PAGBABAGO

Our friend, Dr. Ciel Habito, in his recent column, aptly captured the various ways our middle class demographic profile group spends the four days of the Lenten season. Like taking the family out to a beach in or out of the country. And preparation for the season starting with the observation of Ash Wednesday and for many, distancing from meat, limiting television viewing, doing penance and the “Visita Iglesia.

For Catholics and Protestants, it meant starting the week on Palm Sunday which celebrates the “triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem with the blessings and procession of palms (palaspas).”

The following days were observed doing bible study at home or at church where we watched the enactment of “washing of the feet by Jesus,” communion, and listening to the Seven Last Words on the Cross on Good Friday. As well as doing penance and fasting during “meatless” Fridays.

My memories of the Holy Week during childhood consisted of attending church services and watching my father preach, or my mother narrate one of the seven last words which Jesus spoke on the cross – “Woman, behold thy son; Son, behold thy mother,” upon seeing his mother, Mary, and disciple John.

Later, I was chosen to play the role of Mary Magdalene at a church gathering on a Thursday evening. And a few years later, played the role of one of the three women (Alice Villadolid, Melinda de Jesus and I) who followed Jesus during the crucifixion. In this Lenten play produced by Cecile Alvarez and directed by Nick Lizaso which was shown on TV, our scene called for acting out the feeling of pain, sadness, and anguish without saying a word. To get us into the mood, Cecile had to make us reflect on the state of media in our society.

Many years later, I had similar experiences like Ciel such as attending meetings on a Good Friday as some countries, mostly in Europe or some places in Asia, did not observe the three days of Lent.

Before retirement, I too, spent most of the years during the Holy Week period at home – catching up on work or simply reading and watching old movies.

And now, a brief reflection on the state of our country today – a situation which can be described in such phrases as “a nation in search of an identity” or “a country trying to become a nation.”

What had become of us after the selfless sacrifice of our heroes a century and two decades ago?

Our society has undergone a tremendous transformation which would require a much more complex design or strategy. Our environment had likewise evolved beyond the usual deterioration – deterioration of basic resources and ecosystems.

We are now plagued with the negative impacts of digital transformation such as disinformation, distrust, and loss of security. While we had made strides in the peace process, our current structures – unequal access to power and resources, corruption, among others – have become critical barriers to nation-building.

We must continue to address these challenges through reflection and sincerity in future strategies that we employ. May we be guided by the Holy Spirit. Happy Easter! ([email protected])