MANILA — As a Catholic nation, the Philippines expresses total devotion to activities leading up to Easter Sunday.
However, even with millions of participants, only a few observe the activities of the Holy Week by heart. Hence the question, how can we make our Holy Week truly holy?
Father Jerry Orbos, director of the Society of the Divine Word Mission Office, in a video uploaded online, presented a guide for the proper observation of the Holy Week.
As one satirical statement goes: To make holy water, simply get ordinary water and boil the hell out of it.
Holy Week, said Orbos, is something like it.
“Something like that — Holy Week, you have to boil the hell out of us and really open our hearts to God’s grace,” he said.
Not literally, of course. To burn the hell out of us, Orbos just meant we must go “BAGETS”.
1. Balik Panginoon (Return to God)
If you are moving away from God, go back to the path leading to His direction.
“Don’t stay away from the Lord too far or too long,” Orbos advised.
Making a good confession will be a good start and all it takes are humility and honesty to admit that you made a mistake.
If you are in a situation that makes it impossible to make the sacrament of confession, just make an act of contrition.
“Wherever you are right now, be assured the Lord is there embracing you, welcoming you back,” he added.
2. Alis Galit (Get rid of anger)
Remove anger. Forgive.
“To forgive is to simply say, Lord, you have forgiven me so much that I have forgiven those who have hurt me,” Orbos said.
Forgiving does good to one’s self, more than to anybody else.
3. Gawa ng mabuti (Make good deeds)
The Holy Week is the time to do good works. There are a lot of people around us who are suffering or who have bigger problems than us. There is always a good thing we can do to them to ease their burden.
“Do something good for them — write down a check, help people, spend time, say thank you, write a letter, call somebody,” Orbos said.
4. Express your love
“Everything we do in the Holy Week is an expression of love and gratitude to Jesus Christ who suffered so much and died for us,” he said.
There are a lot of ways to channel this love. For devotees, it includes fasting, abstinence, prayers, the Stations of the Cross, and Visita Iglesia.
Orbos also clarified that whatever our expressions of love are, we must do them from the heart.
Another way to show our love is to give people dearest to us our time.
“You have a lot of time during the Holy Week. Find time to express love and gratitude to people in your life,” he said.
And there is nothing better to start it than with our family.
“Many times, you take a lot of people for granted, but please do not wait for the grave before you tell them how much you appreciate them,” he added.
5. Tanggal Bisyo (Abandon your vices)
For men, there are only three things, Orbos said.
“Alak, babae, sugal (Alcohol, women, gambling),” he said.
For women, “it is chismosa, bungangera, nagger (gossiper, shrew, nagger)”.
“Travel light, sin no more. Sin makes us unhappy,” he said.
6. Sacrifice
As a way to relate to Christ’s actions during the Lenten season, Christians sacrifice what they really like the most.
Sacrifice with a smile.
“God loves a cheerful giver. If you sacrifice but you are angry, miserable. Do it joyfully,” Orbos also said.
Sacrifice with a smile and in secret.
“Whatever you do, whatever good that you do, you do it secretly. Just between you and the Father,” he said.
Orbos added that there is no reward for people who do things to be praised or be lauded by others as their motivation.