Peace Corner

It’s Holy Week once again, that special time of the year when we “boil the hell” out of our hearts in response to God who gave His only Son, and in gratitude to Jesus who suffered, died and rose again for us. May this Holy Week give us all a chance to do three (3) very important R’s in life: Rest, Reflect, Renew.

I got these three things from Fr. Jerry Orbos, and it’s nice to know that as Filipino Catholics prepare for the various events in the final days of Christ’s life - His Passion, we will also be able to get the message of Holy Week for all the world, and it is not only that Christ suffered and died for us, but that He also rose from the dead for us.

The way Filipinos spend the week in total solemnity is something peculiar to the culture that values religious traditions. Holy Week in the Philippines starts with the celebration of Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday. It is on Palm Sunday that the Story of Christ’s Passion is read from the Gospel, which acts as a sort of preview for what will unfold during the rest of the week. Palm Sunday not only marks Christ’s entry into Jerusalem but, more importantly, symbolizes the faithful’s desire to accompany Christ, according to Fr. Diwa.

So as we get this chance to rest, let us also do some reflections on how to renew our lives in this life. Let us hear the Eucharistic Celebration it also gives hope that we sinners would rise again from our mistakes and sinful ways. Let us be prayerful and reflective during the days of Holy Week and to focus our thoughts and actions on God.