HOLY WEEK DRAMAS
Among the traditional Holy Week practices in our hometown are the “Pabasa” and the “Prusisyon” of the characters that participated in the Salvation Drama.
The Marquez clan of my grandmother side owns the antique image of San Pedro Apostol while the Aviñante clan of my grandfather side owns the antique image of Mater Dolorosa.
This year it is our family’s turn to sponsor the “Pabasa” and the “Prusisyon” of San Pedro Apostol. That is the reason why my eldest and youngest sons who are both based in Autralia are coming home together with my eldest grandson who is carrying my family name.
During the “Pabasa” on Holy Tuesday we invited members of the Marquez clan to join the celebration together with friends, the other relatives from all sides. It is a kind of Religious Reunion for everyone.
More especially we invited a group of Passion Chanters who shall participate in reading a part of the Holy Passion of Jesus Christ. More than a dozen images shall be in procession to dramatize the Salvation Drama of Jesus Christ from His triumphant entry to Jerusalem on “Domingo de Ramos”, His Suffering Procession on Holy Wednesday, His Burial Procession on Holy Friday and His Glorious meeting with His Mother on Easter Sunday at the “Galilea”.
These Holy Week rituals are traditionally done all over the country in different colorful manners. Some with various ways of performing the “Penitencia”,that includes the actual crucifixion of some penitents. A dramatization of Christ’s life is lavishly presented through “Cenaculo” and different manners of doing the Fourteen Stations of The Cross and the “Visita Iglesia”.
All these ritualistic practices are offshoots of the Spaniards’ motivations while Christianizing the Filipinos when they came. It is lamentable that while the motivations are improved and continued, the original lessons intended by the Spaniards are forgotten and even caused the appearance of many confusing religious sects.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
EL NIÑO'S RAINS
El NIÑO’S RAINS
Yesterday I woke up in a ‘”gloomy” morning. Thick, dark clouds like the yokes of century eggs were hovering all over the skies but everybody was happy. The “gloom” was in fact a welcome development now that everyone was praying for rains.
The effects of El Niño have been damaging farms, plants and animals. Diseases were appearing one after another. Heat was somehow devastating every individual. The appearance of dark “gloomy” clouds were like sudden sparks of light during black outs.
The dark clouds were possibly brought about by artificial cloud-seeding to induce rains. But rain, it did not. Instead very tiny particles of raindrops showered for a while making everyone exposed to them, catched colds. Sneezing and coughing were the untoward results. What a waste of money if it was indeed cloud-seeding that carried the thick dark clouds for a while.
When the climate was very hot, even tempers rise too often and too easily. Misunderstandings ensued quickly and quarrels became very common incidents and to think that we were only at the early stage of El Niño phenomenon.
Authorities announced that the heat wave was expected to last ‘till the month of June. Natural springs were gone and small rivers were dried. People were requested to save water but fires were left and right like every time during fire-prevention month. It was ironic that water was supposed to be saved and fire was supposed to be prevented.
While El Niño was doubling its damages to life and properties, candidates for the coming elections were throwing lots of money trying to destroy each other.
The whole day I was in complaining mood until I went to bed and then all of a sudden this morning when I woke up it was raining gently. People’s lamentations must have reached heaven which gave us the kind of rain that penetrated the scorched soil.
Instead of singing my favorite childhood song: “Rain, rain go away”, I belted out “All flowers will sing, all fields will rejoice, true joy is all around. All flowers will sing, all fields will rejoice,.. Good rain is now pouring down.
Yesterday I woke up in a ‘”gloomy” morning. Thick, dark clouds like the yokes of century eggs were hovering all over the skies but everybody was happy. The “gloom” was in fact a welcome development now that everyone was praying for rains.
The effects of El Niño have been damaging farms, plants and animals. Diseases were appearing one after another. Heat was somehow devastating every individual. The appearance of dark “gloomy” clouds were like sudden sparks of light during black outs.
The dark clouds were possibly brought about by artificial cloud-seeding to induce rains. But rain, it did not. Instead very tiny particles of raindrops showered for a while making everyone exposed to them, catched colds. Sneezing and coughing were the untoward results. What a waste of money if it was indeed cloud-seeding that carried the thick dark clouds for a while.
When the climate was very hot, even tempers rise too often and too easily. Misunderstandings ensued quickly and quarrels became very common incidents and to think that we were only at the early stage of El Niño phenomenon.
Authorities announced that the heat wave was expected to last ‘till the month of June. Natural springs were gone and small rivers were dried. People were requested to save water but fires were left and right like every time during fire-prevention month. It was ironic that water was supposed to be saved and fire was supposed to be prevented.
While El Niño was doubling its damages to life and properties, candidates for the coming elections were throwing lots of money trying to destroy each other.
The whole day I was in complaining mood until I went to bed and then all of a sudden this morning when I woke up it was raining gently. People’s lamentations must have reached heaven which gave us the kind of rain that penetrated the scorched soil.
Instead of singing my favorite childhood song: “Rain, rain go away”, I belted out “All flowers will sing, all fields will rejoice, true joy is all around. All flowers will sing, all fields will rejoice,.. Good rain is now pouring down.
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