Lent is not just for Catholics

By Noreen Izabel A. Jazul Similar to Catholics, members of other religions find Holy Week either as a time of tranquillity, a period for prayer and sacrifice. Non-Catholics, likewise, have different ways of spending the Holy Week, depending on their beliefs and practices — some through vacation and others through church participation. From Muslims to Christians, here’s how other faiths observe what Catholics consider as the most sacred week of the year. ‘Time of tranquillity’ For a number of non-Catholics, Holy Week is a time of tranquility — an opportunity for them to relax, rest, and spend time with their families. Engr. Abdelnooh Hadjirul, a Muslim, told Manila Bulletin that considering that Holy Week is a holiday, he usually just takes a rest or “go somewhere to relax or play golf.” Fellow Muslim Princess Johara Narawi said Holy Week is just a “usual day” for her so she either just goes to work or stays at home to rest. “I will just spend time at home with my family,” she said when asked about how she observes Catholics’ Passion Week. A Baptist, Andrea Rin said the Holy Week is usually her family’s “time to go on vacation.” Iglesia Ni Cristo member Loui Alfred Puno, and Seventh Day Adventist Gelli Esguerra spend Holy Week with their respective families on a vacation getaway. “Since Holy week is considered as holiday in our country, for non-catholic people like us, it is the time of the year where reunions/summer getaways/vacation time happens,” he said. “Since these are the only days when almost all members of the family are free from work and classes, we usually use this time to go to our province for a vacation, attend family reunions or to just simply take a break/rest in the house,” he added. Esguerra said her family specifically holds reunion during Maundy Thursday. “It is the only time for majority of my relatives to be free and present on that day, so it is sort of like a family tradition already,” she told the Manila Bulletin. Holy Week is also family time for Karen Santiago Lubinao, a Born Again Christian who attends the Jesus Is Lord Church. “We usually attend our Holy Week activities at church, then spend quality time by going out of town or staycation. If there’s an opportunity, we also do general cleaning at home,” she shared. ‘A period of prayer’ While Born Again Christians don’t exactly have a “holy week” in their religion, they do remember Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross with prayers and sacrifice. Angeli Cardona, Angelou Quiambao, Joy Asne, and Jonreal Letrada all said they usually go fasting and attend church services during Holy Week. Quiambao, a former Catholic, said the Holy Week has become a normal season for her, and like any other days, she spends it by praying. “Before nung Catholic pa ako, nag Vi-Visita Iglesia, ngayon na Born Again na ako prayer and fasting na ako, may isang meal sa isang araw na di ako kumakain tapos nag pe-pray ,” she shared. For a pastor’s daughter like Asne, Holy Week is a busy time for her as she helps her father prepare church activities. “Since my father is a pastor, nag coconduct kami ng services sa church and our whole family attends it. Parang sa Catholic, parang mass, in there, nag p-play kami ng mga movies about crucifixio ni God tapos may mga...seven last words.. isa to sa major activities ng church namin,” Asne shared. “Madaming activity sa church. Minsan pag one week may prayer and fasting, pag Friday may ‘Seven Last Words.’ Tapos pag Sunday instead of 10 a.m. yung service namin gagawing 5 a.m. parang salubong,” Cardona said. “Basta parang one week yon pero yung pinaka major doon, yung Friday, ‘Seven Last Words’, at saka yung Saturday na madaling araw yung simba namin,” she continued. She added that while most Catholics remember Jesus Christ’s journey through actions, Born Again Christians revisit it through words. “We do service/ministry/house to house work to Jehovah God thru Jesus Christ. help our neighbours learn from God's word - the Bible. This is a voluntary work hindi kami siniswelduhan. We have our own job,” a Jehovah’s Witness said. She explained that they don’t observe Holy Week but commemorate the death of Jesus Christ which they call “Memorial of Christ's Death.” Professor Marcelina Sto. Tomas, who belongs to Iglesia Filipina Independiente more commonly known as the Aglipayan Church, said the Holy Week is “a very special occasion to be reminded of what God had sacrificed to show His love for us.” Muslims, Seventh Day Adventists (SDA), and Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) don’t observe Holy Week but have similar spiritual activities. SDA believers and INC faithful both have “Santa Cena” or the “Lord’s Supper” which is a very important occasion. Muslims have the holy month called Ramadhan. “We don’t have holy week but we do have the holy month which is Ramadha the 9’th month of the hijra/islamic calendar where we do fasting for 29 or 30 days. In our fasting we stop taking anything from 3:30 a.m. till sunset,” Engr. Abdelnooh said. National Commission on Muslim Filipinos commissioner, Yusuf Morales, for his part, explained that while Muslims and Catholics and Christians have different “sacred days,” there’s a common ground in the different commemorations or celebrations. “Muslims and Christians may have different days that they consider as Ayammullah (days of God or sacred days) but when they celebrate these sacred days, they do with the thought that they observe them with serenity ‘wajib qurbatan illah Allah’ (all for the pleasure and sake of God),” he shared. Morales added that despite having a different perspective of Jesus, Muslims respect other faiths’ viewpoints. “Muslims believe in a different perspective of Jesus (pbuh) he is a prophet of God and not the son of God and views events in the life of Jesus in a different light,” he said.