'In the silence and solitude of the Holy Week, visit your heart.'
By eileenleyva
@eileenleyva (27555)
Philippines
March 29, 2021 6:33pm CST
There's one too many traditional practices that I am going to miss this year again. I thought last year was simply just an extraordinary case in point - a lockdown to prevent the spread of the disease. But the disease has lingered far longer than we wanted. We are again on another lockdown.
Missed waving my palm branches last Sunday. The singing of Hosanna as our Lord enters Jerusalem aboard a donkey is an activity I enjoy tremendously.
This Holy Tuesday, am usually with fellow church servants singing the Passion in the traditional Pabasa.
Recollection on Maundy Thursday, with the Washing of the Feet in the early evening, and a vigil through Good Friday before my daughters and I embark on Visita Iglesia of seven churches. Used to be fourteen. Ha ha
The UP Church of the Holy Sacrifice was always our first stop. The murals of the Stations of the Cross there are life-like.
Must be home before noon in order to get to listen to the Seven Last Words.
Black Saturday is really bleak. But I'll opt for the bleak any time. The quiet during Holy Week is my thing.
The lockdown imposed the quiet in Christendom. We are not allowed to go out.
But Fr. Louie of SVD has a suggestion - 'In the silence and solitude of the Holy Week - visit your heart.'
I think I will seriously do exactly that.
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4 responses
@cherigucchi (15932)
• Philippines
30 Mar 21
It is the most rightful moment to have some self-reflection
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@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Mar 21
My facebook memories show photographs of the faithful as they go about the rituals in commemorating the Passion of our Lord. Includes the image of a poor boy touching the foot of the Santo Entierro. He must have wondered what happened to the Lord.
Am reflecting upon that cruelty man has rendered our Messiah. Man still very cruel right now. What could our Lord Jesus do more?
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@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
31 Mar 21
@cherigucchi Saul was bad and he persecuted Christians. Threw the first stone at the first Christian martyr Stephen. Made a complete turn-around after an encounter with our Lord in the road to Damascus. Thus he became Paul, the Apostle, the greatest salesman of Christianity.
Let us not give up hope for men who erred. Our God loves sinners, too.
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@cherigucchi (15932)
• Philippines
30 Mar 21
@eileenleyva Man never changes for the better but I am still hopeful that somehow man realizes his mistakes and go back to God.
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@gamayngbaki (1601)
• Cebu, Philippines
30 Mar 21
Perhaps the Lord has no option anymore but to force most Christians to sit down and be still to be able to listen to His voice once again.
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@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Mar 21
That thought entered my mind early on when the news broke that Wuhan, China was put on a lockdown but many escaped the city. The pandemia was inevitable. The virus was both novel and lethal. Reached Italy and Europe in no time. Life was literally shut down. It was heart-breaking watching Pope Francis praying alone. Finally, man was repressed. Time to focus on God's mercy.
But we learn now how more arrogant man is, defying science and persisting on his wicked ways.
@kaylachan (84930)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Mar 21
Lockdowns don't work and aren't the answer. Viruses will spread rather you stay home or not.
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@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Mar 21
Worked in Samoa.
Worked for us also, except that many were persuaded by others and deliberately disobeyed physical distancing protocol. Infuriating these gullible and stubborn creatures.
@RasmaSandra (98156)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Mar 21
Holy Week was always a bit confusing to me in Latvia because the days are different it is in translation Green Thursday Big Friday Holy Saturday and then Easter,
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@eileenleyva (27555)
• Philippines
30 Mar 21
Not privy to the Latvian terminologies but Holy Week is the culmination of the long season of Lent. Begins on a Domingo de Ramos or Palm Sunday, a re-enactment of our Lord's triumphant entry to Jerusalem.
In my country, we have the reading of the entire Passion of our Lord in the vernacular. It is actually sung in more than twenty melancholic tunes, directly from a book called Pasyon. The ritual is called Pabasa.
On Maundy Thursday, the activities are confined to the washing of the feet of the apostles, followed by a vigil.
Good Friday sends the faithful on Calvary by visiting seven churches on foot. (I traveled by car.)
Black Saturday is quiet. We complete reading the Bible of watching Biblical movies.
Black Saturday marks the end of Lent.
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