While many would say that the Philippines is Catholic more in name than in practice, I contend that the Cathlic Faith is much alive during the Holy Week and the Christmas Season.
See for yourself. Come to the Philippines. I’ll show you around.
I won’t be able to visit the Philippines (although I hope others will) and I do not know a lot about your country, but my impression is that the Catholic Church has far more influence there than in the United States.
While many would say that the Philippines is Catholic more in name than in practice, I contend that the Cathlic Faith is much alive during the Holy Week and the Christmas Season.
See for yourself. Come to the Philippines. I’ll show you around.
manilaman,
I don’t doubt you.
I have met an American/Philipino students/friend of my child. He is quite faith filled and from what I understand…so is his family. Actually, I am pretty impressed by this kid. I imagine this American/Philipino family has carried their faith from their homeland country to here.
What traditions do your families share those particular holy times of the year?
I have seen some pictures of how they celebrate there, especially the Good Friday crucifixions. But these aren’t sanctioned by the church. Do you know anyone personally who has ever done this and if there are any video documentaries of the events that we could get? preferably on dvd.
I for one do not favor re-living the bloody Jesus’ Crucificion on Good Friday - which to some Filipinos have become their own personal anuual offering to Christ. I believe in the teaching of our Catholic Church that the 1st Good Friday was a “Complete Sacrifice” by the Son in Holy Offering to our Father. Nevertheless, the mystery of our Redemption touches different people in different ways. Hence, I leave it to the good conscience of each individual Catholic Filipino to discern what REDEMPTION means in their own personal case.
In my case, my Family would make ourselves helpful in the Parish - particularly during Holy Week Rituals. In our Diocese, most of the Youth, from the different Parishes, would normally hike up to the Cathedral on Maundy Thursday - an spend the night in the Cathedral Grounds. They would return to heir respective homes Friday Morning exhausted from the walk the Night before. In our Neighborhood, my Family would be 1 of 10 who would join a Caravan visiting the *Blessed Sacrament * during Thursday Night (up to 12:00 midnight) exposed in the neighboring Parish Churches.
Christmas has become the longest commercial season in the Philippines. As early as September, Filipinos already get to see all kinds of Commerical Offerings meant to drum up Consumer Spending. Somehow people get to want the best and the latest of whatever is fashionable during Christmas for themselves - and for the upcoming Gift-giving Exchanges which has become customary during the Christmas Week. In our Neighborhood, we get to prepare for THE Christmas Mass by way of the Novena Masses - 9 dawn masses before Christams Day. In the years past, right after Mass, we even had FREE Breakfast hosted by a B-day Celebrant in their respective homes.
Palm Sunday is also beautiful here, especially when the palms would get blessed by the priest. it’s one of the days the church would get jampacked if the church serves a lot of parishioners. there’s also the reading of the Pabasa.
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