Vacationers urged to respect Holy Week
MANILA, Philippines - A Catholic bishop in the Philippines on Thursday reminded the church's flock to respect the solemnity of Holy Week as he expressed dismay over the many who have turned the occasion into a summer vacation.
In an article posted on the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website on Maundy Thursday, Palawan Bishop Pedro Arigo urged vacationers to "respect the sacredness of the Paschal Triduum."
Paschal Triduum starts evening of Maundy Thursday and ends on Easter Sunday. It commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
"I appeal to our people who spend their Holy Week in the beach to please refrain from holding beauty pageant or bikini contest. Let us respect the sacredness of the occasion," the bishop said.
Arigo said holding such events would "not only secularize the occasion, but also disregard the Christian practice of prayer, penance, and reflection during Holy Week."
Bishop Martin Jumoad of Basilan, for his part, urged the people to remain Catholics in words and actions even after the Lenten season.
"We are not only Catholic during holy week but we continue to give flesh to our faith in our day to day activity," he said.
Around 35,000 people were in Boracay as of Thursday to enjoy the long holiday break.
Initial reports reaching ABS-CBN News indicated there were fewer people in Boracay this year than in 2009. Around 60,000 were already on the island in last year's Holy Thursday.
ABS-CBN's Gretchen Fullido said there were also fewer celebrities on Boracay island compared to last year. Among those seen in Boracay were Richard Gutierrez, EJ Falcon, Cristine Reyes, and the Revilla family.
Metro churches still full
Despite the many who went to beaches and other resorts for the Holy Week break, thousands still flocked to churches in Metro Manila for the traditional Visita Iglesia and the Stations of the Cross, where people reflect on the sacrifices of Jesus.
Long lines of people confessing were also seen in various churches.
In Quiapo Church in the city of Manila, around 50,000 had visited as of Thursday morning.
Heavy traffic was observed in some churches, including Malate Church in Manila, Mt. Carmel Church in Quezon City, and St. Paul the Apostle Parish.
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) media director Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said the number of people observing Visita Iglesia and going to masses during Holy Week is increasing.
Quitorio cited two factors for this is: population increase and poverty.
When a person is experiencing poverty, he or she tends to cling to religion, Quitorio said.
The CBCP also believes this year's Holy Week should be extra meaningful due to the May 10 elections.
Quitorio said voters should use the time to think and reflect on the best candidates for national and local posts, and urged candidates to fulfill their promises to voters in case they are elected into public office. -- reports from Zyann Ambrosio, Zen Hernandez, Gretchen Fullido, ABS-CBN News
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The FOOL SAYS IN HIS HEART
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. (Psalm 14:1)
Nothing surprising indeed.
Some people must be very
Some people must be very stupid to believe in God
Religion and belief in God is
Religion and belief in God is a waste of time.
TO ANONYMOUS08
We should agree to disagree that "putting other religion down" is necessary and unavoidable.
If you have genuine love, then you must not be complacent of wrongdoings of your fellowmen arising mostly from ignorance.
Jesus Christ himself was on similar situation against the ruling Jewish sects of which he was unfairly charged to death. You better read those statements of Jeus Christ against those hypocrites.(Matt 23)
But unlike the ruling religion today, Jesus christ never resisted. He said "Put up again thy sword into its place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." (Matt 26:22)
Unlike Catholic Church who has gone through armed movement and cruzades, our arm is not sword and coercions but the words of God in the scriptures."Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION which is in righteousness." (II Tim 3:16, emphasis mine)
And if you think we believe in the same Jesus then you must follow what is written in Eph 4:25: Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.
And if the former pope humbled himself and admitted the vulnerability of the church, so then what prevents the parishioners do the same and realize age-old wrongdoings?
It is also sad but true that many people misconstrue your intentions.
bongnate
ang naiisip ko agad if we talked about God is love...If you are sincere enough, he will forgive you...When pope asked for forgiveness for the sins of the church, it is an act of humility..IT IS AN ACT REFLECTED OF THE GOD THEY BELIEVE WHO CAN FORGIVE.
God is perfect, Human is imperfect... Kahit anong organisasyon or relihiyon ka man may makikitang kang PAGKUKULANG OR BAHO SA KANILA siguro exception yung nasa inyo, di ko alam..
ANG PAGHINGI NG TAWAD NG POPE, AY PAGTANGGAP NG KAMALIAN NA NAGAWA NG SIMBAHAN.IT IS NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS but rather the church accept its vulnerability and knows what humility meant.
Ang hirap kasi sa iba nagpreach kayo by putting other religion down. It is sad but true...
We are of the SAME FAITH BRO, We HAVE A DIFFERENT CUSTOM ALTHOUGH..EVEN THE BIBLE IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A GREAT TROUBLE WHO SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BUT THE SAME THING WE ARE OF THE SAME PAGE...
Nirerespeto ko kung ano man ang iyong pinaniwawalaan. Pero huwag mong gamitin yun para sirain ang ibang paniniwala.
Maging literal or spiritual man tayo sa pag-intindi sa nais ipahiwatig sa bibliya pero wala sinuman sa atin ang nakaka-alam kung sino ang may tama.
We believe in the same Jesus. Magkaisa tayo at huwag ung kung ano ang ipupuna na natin sa isat isa ang maging gabay natin, hindi ito ang itinuturo ng ating pinaniniwalaan.u. Peace bro.
Nice.
Don't have beauty or bikini contests during HOLY WEEK? Does that mean that these things are perfectly acceptable in the eyes of the Church the rest of the year?
T O BONGNATE
BONGNATE ANG TINUTUKOY KO AY YONG MGA KABATAAN, NA HINDI PA NAKAPAG ARAL MEANING HINDI PA MARUNONG, BUMASA AT SUMULAT AT SA HINDI NAKAPAG ARAL NA MAG EDAD NA RIN , IDIOMATIC EXPRESSION ANG GINAGAMIT KO HINDI LETTERAL,
BAKIT LAHAT BA TAO SA PILIPINAS NAKAPAG ARAL? KAYA NGA MAYRON PASTOR, PARI, TEACHER PARA DIN DOON YON , DIBA ANG MGA POLITIKO DATI DON LANG SILA SA RADIO NAG PAPA ADVERTISED? NGAYON SA TV NA PARA MAS MADALI MA CONVINCE YONG MGA TAO. GANON DIN YAN KAPATID KULANG KALANG TALAGA SA ANALYSIS,
GINAGAW NILA KAHIT ANONG VISUAL AID PARA LANG MAS LALONGMAINTINDIHAN SA MGA KABATAAN ETC.
Again, another talking
@mad_max1072 (response to your comment of my comment)
Sinabi mo na "best way" na pagtuturo itong mga tradisyon ninyong ito sa mga kabataan na "dont really used to read the bible". Sino ngayon ang lumilitaw na walang bitamina at walang alam? Ang akala nyo naman sa mga tao parang mga bata na hindi makaintindi kung walang panoorin.
kailangang bang may ganito dahil hindi maituro ng mabuti ng mga pari ninyo ang dapat matutunan sa kamatayan ng Cristo?
Yamang binaggit mo na rin ang mga credentials ng mga pari ninyo, magkaalaman nga tayo:
ilang talata ba ng bibliya ang binabasa ng pari sa kanyang sermon? Ilang bahagi ng sermon ay memoryadong litanya, sariling kuwento, komentaryo maging panghihimasok sa pulitika? Ano ang pinagkaiba ng pagsimba niyo kahapon sa pagsimba nyo ngayon?
Bakit "pari" ang tawag niyo sa mga nakaabitong nagtuturo sa inyo? Tanungin nyo nga kung sino sa mga alagad ni Cristo sa bibliya ang naging "pari". Saan naman sa bibiliya ang terminong "misa"?
At bakit nyo naman tatawaging "Father" ang mga pari na hindi ninyo naman mga tatay? Kabawal bawalang tawagin ang sinumang "Ama" (spiritual Father) sapagkat iisa ang amang nasa langit. (matt 23:9)
Kung sinasabi mo na "malalim na pinag-aralan" yan ng kaparian sa simbahang katoliko, parang sinabi mo na rin na pinag-aralang mabuti ni Pope John Paul II ang kanyang paghingi ng tawad sa mga kasalanan ng simbahan sa mga sinaunang taon.
Dadaanin na lang ba sa "retraction" ang mga hinanakit ni Jose Rizal sa simbahan? Hahayaan na lang bang limutin ang mga sinulat ni Plaridel laban sa simbahan?
Maari bang ikatwiran ang "lalim ng pinag-aralan" ng mga pari (kung meron man) para ibida na mas nakakaalam sila? Si Aposle Peter ay mangingisda. Si Apostle Paul naman secularly educated pero hindi niya ito pinagmayabang. May binabanggit nga sa bibliya na patuloy na nag-aaral pero kailanman di makarating sa katotohanan (2 tim 3:7)
Gamitin naman natin ang malayang kaisipan. Hindi na tayo tulad noon na natatakot ma-garote o kaya ay sunugin ng buhay.
Speaking of remembering our Lord Jesus Christ, bago namatay si Cristo isinagawa niya ang Holy Supper. It was not a meal of the day but a strong committment of communion with the body of Christ. Ito ang utos ni Cristo na gawin natin na pag-aalaala sa kanya. Ito ang ginawa ng mga alagad ni Cristo pagkatapos umakyat sa langit.
the breaking of the bread and prayers is the way to affirm our union with Christ. As written, "The bread which we break, is it not a communion of the body of Christ?seeing that we, who are many, are one bread, one body: for we are all partake of the one bread." (1 Cor 10:16-17)
No holy week, yes to holy life
We really don't need to remember HOW He died, but WHY He died. We do not need an entire week to remember this reason, rather the entirety of our life. Hindi mo masasabing mahal mo ang tatay mo dahil inalala mo lang kung anong araw siya namatay, bagkus alalahanin mo ang mga pangaral nya sau ng buhay pa siya at isabuhay mo ito hanggang ikaw din ay nabubuhay.. Ganito, nagbibigay ka ng respeto sa kanya.. Tama??
Itong Holy Week ay sine
Itong Holy Week ay sine celebrate ng mga Kristiyano bilang reminder nang pagsagip sa atin ng Panginoong HesuKristo. Sa mga walang relihiyon diyan o paniniwala sa Diyos huwag niyong idikta sa mga Kristiyano ang gusto nyo. Ito ang pagsagip sa mga kasalanan ng tao kaya sa mga totoong Kristiyano mag observe at mag repent at mag dasal sa mga araw na ito na inilaan para dito na minsan lang sa loob ng isang taon!