..the Holy Week...
Author: KhEyCeE
yesterday (March 21, 2008), we had the Station of the Cross at the Shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague.
--> on the way to Shrine
gamay ra kaayo ang mga naga-biyahe na jeep ug taxi. may na lang nakasakay mi. we have even been jammed by the Station of the Cross procession. hapit na gani magsugat ang sa San Pedro church ug sa Assumption Church. so, while patiently waiting, the taxi driver chatted with my mama. a large number of people have joined the procession. so they exclaimed that Christians were really innumerable compared to other religions. i even admit to that silently. but what's more striking was that many Christians are still faithful to Jesus. great, isn't it? Manong
Driver said that in his ten years of driving, it is only this year's holy week that he didn't stay at home. he needs to work because of money. the reason? poverty. crisis. practicality. they then talked about Pres. GMA. because of what she did daw, corrupting the country's money, the poor became poorer while the rich became richer. yes, the government has its flaws. but we shouldn't blame the misery we are facing solely on them. even if Pres. GMA steps out of her position, will there be change? i really hope so. i still don't have a definite stand on this. so i leave this 'political' topic hanging. after few minutes, we finally arrived.
--> on foot from the 1st to the 14th station
while we were moving from one station to another, i observed there had been quite a number of beggars along the way. there were also many vendors selling various things like necklaces, toys, abaca knitted fans, cowboy hats, steel bracelets, and others. there were even those who tried to entice kids with toys and balloons. what shocking temptations they have been! but seeing those beggars, some are handicapped, really struck my heart. seeing their kids sitting beside them, hungrily eating their little, packed "baon" made me teary-eyed. we gave them pennies. for me, it should have been better if we gave them some food. i reflected. i was just so thankful i have a better life than them and because, i live more comfortably, i feel it's my responsibility to share what i have with them, even just a single penny. but i really hoped i could do more. maybe someday, when i have already settled my responsibilities to my family. i also hoped that those rich people out there will have a heart to reach out to them. they should share their wealth as Jesus had commanded.
hiking towards the last station had been really tiring. we really had a long walk. but i really thwarted from complaining. that little sacrifice was really not even half of the sacrifice Jesus has made for all of us. so i dare not grumble walking under the raging heat of the sun and meeting many people along the way.
--> arriving at the Shrine
when we finished the Station of the Cross, we stayed at the Shrine's chapel. many people were praying there. i wondered what they are praying. i remembered what our philo teacher said. that religion is the opium of the society. so i asked are these people coming here just because they find that coming to God is their only chance to solve their problems. that He becomes their last resort when there's no escape out. i hope not. but the truth is most of us really sees Him as such. even i, myself, is not exempted. but that was before. after the retreat we have last year, i learned to always offer everything up to Him - happiness and sadness, achievements and failures, satisfaction and frustration, everything. in every step i take, i always include Him. He's no longer my last resort but my first priority.
I hope you all had a blessed Holy Week...Happy Easter, guyz and galz! God bless you and your family!
--> on the way to Shrine
gamay ra kaayo ang mga naga-biyahe na jeep ug taxi. may na lang nakasakay mi. we have even been jammed by the Station of the Cross procession. hapit na gani magsugat ang sa San Pedro church ug sa Assumption Church. so, while patiently waiting, the taxi driver chatted with my mama. a large number of people have joined the procession. so they exclaimed that Christians were really innumerable compared to other religions. i even admit to that silently. but what's more striking was that many Christians are still faithful to Jesus. great, isn't it? Manong
Driver said that in his ten years of driving, it is only this year's holy week that he didn't stay at home. he needs to work because of money. the reason? poverty. crisis. practicality. they then talked about Pres. GMA. because of what she did daw, corrupting the country's money, the poor became poorer while the rich became richer. yes, the government has its flaws. but we shouldn't blame the misery we are facing solely on them. even if Pres. GMA steps out of her position, will there be change? i really hope so. i still don't have a definite stand on this. so i leave this 'political' topic hanging. after few minutes, we finally arrived.
--> on foot from the 1st to the 14th station
while we were moving from one station to another, i observed there had been quite a number of beggars along the way. there were also many vendors selling various things like necklaces, toys, abaca knitted fans, cowboy hats, steel bracelets, and others. there were even those who tried to entice kids with toys and balloons. what shocking temptations they have been! but seeing those beggars, some are handicapped, really struck my heart. seeing their kids sitting beside them, hungrily eating their little, packed "baon" made me teary-eyed. we gave them pennies. for me, it should have been better if we gave them some food. i reflected. i was just so thankful i have a better life than them and because, i live more comfortably, i feel it's my responsibility to share what i have with them, even just a single penny. but i really hoped i could do more. maybe someday, when i have already settled my responsibilities to my family. i also hoped that those rich people out there will have a heart to reach out to them. they should share their wealth as Jesus had commanded.
hiking towards the last station had been really tiring. we really had a long walk. but i really thwarted from complaining. that little sacrifice was really not even half of the sacrifice Jesus has made for all of us. so i dare not grumble walking under the raging heat of the sun and meeting many people along the way.
--> arriving at the Shrine
when we finished the Station of the Cross, we stayed at the Shrine's chapel. many people were praying there. i wondered what they are praying. i remembered what our philo teacher said. that religion is the opium of the society. so i asked are these people coming here just because they find that coming to God is their only chance to solve their problems. that He becomes their last resort when there's no escape out. i hope not. but the truth is most of us really sees Him as such. even i, myself, is not exempted. but that was before. after the retreat we have last year, i learned to always offer everything up to Him - happiness and sadness, achievements and failures, satisfaction and frustration, everything. in every step i take, i always include Him. He's no longer my last resort but my first priority.
I hope you all had a blessed Holy Week...Happy Easter, guyz and galz! God bless you and your family!
