will do the blessing once the 9:30 mass ends.
Then it ended. The priest started to say the prayer. A lot of us asked those who were in front of us to close their umbrellas. It seems these women with umbrellas were all using skin whitening lotions because they refused to close their umbrellas. The woman beside me said, “There are many here who want their leaves to be blessed. Put down your umbrellas”. I also said, “Can we not make a sacrifice to withstand the scorching sun’s rays and put down your umbrellas? We need to be blessed too”.
The women in front heeded. (My voice was loud that time.) they closed their big umbrellas. Our palm leaves were blessed by the priest.
It was a sacrifice to be under the sun’s rays. It is my first sacrifice for the Holy Week.
9 people like this
8 responses
@LadyDuck (502234)
• Italy
25 Mar 18
@ridingbet The palms are distributed to the people after the Mass is over and they have been blessed. Usually people make an offer when they get the palm.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
25 Mar 18
so the palms are not bought by the people themselves?
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
26 Mar 18
@LadyDuck so, the people bring their own palms leaves/branches? and after the blessing, they get their own?
if the church there give the palms voluntarily, then maybe they have many palm trees and plants to get the leaves from.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9170)
• United States
29 Mar 18
@ridingbet Wow sounds like they need to do some praying and read an manners Manuel.
1 person likes this
@mom210 (9170)
• United States
30 Mar 18
@ridingbet Oh I have seen it too, the low cut shirts and short short skirts. Tasteless.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
26 Mar 18
i can attest to that. you might not believe me, but while the priest was saying the gospel, there were a group of women, scantily dressed, and conversing loud behind me, and telling the priest to sprinkle the Holy water in the place where they are standing. i and the woman beside me had to look at them constantly because i thought they were only there to show their arms and legs and not to participate in the blessing of the palms.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59708)
• Philippines
26 Mar 18
That was unreasonable of them keeping their umbrellas open.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
26 Mar 18
right on that. if they wished not to darken their skin, they should have worn long sleeves, or hats. not umbrellas.
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
26 Mar 18
That's the problem with people with using whitening lotion, they just so afraid to go back to being brown and all.
In our case, it's the parishioners who did it on our way out, with the blessing of the priest of course.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
26 Mar 18
hahaha! i agree with you. i wonder why Filipinas of brown complexion want to be whiter, when our natural colors are envied by Europeans, that they do sunbath for longer periods of time.
after the blessing, we attended the 10:30 mass until communion, and many still flocked in the stage, but i thought to myself that there was no more blessing because 10:30AM was the last mass in the morning.
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
25 Mar 18
yes, and all 15 leaves are distributed in our house and my brother's house as well
1 person likes this
@Jessabuma (31696)
• Baguio, Philippines
25 Mar 18
I didn't go to church today. I didn't attend palm Sunday . It is only once a year but I didn't make it.
I am just happy to know your palm leaves blessed . And to the girl who has umbrella , if she doesn't want to expose on sun it is good to go inside the church.
1 person likes this
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
26 Mar 18
@Jessabuma I don't know how many holyweeks I didn't attend to. But I can tell you this, it gets you depressed over time.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
25 Mar 18
the church was already so full of many people, that is why i decided to stay outside. i should not be in a toxic place because of my heart.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45628)
• Philippines
25 Mar 18
people used to be considerate about their behavior. nowadays you have to speak up to the point you have to even shame them a bit. people have changed so much.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
25 Mar 18
my voice is naturally loud, so i knew they heard me. yes, there are many who do not do what is appropriate and right for the occasion.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
25 Mar 18
that is my own perception because those women wore long sleeved blouses or cardigans and it was so hot at that time. i think yes, they should live in the summer capital of my country.
