Blogging Miles Around the Metro

Don’t wonder why everyday affairs in the Philippines these days have come to a crawl. It’s Holy Week, one of the most revered and celebrated (but less commercialized than Christmas) occasions of the Catholic Church. It basically celebrates the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, and serves as the culmination of Lent (which, to obedient Catholics is 40 days of sacrifice), ending with a joyful Easter.

Though people usually take this time as an opportunity to go out of town, rest and relax (as this is more or less a week-long holiday), there are those who religiously (forgive the pun) observe Holy Week traditions, such as visiting and praying in as many churches as you can (Visita Iglesia), reflecting on the Way of the Cross, going to confession, attending the different services, attending retreats and recollections, and such. There are also those who take it to the extreme, with self-flagellation and having oneself nailed to the cross. You see, sacrifices can range from giving up cakes and chocolates to whipping your back bloody. People’s motivations range from showing sympathy for the passion of Christ, to making sacrifices in order to secure favor (somewhat like a tradeoff of sorts). The Catholic Church has frowned on the latter type of thinking when it comes to sacrifice, as it supposedly defeats the purpose of Holy Week as a time of reflection, and hopefully as an opportunity to start over for the better.

Here’s a clip I found showing some of the self-flagellating practices we call Penitensya.

Popularity: 23% [?]