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Showing posts from April, 2018

Holy Week in 2018

When I was growing up, we'd spend Holy Week at the village chapel participating in the "Pabasa."  If we weren't singing at the chapel, we'd hear the Pabasa being sung in the neighborhood.  On Good Friday, we'd go around the subdivision, with umbrellas over our heads, singing for the Way of the Cross.  On Easter morning, we'd be dressed as angels for the "Salubong."  Because we do not have "Pabasa" in our neighborhood, my children aren't exposed to this.  Thankfully, we have rituals with the ACS that help me build the Holy Week tradition with my family. Nowadays, Holy Week is synonymous to vacations, beach trips, commercialized Easter celebrations, et al.  I just hope parents do not forget to teach their children the significance of Christ's Passion, Death and Resurrection.   Children need to know who freed them from sin.  Children need to understand that there is life beyond this tangible world.

Birthday Thoughts

My birthday must have coincided with Good Friday at least twice in this lifetime.  I am not sorry that it happened that way.  I am quite pleased because I was forced to  focus on what is really important on that day.  It was so easy not to think about getting old.  It was one of the most significant, if not solemn, birthdays I've celebrated. I've been celebrating my birthday for three days now.   I guess people got sad for me because I had to fast and abstain on my birthday. We've celebrated my birthday the whole weekend, even up to Easter.  I've been fed well.  I've gifted myself well, too. _______________________ Easter as you know is a time of renewal.  I've made this the starting point of my own personal renewal.  I've decided to recondition my life.  Here's how. 1)  I'll take control of my health.  I am starting to feel a lot of aches and pains I haven't felt before. 2)  I will start preparing for ...