My Holy Week
Today is Holy Thursday and I ought to be fasting. Yes I am feeling better but still too cautious about going out for the rains may come anytime. I just missed being one of the "apostles" on Our Lady of Mt Carmel's church. I was asked to be one by Annie, a fellow Davaoeno, who serves that church. But I got colds and cough the past few days. The weather hasn't been cooperative, and so is the usual routine at the office.
I had little choice but to pledge for next year's activity. I am lucky to be able to work and even stay late in the office today. I had a terrible experience at home last night and I think I'd prefer to stay home late than to go home.
No immediate plans for the four-day break except to take some rest. I wish I could delay my sickness but I cannot. Who would wish he would get sick anyway. Thankfully after five types of pill and an expectorant which tasted like those cough syrups I hate as a kid.
When I was in high school Holy Thursdays were spent at our church where I and my fellow KOTAS (Knights of the Altar Society) members -- the so called sacristans or altar boys -- would be spending the night at the Seminar House preparing for the procession early the next day. After having dinner, we would play around and tell horror stories that were fabricated or crossing the bounds of being too realistic (Many souls are left behind in the church after Requiem Mass. They are usually sensed with the ocassional gust of cold wind, sounds of piano playing, footsteps at the altar and so on.) There is a special bonding between us that as kids who were trying to set an identity to ourselves.
During processions, I would either carry the crucifix, while Rene or Jergen would don the candles, Dalton will have the incense and Joseph with the insence boat. Depending on the route, we would be tracking towards BRC via Relocation, Catalunan Pequeno, Maligaya Village and after a couple of hours we reach the destination of the Via Crucis with the devotees around town. It is not unusual to find somebody faint along the way. After that we found ourselves riding the priest's car on our way back to church, have some breakfast then head home and get the right sleep.
Fridays are very quiet. There was never a day I failed to listen to the radio and on this day almost everyone is off the air. Though it was only going to last for a day, I feel uneasy and can't wait for Easter Sunday so I could play my recorded tapes aloud. Fridays are meant for fasting and abstinence so we usually don't care to cook. Maybe porridge or dried fish. I guess I spent it playing Super Trump with Erwin. Or maybe hooked whole day to the television watching the forerunners of "The Passion of the Christ". We get used to the stories but we still watch it. After all, we can't play outside or too old maybe to play our baby toys.
There were tales I hear about Good Friday. They say that demons will appear because Jesus died, some would say that when you get injured it will never heal, while others say that you should not take a bath on this day.
The last time I had this experience was in 2000 when I was on my last months at UIC. In the succeeding years I was already in Hong Kong and life is different when you talk about Holy Week. It's not called a Holy Week vacation but Easter vacation because non-working days fall on Good Friday and Easter Monday. So here I am on a Holy Thursday working, while Jesus was at the Last Supper. Shops are open and there is not much fuss about commemorating an important day. Many Hong Kong people are non-believers. As far as I know we're only two in the office who are Catholics (I will be the godfather of her kid this Saturday) and my boss admitted he was a Catholic. So there you go.
While Hong Kong have lots of people who don't believe in God nor practice their faith, this place is also blessed with good hearted individuals. While many Filipinos would say Hong Kong people are identified with rude manners, I would beg to differ. They run a metropolitan city unscathed with corruption and scandals. There is order and respect for law. Yes this place is a real hell to poor and heaven to the rich and famous. Yet this is a place of opportunity, where hard work pays and is given due recognition (at least monetarily). It is a known fact that Hong Kong people are hardworking, attested by the people around me at this time (including one pregnant colleague) at 9.56PM.
OK, this is going to lead you nowhere. Sorry for keeping this blog relatively long.
Have a blessed Holy Week everyone...
I had little choice but to pledge for next year's activity. I am lucky to be able to work and even stay late in the office today. I had a terrible experience at home last night and I think I'd prefer to stay home late than to go home.
No immediate plans for the four-day break except to take some rest. I wish I could delay my sickness but I cannot. Who would wish he would get sick anyway. Thankfully after five types of pill and an expectorant which tasted like those cough syrups I hate as a kid.
When I was in high school Holy Thursdays were spent at our church where I and my fellow KOTAS (Knights of the Altar Society) members -- the so called sacristans or altar boys -- would be spending the night at the Seminar House preparing for the procession early the next day. After having dinner, we would play around and tell horror stories that were fabricated or crossing the bounds of being too realistic (Many souls are left behind in the church after Requiem Mass. They are usually sensed with the ocassional gust of cold wind, sounds of piano playing, footsteps at the altar and so on.) There is a special bonding between us that as kids who were trying to set an identity to ourselves.
During processions, I would either carry the crucifix, while Rene or Jergen would don the candles, Dalton will have the incense and Joseph with the insence boat. Depending on the route, we would be tracking towards BRC via Relocation, Catalunan Pequeno, Maligaya Village and after a couple of hours we reach the destination of the Via Crucis with the devotees around town. It is not unusual to find somebody faint along the way. After that we found ourselves riding the priest's car on our way back to church, have some breakfast then head home and get the right sleep.
Fridays are very quiet. There was never a day I failed to listen to the radio and on this day almost everyone is off the air. Though it was only going to last for a day, I feel uneasy and can't wait for Easter Sunday so I could play my recorded tapes aloud. Fridays are meant for fasting and abstinence so we usually don't care to cook. Maybe porridge or dried fish. I guess I spent it playing Super Trump with Erwin. Or maybe hooked whole day to the television watching the forerunners of "The Passion of the Christ". We get used to the stories but we still watch it. After all, we can't play outside or too old maybe to play our baby toys.
There were tales I hear about Good Friday. They say that demons will appear because Jesus died, some would say that when you get injured it will never heal, while others say that you should not take a bath on this day.
The last time I had this experience was in 2000 when I was on my last months at UIC. In the succeeding years I was already in Hong Kong and life is different when you talk about Holy Week. It's not called a Holy Week vacation but Easter vacation because non-working days fall on Good Friday and Easter Monday. So here I am on a Holy Thursday working, while Jesus was at the Last Supper. Shops are open and there is not much fuss about commemorating an important day. Many Hong Kong people are non-believers. As far as I know we're only two in the office who are Catholics (I will be the godfather of her kid this Saturday) and my boss admitted he was a Catholic. So there you go.
While Hong Kong have lots of people who don't believe in God nor practice their faith, this place is also blessed with good hearted individuals. While many Filipinos would say Hong Kong people are identified with rude manners, I would beg to differ. They run a metropolitan city unscathed with corruption and scandals. There is order and respect for law. Yes this place is a real hell to poor and heaven to the rich and famous. Yet this is a place of opportunity, where hard work pays and is given due recognition (at least monetarily). It is a known fact that Hong Kong people are hardworking, attested by the people around me at this time (including one pregnant colleague) at 9.56PM.
OK, this is going to lead you nowhere. Sorry for keeping this blog relatively long.
Have a blessed Holy Week everyone...
posted by Unknown at
8:19 PM
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