Spiritual refreshment
Filipino Catholics will join the rest of Christendom in observing the Easter Triduum starting tomorrow, Holy Thursday, until Saturday night in the vigil that precedes the 50-day season of Easter.
City residents will disperse to rural areas to join family and friends in cherished ceremonies of piety in historic town churches.
In Cebu City, many will pray the Way of the Cross in pilgrimage sites like Celestial Gardens in barangay Guadalupe or Tabor Hill in barangay San Jose, to find meaning in scenes from Jesus Christ’s path to Calvary.
Tomorrow night they will witness bishops and priests like Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma reenact Christ’s washing of the feet of the apostles.
On Good Friday, they will reflect on the Siete Palabras or Seven Last Words of the dying Christ and join the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion that begins at 3 p.m., the time Christ died to save humanity.
On the night of Holy Saturday, they will listen to Gospel readings that tell of the love of God for man from the time of Adam till the resurrection of Christ on the third day since He died.
They will also renew, with lighted candles in hand, their baptismal promises to reject Satan and sin and embrace God and holiness.
Year in and year out, Filipinos show that they do not get tired of the repetitive celebration of the Paschal mystery during a long weekend.
That is because these days hold so much promise, apart from offering a break from the mundane business of livelihood and its many joys.
For every man and woman of good will, the Easter Triduum is a time of renewing commitment to faith, hope and love.
These days remind
– the businessman that it is useless to gain the world at the cost of his soul, the worker that all labor is in vain unaided by Divine Providence;
-the civil leader that he is in a position of power not to be served but to serve;
– the church leader that he is an ambassador of mercy;
– the sinner that he can turn a new leaf;
– and the saint that he is on the right track in helping make the world a fairer, more compassionate place.
We wish everyone a fruitful pause in these days of peace.
