It's Holy Week, not something else

When this generation was a bit younger, the days of the lent used to speak for its true meaning – repentance, prayers, fasting and the like. I used to remember the times when we would wake up early, bring a plastic bag or two, and scout for binignit ingredients at the marketplace. If not this, the old-fashioned biko with latik was always an option.  These were the replacement for the usual meal any family would have, as opposed to the meat ban for the week. We would stay at home, have a quiet time and reflect on our sins.

This year and the previous years may have been a bit different. Instead of bringing children to the different churches, they are brought to the beach or the park. Families spread out their best table cloth on the ground weighted by the food that is enough for everyone to share. The sound of laughter, loud shouts and even out of context songs are heard from every direction. No more the atmosphere of solemn days to reflect, not even the sound of prayers from next door. There are promotions of places to go for the holy days, not minding the cost as long as it offers fun and relaxation.

With the rise of commercial establishments and nature getaways, holy week has now been equated with relaxation. This is due to the lure of capitalism at its peak coated with a “you’ll have a great time” packaging. Who could say no to merrymaking? This makes it harder for us to remember why a couple of days were turned into national holidays.

For the holy week, a couple of our own local traditions include the visitation of the different churches and following the station of the cross. Other denominations prefer an alternative custom with the common denominator of sacrifice. And sacrifice is the total opposite of relax. The decadence on the value of this week by the Filipino families has been dropping to an alarming rate that the children of today no longer know what penetensiya or what puasa mean.

This is generation Y, the digital age. This is the era where everything is done in a click thus, fast paced. Does this excuse this generation of reflection and a quiet moment? According to a study by AC Nielsen, 60% of Filipino youths do not own a bible. Check their smart phones; they might have a bible app in it. Then again, what makes you think they would? When all they care about are the social networking sites that make them feel safe and belonged. Wow, so much for being the only catholic country in Asia.

There has a wide gap between the generations, a lack of discipline and proper training; the latter having failed to pass the baton to the next. This has caused the apathy among the youth of today. What could have been an avenue for strengthening ties, culture, tradition and religion has been exchanged with a lie of luxury. Now that all these facilities are readily available (noting that they are open on these holidays), they eradicate the essence of the holy week.

It’s time to change gears and return to the true meaning of the lent. Confess, pray, and meditate on the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do your part in bringing back this season’s essence to the next generation. If you are a parent or an elder, introduce the children to these practices that may have been outdated. It’s never too late to refresh once in a while in the presence of God. While a day in the beach may be fun, let us not forget the reason why it was made a holiday. For this reason, it was labeled as holy week and not as it’s-time-for-the-beach week.

**Published in the Freeman newspaper on April 3, 2011