Me Time

It's just a day before Holy Week as I write this piece. Amidst the snow that has been pouring unabatedly from the skies since the wee hours of the morning,  I read with interest today's Gospel reading wherein Jesus hid Himself in a place called Ephraim before proceeding to Jersulem to be hailed as King on Palm Sunday and condemned as a criminal on Good Friday. As He hid in the desert before His public ministry, so He hid in Ephraim (which so happened to be near the desert) before the start of His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

 

In spite of being a busy, itinerant preacher cum healer, Jesus made sure He had that 'me time'. Jesus was always in communion with His Father.  His disciples would attest how they found Him in a deserted place praying or how He Himself encouraged them to go to a deserted place to rest. For Jesus, rest is important even if it's a brief one. 

 

During my first retreat ages ago, the retreat master explained to us that  just as soldiers in war retreat to assess themselves and make a better plan of action, so must we examine ourselves and make better our conduct in life. By going 'on retreat' to Ephraim, Jesus wanted to give a closer and harder look at what He has already done and how He could have made it better so as to fulfill the Father's will. 

 

For a couple of Thursdays, I have been visiting the Blessed Sacrament at the St Barnabas Cathedral, a few minutes' walk from where I work.  The Blessed Sacrament is exposed for a few hours and then towards the end of the vigil, a basket full of pieces of paper with names of sick and dying persons is placed near the altar.  Once this is done, the Rosary is recited. 

 

On the first Thursday that I made the visit, I was a bit hesitant to stay on. I was thinking that I need to have my lunch. I was thinking of the long list I have to do in the office. My mind was trying to go somewhere else.  Yet, for some reason, the lovely countenance of the exposed Blessed Sacrament held me to stay put.  When the sacred host was put back in the tabernacle, I left the cathedral refreshed.

 

I'm very grateful to the Lord for giving me the chance to visit Him. I felt that this is one of the devotions that I have neglected for a number of years already.  I wish to carry it on, with God's grace and blessing. It was indeed a 'Me Time' for me. A chance to present my poor, humble self to the Lord and allow Him to clothe me in His love.  Though we are sinners, it is still His love that conquers all. It's His love that matters!

 

God keeps on calling us no matter what or when.  He's there in the quiet of our hearts. As we usher in Holy Week, let's be more attentive to the Lord's invitation. One with Jesus, our Saviour and King, let's return to the Father's embrace and be empowered so that we may lovingly welcome the Judas, Barabas, Hestas (if I may borrow Dona Delila's common expression) in our midst, fearlessly face the mob that is eager to devour us, and patiently carry our crosses.

 

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Today marks the 44th death anniversary of a grandmother that I have never known, save for some accounts told and retold by my elders: Laureana "Lola Osay" Samaniego, my mother's mother.  I was told that Lola Osay used to chant the Pasyong Mahal in the village chapel in Wakas, Kawit, Cavite.  That was a devotion she passed on to Mommy Rosie (Mama's older sister). Mommy Rosie would later pass it on to me.  In a way, her faith continues to thrive in her heirs.  May God bless your kind soul, Lola Osay! We love you.

 

 

 

Walk With Mary!

One of the great attractions at the St Peter’s Basilica in Rome is the Madonna della Pieta, a marble statue sculptured by Michelangelo depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the lifeless body of Jesus. The Virgin’s head is bowed down gazing on her Son. Her left hand opened as a sign of resignation for such a great loss. Her face is serene and young. More so, her body seems bigger than that of Jesus. Some people would argue that having been totally drained because of hunger, lack or absence of sleep, and physical and mental pain Jesus would surely be emaciated. A high school teacher once explained that the reason for such depiction is to show how big a mother’s heart is for her children, how it embraces us no matter what.

If we try to put ourselves in the shoes of the Blessed Mother, how would we feel when we hear how our child has been unjustly tried, tortured, and killed by the same people to whom He showed unconditional kindness? There’s an interesting scene in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” where Mary approached Jesus who stumbled under the weight of the cross. Mary asked her Son if she could take her place. Jesus replied: “Mother, behold I make all things new.”

As we enter Holy Week and recall the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, let us walk with Mary! Possessing that stout heart and obedient faith like her, let us allow Jesus to “make all things new” in our life. Let us allow Jesus to fill in the gaps in our being, to heal the wounds in us, to cleanse the stain in our heart, to sustain our spirit.


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In my previous article, I raised my reservations on the Pasyong Mahal that is currently being used in Tagalog-speaking regions in the Philippines this Lent and especially during Holy Week. I have read that Bienvenido Lumbera (National Artist for Literature) criticized this as “a piece of plagiarism which was an attempt to update the language of Aquino de Belen”. (Gaspar Aquino de Belen, a 17th century Filipino writer, poet, and translator, was the first one who wrote the Pasyon under the title of “Mahal na Pasison ni Jesu Christong Panginoon Nation na Tola” in 1704. The current work was written by an anonymous writer in 1814.) Lumbera was also uneasy with the absence of rhyme or rhythm and it was halatang kinopya!

It was said that other versions from Aquino de Belen were published, but were found to be heretical and have been censured by the Spanish friars.

I think, the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines (CBCP) particularly the bishops in the Tagalog-speaking regions, should invest time and effort to review the Pasyong Mahal and weed out what is not based on Sacred Scriptures and Sacred tradition, that includes the portrayal of St Joseph as an old man when he was wed to Mary and, much worse, a coward who preferred to die rather than see Jesus suffering. The CBCP should involve people from the academe or the likes of Lumbera as the Pasyon is also a work of art, a religious art. I cannot comment on non-Tagalog versions of the Pasyon, but it’s worth a project to also assess these. Otherwise, our religiosity would be tainted with fanaticism and what-have-you which will make it more of a stumbling block to appreciating our faith for what it really is.

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I had an interesting conversation with a colleague professor in the university I’m working in. He lamented how students’ mobile phones would ring during lessons and the calls subsequently taken. I told him how the late Prof Gloria De Castro-Bernas, when she was Dean of the UST College of Science, banned the use of mobile phones during lessons. If a phone rang and its owner identified, the gadget will be confiscated by the teacher. This will only be redeemed when the erring student submits his/her ID card – to the Dean or the Board of Discipline Chair! My colleague liked the idea and told me we should do it because he believes that something more important is happening in a lesson (i.e. exchange of ideas, sharing of knowledge) and that no phone calls should disrupt this.

Come to think of it, in prayer, there is something more important happening (i.e. communication with God). Therefore no distraction – phone, iPAD, etc – should come between our space with the Lord.

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Stay tuned to our website as we hold once more “The Seven Last Words” this Holy Week. Many thanks to this year’s writers: Bianca Alcantara, Rodney Vertido, Cy Wussow, Jenni Fonseca, Mario Albano, Ana Payod-Balla, and Grace Madriñan! Thanks to Mike Flores who will take charge of our layout design and to Allan Dabu who created this year’s poster! Thank God, it’ll be our 8th year of presenting this kakaibang online experience and we hope you’ll find this an inspiring companion during Semana Santa.

May we all have a meaningful, focused, and Christ-centered Holy Week!