Biyernes Santo

It was another scorching day which left our entire household doing nothing and panting for a cooler remedy other than the air conditioning unit in my mum’s room. Good thing we still have a couple of seasons of Sex and the City which kept us entertained the entire day. However, I still wished we gone out of town even for today. We should have drove our butt to Bulacan or Pampanga to see men and women alike doing penitence of sort.

About three months ago, I saw the documentary made by Discover channel on religious festivities and traditions observed in various countries. The Philippines was among those countries featured. But seeing how the local practice of self-flagellation was portrayed, the practice appeared cult-like and horrid than how it really is.

Anyway, amidst the predominance of the Catholic faith folklore and superstitions is still a very part of the Philippine custom. Elders would proscribed bathing after three o’clock in the afternoon of Good Friday (the time at which Jesus is traditionally believed to have died) as water is said to turn into His blood. Noise is also discouraged and the faithful are urged to keep a solemn and prayerful disposition through Black Saturday.

It is also believed that today is the perfect time to re-charge and test anting-anting (magickal amulets and charms). Others believed that spirits and other entities are especially active during this time. I am still unable to witness an actual testing of these so called anting-anting but a very good friend of mine attested that legitimacy of these practices in the mountains of Rizal. He also affirmed that spirits do roam freely during the night of Good Friday to Black Saturday.

Can you see now how diversified the Filipino faith is?

Maundy Thursday

I know what I wrote at the start of this week but it was very humid and summer-ry hot this morning and I woke up late from our DVD marathon last night and I was, to put it plainly, too stubborn to do the Bisita Iglesia even if I promised to write my first hand experience if it. So sorry I messed up! Anyway, I’ll just share a couple of my thoughts and things I heard and learned from family and friends.

The Bisita Iglesia is traditionally carried out on this day which involves visiting a church or several churches to pray at the altar of repose or do the Stations of the Cross. Last week, I brought it up to a few friends who surprisingly shared different practices they observe during the bisita.

As far as I know and can remember, my lola (grandma) told me that nine churches are visited during the bisita, where in every church the Stations of the Cross is prayed. Some visits 14 churches since there are 14 stations in the Station of the Cross. Here in Manila, the bisita is typically observed walking from one church to another during broad day light.

On the other hand, my friend Dei (who is from a devout clan in the North and who formerly attended a seminary school) said that the bisita should be carried out after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, usually ending by seven or eight o’clock. His family only visits nine churches and prayed at the altar of repose where the Blessed Sacrament can also be seen. He further added that the bisita should be completed before the clock strikes midnight. When I asked him the rationale behind their practice, he averred that the essence of this practice is to keep the faithful awake and on watch for on this day Jesus Christ was ceased. I quote the following from his email –

After the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the consecrated host will be brought via procession to an altar of repose prepared for vigil. This ritual commemorates the praying and agony of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It must be remembered that Jesus was accompanied by apostles Peter, John and Andrew (I’m not sure with the last one) but Jesus went farther after He instructed His apostles to pray that their spirits might be strengthened. After some time, Jesus came back and found His apostles asleep. He was saddened with this sight and He woke them saying “Can you not watch even for an hour with me?”, hence the vigil for an hour or so during Maundy Thursday and all Thursdays before First Friday of every month.

I maintain that some Catholics practice bisita iglesia erroneously because of lack of guidance by their priests. We are supposed to keep watch to the Blessed Sacrament until midnight to accompany and comply with Jesus’ request to pray with Him in asking the Father for strength to fulfill His mission. Remember that those were one of the MOST IMPORTANT HOURS in Jesus’ life because it was during those hours that He pleaded God to take away the cup of suffering from Him if it were His will but finally decided to drink it for the love of you.

The conversations I had with Dei inspired me to look into the practices and traditions of my former faith. Maybe I’ll go about the celebration of this rite next year.

pass the mic lola!

As much as I can remember, my brothers and I would know the end of our frolicking outside and the start of the semana santa once the fat lady starts to sing, literary!

Up until this day, our relatives [slash] neighbor has hosted the yearly pabasa every Holy Monday of the Holy Week. The pabasa (literally, reading) or the pasyon is a marathon chanting of the story of Jesus – his life, passion, and death. This is typically sung in rhythmic tone. There are some who use the melody of local folk songs while others do the less conservative, modern tune of popular novelty songs, which I personally felt uncalled for since it cast mockery over a great piece of literature deserving of respect and solemn delivery.

Anyway, the pabasa in our neighborhood usually continues days and night for as long as two straight days. You certainly won’t miss this since the pasyon is recited through use of microphone and loud speakers. And that’s not all, one barangay (community) can have as many pasyon as there are families residing. Can you just imagine if all of these families will each have their own pasyon? Talk about noise pollution. Worse, foreigners might mistake these communities for a local strip joint.

I expect to hear those chanting when I come home tonight and maybe spare a couple of sleepless nights – it’s the season to repent and sacrifice anyway. And maybe I could even use a practice stretching my vocal cords and belt out a couple of lines. Move over lola (grandma), I’m singing this set! 🙂

yo everybody just raise you hands and.. waaaaave

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Holy Week. Here in the Philippines, Catholics go to mass carrying palaspas or palm leaves, similar to how the people of Jerusalem welcomed Jesus when He entered the city. A friend once told me that in some churches, the first mass of Palm Sunday is celebrated with a short procession within the compound of the church. Before this procession starts, the main entrance to the church is close while the churchgoers gather outside waving the palaspas on their hands. The procession is lead by the priest carrying a crucifix. Upon reaching the closed entrance of the church, he will ceremonially strike the crucifix against the door which will dramatically open (bonga!). The procession ends when the churchgoers enter the church and then the mass is celebrated.

Palaspas is traditionally made from young coconut leaves. Some of its leaves are woven while some are retained to stick up. A typical palaspas is never complete without an artificial flower made of crepe paper (I know it’s funny). It cost Php15 to Php20 but we got ours for Php5. How? Attend the last mass of the night and probably the vendors will even give it for Php2 🙂

Anyway, Filipinos have this blessed by the priest before the mass is celebrated and then taken back home and placed on top of the main entrance or window. It is believed to drive away evil spirits and protect the dwellers from all sorts of harm. Some burn a little portion of it during storm believing that it will dodge lightning from hitting the house. I used it to exorcize my brother – relentlessly hitting and slashing it against during them.

Postscript: Much thanks to Munsterinc and Diamonds_in_the_soles_of_her_shoes for the photos I used. Clink on their names to visit their flickr accounts. Spread the love!

semana santa 2007

Yes I know I had it coming. You might probably think why post something out of my alley. I shouldn’t really in the first place but since I was considering to try-out blogging about the Filipino culture and local traditions and practices, it’s only fitting and timely to cover the observance of Holy Week.

Having the distinction for being the first predominantly Catholic country in Asia (formerly the only Catholic country in Asia), most of this nation’s traditions are rooted in the Catholic faith and observance of the Holy Week tops the list. Holy Week or commonly referred to as Semana Santa, Mahal na Araw and Kuwaresma, recounts the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is treated as the most important religious festival, wherein Holy/Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are declared legal holidays.

Commemoration of the Holy Week encompasses a number of rites and traditions observed among which the palaspas, fasting, Pabasa (reading of the Passion of Christ) and Bisita Iglesia (church visit) are commonly practiced throughout the country. There are also communities in the provinces where devotees engage in self-flagellation as form of penance and part of their panata (promise) to Christ. I had the chance to see this rite a few years ago and believe me those are no easy task.

Ironically, some Filipinos take this opportunity to go on out of town vacations both for leisure and solemn contemplation. Among the popular tourist destinations are Baguio city, a number of swimming resorts in Laguna, the beaches in Aninao (Batangas) Puerto Galera (Ortiental Mindoro) and Pagudpud (Ilocos Norte), and Mt. Balahaw and Mt. San Cristobal in Quezon province among others. Further, those of have the dough to spend are likely to be found in Boracay.

However in essence, my late grandma instilled in me that the Holy Week should be spend in prayerful repose and with thoughts of Jesus Christ’s sufferings to redeem us.

Hopefully I’ll post details on the observance of the Holy Week. Have a blessed and solemn kuwaresma to everyone (even Jollibee is on prayerful repose)!