Lenten Week

Our “holy Week” begins on Palm Sunday which is the Sunday before the week of Lent. On this particular day, people buy palm branches in remembrance of Christ’s triumphant entry to Jerusalem.

In this week-long commemoration of the lent, we have the “Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and then the Easter Sunday”, all religiously observed in the Philippines. Although most of the activities traditionally done roots from the Catholic Church, non- Catholic denominations adopted their own. Some have their retreats and some abstain from certain foods.

During the lent week, we also have what’s called reading of the “Pasyon” (Reading of the passages from Christ’s triumphant entry to Jerusalem to the time of His crucifixion) night and day without rest. The readers are hired, either monetarily paid or with free meals.

Aside from having the longest commemoration of lent, we also have the most ridiculous superstition that goes along with it.

" Be extra careful on Good Friday and Black Saturday, no bath or showers for you might slip and injure yourself, Jesus is supposed to be dead during these days and can’t help you."

Weird huh? ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES!

The Lenten week ends on Easter Sunday where most churches have sunrise services and usually superstition followers have taken baths already. So don’t dread going to church, no one will be stinky. And being a Christian, I do not live by superstitious beliefs.

Whatever you’re doing this Lent week, just remember we do this for the remembrance of Christ’s suffering on the cross, of God’s love that He sent Jesus Christ (John 3:16) to redeem us from our sins and eternal damnation and we better be most grateful for it. And the best way to appreciate that is to live pleasing Him not just during the Lenten season but before and long after.