Good Friday – the cemetery women (a must read)

I’ll revert back to the happenings I had during the Lenten Week because it was such an awesome week, experienced a few of many ‘firsts’. So from that eventful meeting with kuya Kevin on Black Saturday, I’ll go back one day further – Good Friday.

I was able to go (for the first time!) to the place where most of our scholars live – IN THE CEMETERY. Yes, they live side by side with the dead (I was only able to take one picture since my mobile phone can’t keep a lot). This was a public cemetery where the dead are not buried underground but incased, sealed in concrete boxes protruding from the ground.

We were going to conduct the “7 last words of Christ” there at 2:30 pm, without a roof over our heads, under the hot noon day sun. All of those who attended were married women and live there. Some children were playing in the background, literally atop the tombs.

I had to sit on a regular chair because my chair won't be able to navigate throu the walkways between the graves because they were too narrow. The whole scenery didn’t sink in until I happened to look down at something in front of me and this is what it was…

I was sitting right affront a tomb of what seems like that of a stillborn baby. When I looked up I realized we were conducting the service on top of graves and I suddenly noticed the epitaphs surrounding us.

One of the women who spoke first has 8 children, left by her husband five years ago and came back a week ago. She talked about forgiveness and how she struggles to keep and feed all the children, very heart-wrenching story. Then 7 others stood one after another to share Christ’s 7 last words on the cross. And they did pretty well. Despite their abject living condition, numerous children, husbands with vices, they still can stand up and talk and exhort about God. The “RESILIENT FILIPINA” for you!

Once again, I realized how blessed I am, living in the house I live in even with noisy neighbors. I’d prefer that anytime more than rotting human bones.

The families definitely are experiencing life over there, all the ups and downs of it but their faith, definitely more enduring than most of us who are in better states. Though they live among the dead, they’re absolutely alive in Christ!