Wedding Reception Venue Manila Pampanga Philippines » About Easter in North Luzon, Pampanga, Clark Philippines

Pampanga village celebrates feast every Good Friday

wedding venue — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 01:30:48 +0000

PAMPANGA, Philippines – While Catholics are accustomed to fast and abstain from eating meat on Good Friday to commemorate the passion of Christ, a predominantly Catholic village in San Fernando celebrates its fiesta with plenty of meat dishes on the hallowed day.
Residents of Barangay San Pedro Cutud started celebrating their fiesta every Good Friday in the 1960s, when local and foreign tourists started visiting the village to witness traditional Lenten practices, particularly the actual crucifixions in a “mini Golgotha” here.
Before the 1960s, residents religiously observed fasting and abstinence every Feb. 22, the feast of their patron St. Peter. Four other dates are also associated with commemorating the saint, but none falls on any day near Good Friday.
Kapampangan Catholic priests here seemed to have softened their views on the issue.
Retired Benedictine priest Fr. Ed Santos expressed tolerance for the Good Friday fiesta in the village, saying that like many Filipinos, most of the local folk have been fasting and abstaining all year round because of poverty.
But he noted that “fasting and abstinence is a canonical practice to remind us that we are under the Bishop, the Pope. Some priests say those who do not practice this commit mortal sins, while others say otherwise.”
Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
The practice of fasting and abstinence is based on the 1966 Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, Paenitemini, and codified in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Abstinence is required throughout the year on Fridays although the bishops’ conferences in some areas allow other penitential acts. During Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, abstinence and fasting are also required of Catholics.
Fr. Sol Gabriel, a parish priest in Angeles City, has a similar view. He said, “I will not limit myself to that perspective (that village folk commit mortal sins for not fasting and abstaining on Good Friday).”
While noting that the Catholic Church prescribes fasting and abstinence on Good Friday, Gabriel also said he does not “condemn” San Pedro Cutud folk.
“Instead, they should be just told about the consequences of what they’re doing. It (Good Friday) is not for show and fiesta,” he added.
On one hand, Santos said Catholic authorities may “grant dispensation during fiestas.”
Santos, who is also a Kapampangan historian, recalled there was a time when local Church authorities granted San Pedro Cutud folk dispensation from fasting and abstinence on Good Friday. But “we just don’t know whether that dispensation has expired.”
Santos, however, stressed that the question of fasting and abstinence on Good Friday is “between your conscience and God.”
For his part, Gabriel said that while he does not condemn San Pedro Cutud folk for shelving fasting and abstinence on Good Friday, he noted that there is a need “to rectify the situation.”
“Some of the people are just ignorant (of Church laws), but they can celebrate without going against the laws of the Church,” he said, adding “love the sinner, hate the sin.”

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/03/26/924081/pampanga-village-celebrates-feast-every-good-friday

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Holy Week in the Philippines is a unique and fascinating experience

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:47:08 +0000

The Philippines is approximately 85 percent Christian (mostly Roman Catholic), 10 percent Muslim, and 5 percent ‘other’ religions.
In this predominantly Roman Catholic country, the Philippine’s commemoration of the week leading up to Easter is a one of the most fascinating religious events in the world.
Holy Week is known as Semana Santa (the Spanish translation of the religious festival itself). Many superstitions abound regarding this holiest of weeks, such as that wounds inflicted or received on Good Friday take long to heal and that amulets acquired on the said day are especially powerful.
Throughout the week, most businesses in the Philippines either shut down operations until Black Saturday or have later opening and earlier closing times, and (mostly local) television or radio stations nationwide either stay off the air and those that sign-on air shows with more solemn or serious content, especially films and programs with a religious theme.
An example is the airing of the Seven Last Words on Good Friday live from churches on various local channels and films about the life and death of Jesus. During the Easter Triduum, usually a public holiday, some television stations even interrupt broadcast altogether until Black Saturday in observance of this solemn occasion, Holy Week.
Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday of Holy Week
Holy Monday to Holy Wednesday marks the beginning of the Pabasa (literally, “reading”) or the Pasyon, the marathon chanting of the poetic prayer-story of Jesus’ life, Passion, and death, which continues day and night, for as long as two straight days.
Maundy Thursday
Come Maundy Thursday, a popular tradition is “Church Visit” or “Visita Iglesia”, which involves visiting a church or several churches at which the devotees would pray the devotion known as the Stations of the Cross. In the morning, they would join their parish priest in the usual morning mass in the cathedral. This time of the day is a very joyful celebration as this is considered by many priests in the country to be the day when they renew their sacerdotal vows.
Also celebrated on this day is the last Mass before Easter (commonly called the Mass of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper) usually including a re-enactment of the washing of the Feet of the Apostles; this Mass is followed by the procession of the Blessed Sacrament before it is taken to the Altar of Repose. TV and Radio networks in the nation will formally either sign-off until Easter Sunday or start restricting broadcasts related to religion, especially to the Holy Week.
Good Friday
Good Friday, a public holiday in the Philippines, is commemorated with solemn street processions, the Way of the Cross, the commemoration of Jesus’ Seven last words and a Passion play called the Senakulo. In some communities (most famously in the province of Pampanga), the processions include devotees who self-flagellate and sometimes even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance or in fulfilment of a vow accomplished in thanksgiving or exchange for a granted request or prayer. After three o’clock in the afternoon of Good Friday (the time at which Jesus is traditionally believed to have died), noise is discouraged, bathing is proscribed and the faithful are urged to keep a solemn and prayerful disposition. Towards late afternoon and evening there is the procession of the dead Christ.(similar to the funeral procession of Eva Peron the first lady of Argentina)
The figure of the corpse of Jesus is taken in solemn procession and borne on a decorated hearse, after which it is venerated by the faithful. Some even accord the image with the proper funeral rites such as laying the body in state or, in some instances, by smoking the seated corpse of Jesus over a fire in accordance with local, pre-hispanic funerary customs. Such a procession may involve a various number of other saints, and tradition dictates that the last image in the line is the Sorrowful Virgin.
Black Saturday
Black Saturday is traditionally observed with silence and solemnity. Preparations are made for the Easter Vigil to be celebrated that evening.
Holy Week & Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday is the culmination of the whole commemoration of Holy Week. Unlike the previous days, this is a time for joy and merriment. The mood is festive and the people are busy preparing an Easter feast. A theatrical play takes place at dawn, the risen Christ meeting his sorrowful Mother. The two images come from different sides of the street and meet at the town church’s facade. The people clap and cheer and once again, sing praises of hymn.
It is truly a unique experience for a tourist to witness the Filipino’s celebration of Holy Week. For the locals, this is where religious fervor, theatrics and camaraderie blissfully collide.

http://www.cebu-philippines.net/holy-week.html

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Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

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Good Friday in the Philippines

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:46:43 +0000

Good Friday is both a religious occasion and a public holiday in the Philippines, where most people follow the Christian faith. It occurs two days before Easter Sunday.
Good Friday is a part of the religious holiday week in the lead up to Easter Sunday in the Philippines. This is the time when many Filipinos refrain from engaging in worldly activities such as listening to loud music or drinking alcohol. Most Catholics refrain from eating meat during this day and engage in fasting and prayer.
Many people also attend church services and take part in the Acts of Reparation to Jesus Christ or the Station of the Cross. The Station of The Cross depicts the last hours of the Passion of Jesus, and the Filipinos use these stations to meditate on Jesus’ sufferings. Some men in different localities in the Philippines re-enact the penance of Jesus Christ by going as far as crucifying themselves on the cross.
Masses (church services) are also held in the church before 3pm (or 15:00) local time since this symbolizes the time that Jesus Christ died on the cross. Once the clock strikes 3pm (15:00), people observe this moment in silence and solemnity. Good Friday is a time when people take part in a form of penance to repent from their sins. Some Filipinos spend time at the beach during the holiday.
Public Life
Government offices, schools and most major establishments such as shopping malls are closed on Good Friday. Holiday destinations such as beaches and hotels are busy with tourists and travelers. public transport is reduced so those wishing to travel will need to plan ahead of time.
Background
The Philippines used to be a pagan country, in which people believed in spirits. When the Spanish came to spread Christianity during the 15th century, many Filipinos were converted to Christianity. The Spaniards made a show of having processions and mass celebrations to entice Filipinos to embrace Christianity. This marked the origins of the Good Friday observance in the Philippines.

Symbols
Good Friday is symbolized by the cross, as it commemorates the belief that Jesus Christ suffered and sacrificed his own life to save humanity.
Good Friday 2012
Friday, April 6, 2012

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/philippines/good-friday

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3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
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Philippines Insider

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:46:13 +0000

In some parts of the Philippines, Holy Week has become a sort of street opera for tourists – with multiple crucifixions, marathonchants and a myriad of flagellants. This week-long spectacle draws thousands of participants, as well as interested spectators.
At the beginning of the week, people engage in marathon chanting of the Christ’s Passion in their little makeshift chapels. The devoutsingers are mostly comprised of old ladies who take their turns in singing hymns from the pages of the bible. This is a twenty four hour commitment which continues up to Black Saturday, as the religious await the Lord’s resurrection.

Be warned that many of these street tents are located near hotels and Inns and they broadcast their chants over loud speakers so you may want to re-think where you find lodging. During the day is one thing, but being kept up all night might ruin your daytime activities.
Meanwhile, other people are kept busy preparing their religious floats for the Holy Week processions. These are owned by the more affluent residents of the town and are mostly handed down from generation to generation and kept in impeccable condition due to their belief that the figures on their carriage guide them to a bountiful and comfortable life. Each carriage is decorated with gold and bronze plated frames and adorned with cloying flowers and set inblown glass and candlelight.
By three o’clock on Good Friday, the whole town is imbibed in a seemingly sullen mood. The pious kneel before household altars to recite various litanies. Some religious fanatics flog themselves to fulfill vows of penitence. Still others, test amulets, which they vow are authentic and would protect them from any harm, physical or otherwise. At Mount Banahaw, a supposedly sacred mountain in the province of Quezon, pilgrims from various religious sects and cults worship their deity at caves, rivers, rocks, waterfalls, streams, pools and springs until the dawn of Black Saturday.

Easter Sunday is the culmination of the whole commemoration of Holy Week. Unlike the previous days, this is a time for joy and merriment. The mood is festive and the people are busy preparing an Easter feast. A theatrical play takes place at dawn, the risen Christ meeting his sorrowful Mother. The two images come from different sides of the street and meet at the town church’s facade. The people clap and cheer and once again, sing praises of hymn.
It is truly a unique experience for a tourist to witness the Filipino’s celebration of Holy Week. For the locals, this is where religious fervor, theatrics and camaraderie blissfully collide.
[Tags]Holy week, Philippines, Events, Holidays, Holy Week Celebrations, Philippine Holy Week, Filipino, Good Friday[/Tags]

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http://www.philippinesinsider.com/events-festivals-holidays/holy-week-in-the-philippines/

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Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

For any assistance in planning and organizing a wedding ceremony, indoor or outdoor garden reception or to find other wedding service providers, Click here to contact us click here

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Military vows extra vigilance this Holy Week

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:45:44 +0000

MANILA, Philippines – The military yesterday vowed to be extra vigilant to ensure public safety during the Holy Week.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) information chief Col. Arnulfo Burgos Jr. said field units would be deployed to boost intelligence operations against lawless elements to ensure that the Holy Week would be peaceful.
“We will be extra vigilant to be sure that there would be no problems and everything would be peaceful this coming (Lenten) season,” Burgos said.
AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said it would be business as usual for soldiers even as the military’s alert level has not been raised.
“It depends on the commander if they will be allowed to go on Holy Week break… if they would give passes or leaves, depending on the situation as deemed appropriate by the commanders,” Mabanta said.
Mabanta said the AFP has not detected any immediate threat posed by armed rebels and terrorist groups. He gave assurance that the military would not be complacent during the long weekend.
Holy Week started yesterday with Palm Sunday and will end at dawn of Easter Sunday.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has been placed on full alert starting April 13 as it prepares for the exodus of thousands of people going to the provinces.
Full alert means all policemen would not be allowed to go on day-off or avail of vacation leaves to ensure the availability of enough number of personnel.
The military, however, did not raise its alert status as soldiers would only provide support to their police counterparts.
Around 5,000 policemen have been deployed around Metro Manila to secure public places. A total of 350 bus marshals and Motorized Anti-Crime Operatives were also tasked to monitor seaports, airports, churches, and bus terminals.
Around 500 soldiers were deployed in Metro Manila to augment the police.
AFP National Capital Region Command chief Brig. Gen. Tristan Kison said the soldiers will man checkpoints and secure vital installations like bus terminals, airports, and Light Rail Transit and Metro Rail Transit stations.

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=677558&publicationSubCategoryId

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Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

Email: Wedding@Yats-International.com

For any assistance in planning and organizing a wedding ceremony, indoor or outdoor garden reception or to find other wedding service providers, Click here to contact us click here

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TAGALOG LANG; Holy Week in the Philippines

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:45:08 +0000

Kwaresma is Lent. It is the season when Filipinos remember Christ’s passion (his suffering and death) and resurrection. It starts on Ash Wednesday, forty days before Easter Sunday. On this day, you will see Catholic Filipinos returning from church with ash smudged on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. If you don’t have the mark, you will be asked if you have attended Mass.

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is from Palm Sunday to Black Saturday, then Easter Sunday. It is traditionally a solemn occasion in the Philippines, a time for serious atonement.

Holy Week is when many people perform holy rites in fulfillment of a vow they made when they asked God a favor, such as a cure for an illness. Priests and religious statues are dressed in purple to symbolize gloom. Devout Catholics go to church everyday; some fast.
Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, Filipino Catholics bring palaspas (palm fronds) to church to be blessed by the priests. Then they bring the fronds back home with them.

For most of the week, especially after Tuesday, the towns are eerily quiet with TV and radio stations going off the air and no loud noises or revelry whatsoever. Catholics stop eating meat, turning to fish, and the more devout ones go on a completely liquid diet. Many businesses are closed, so make sure you have supplies, especially food, stocked up.

The traditional pabasa (the “reading” or chanting of verses about the suffering of Christ) starts on Sunday and ends on Maundy Thursday, which is the day when the washing of the feet is celebrated.

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Christ. On this day, you will see religious figures being carried through the towns on top of carrozas (carriages). The religious images and statues are veiled in black in mourning of the death of Jesus.

The most striking feature of Holy Week celebrations in the Philippines is the sight of Filipinos publicly whipping themselves. These are reenactments of the torture and death of Jesus. Some Filipinos not only whip their backs into a bloody mess, they also have their feet and hands nailed to a wooden cross. Tourists come from all over the world for the sight! In Manila, Tondo is the place to see these flagellants. Outside the capital, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija are famous for their flagellants who cover their faces with white cotton hoods. Crowns of thorns are placed on their heads to cause blood to drip.
Among Filipino superstitions on Good Friday is the prohibition against children playing. This is because they might injure themselves and not have their wounds heal. You will always be reminded that during this time when Jesus is dead, and so everything is awry and bad things are apt to happen.

Black Saturday is when Christ is entombed. Filipinos spend the day preparing for the night vigil leading up to Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. At four o’clock in the morning, Filipinos do a salubong ceremony commemorating how the Virgin Mary met her son Jesus who has come back to life. Her image will be brought to the image of the Christ at the local church. Flower petals will be rained down on them. Everyone is happy that Jesus is alive again and that the world is back right. On Easter day, grocery stores re-open and you can buy food.

In contemporary times, these Philippine traditions are slowly disappearing. Young Filipinos now use the Holy Week to vacation at the beach.

http://tagaloglang.com/Filipino-Culture/Holiday-Celebrations/holy-week-in-the-philippines.html

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The Holy Week Of Filipinos

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:44:38 +0000

Today is Good Friday, the Friday of Holy Week when the Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Unlike the days when I post about my usual topics on technology, business and other matters, I will now talk about Holy Week, a significant religious festival in the Philippines. In our predominantly Roman Catholic country, Holy Week is known as both Semana Santa (the original Spanish name) or by the Filipino name Mahál na Araw (literally translated to English as “Precious Days”).
Beginning Holy Thursday, businesses in the Philippines shut down operations until Easter Sunday. During these days, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, many local television and radio stations interrupt broadcast or at least replace regular programming with more solemn or religious content out of respect.
Many communities observe the Spanish-influenced Catholic rituals such as sermons and processions but it is thePabasa ng Pasyon (Reading of the Passion) that really reminds me of the importance of the celebration. Called “Pabasa” for short, this long-time tradition is said to have begun also during Spanish time. The Pabasa is a ritual wherein the life and passion of Christ is chanted a capella (unaccompanied vocal music). Groups of singers usually take turns in doing the Pabasa while devotees gather around them to listen and reflect.
In some parts of the Philippines, Holy Week has become a tourist attraction with multiple crucifixions and a great number of flagellants. The week-long spectacle draws thousands of participants as well as interested local and foreign spectators. While the Catholic Church does not recognize the ceremonies, these so-called religious practices have been going on for generations and became part of the Holy Week of Filipinos.

http://xicowner.jefmart.com/index.php/2011/04/22/the-holy-week-of-filipinos/

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OBSERVANCE OF HOLY WEEK IN THE PHILIPPINES

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:44:02 +0000

It’s Holy Week once again, the time when Catholics do their penance and commemorates the passion and death of Jesus Christ to save mankind.
Starting Palm Sunday, the day were we commemorate the victorious entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. In the Philippines, during Palm Sunday, sidewalks near the church were full of vendors selling Palaspas or decorated pal leaves. Filipinos go to church early in the morning of Palm Sunday with their Palaspas to be blessed by the officiating priest. After the mass, the blessed palm leaves are placed on the front doors of their homes which they believed is an effective way to ward off bad spirits and spare their homes from being struck by lightning the palm fronds will be left on their front door until the next Palm Sunday on the following year.
Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday – During this time of the year, for many Catholics it is a time of prayer and reflection. In many places in the Philippines it is the start their traditional Holy Week “Pabasa” which literally means reading, it is where the poetic prayer of life to resurrection of Jesus Christ is sung/chanted. It is also locally known as “Pasyon”.
Maundy Thursday – the day in observance of the Last Supper. the washing of the feet, the blessing of the bread and wine which symbolizes the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is also a tradition in the Philippines during Maundy Thursday to visit 7 different churches which is known as Visita Iglesia. During Visita Iglesia, most Catholics make the 14 stations. There were also diocese who celebrate Chrism Mass during Maundy Thursday. Chrism Mass is an annual gathering of all clergies wherein priests renew the vows which they made when they were ordained. Mass of Chrism was derived from the name of the “consecrated oil” itself. The Oil of Chrism/Holy Chrism/Sanctum Chrisma is used in the administration of the sacraments of baptism, confirmations and Holy Orders, in the consecration of things such as altar, paten, bells, chalices, and water for baptism.

On Good Friday Christians commemorates the passion and death of Christ, the seven last words { siete palabras ), the way of the cross (Via Crucis), there are also numerous street processions and stage plays locally known as “Senakulo”.
During Good Fridays there were devotees who practice self-flagellation and some do their penance by having themselves crucified. Also on Good Friday, thousands of devotees of the Black Nazarene flock to Quiapo Church to join the morning procession.

Black Saturday – a day of silence and solemnity. Some are busy preparing for events on Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday – This is the end of the 40 day lent. On Easter Sunday, at pre-dawn, there were 2 different procession which starts from 2 different points. One of them carries the image of the risen Christ and the other one carries the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary which is covered by black veil. The procession will meet at a point where a little girl dressed up as an angel and was positioned on a high platform awaits to unveil the image of Mary which signifies that Mary has met his risen son. There are also some who have Easter parties for children which involves Easter egg hunting.
Filipinos are indeed fascinated with talismans/amulets which is locally known as anting-anting. During Lenten Season specially on Good Fridays, those who possess amulets sanctify and recharge its power. They go to certain places such as Mt. Banahaw which is known as the mystic mountain or a haven for people search or spirituality.

Many Catholics believe that penance through crucifixion and self-flagellation would save their souls from the fires of hell, although this lenten tradition has been practiced in the Philippines by many Catholics for decades, church officials discouraged extreme corporal mortification. Also the Department of Health have given warning to flagellants for the possibilities of being infected with tetanus.
I agree with the church officials who were against this kind of penance. The observance of Lenten Season should be sacred. Instead of self mortification, why not have their repentance from sins the right way, which I believe is through meditation, fasting and abstinence.

http://spawnskies.blogspot.com/2011/04/observance-of-holy-week-in-philippines.html

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A CRITICAL LOOK AT FILIPINO HOLY WEEK RITUALS

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:43:17 +0000

ALONGSIDE THE LITURGICAL celebrations that the Church observes during the Holy Week are practices which, in the Philippines, have long been linked with it. Among them are the siete palabras, the way of the cross, procession of images, salubong,pabasa, cenaculo, and penitencia. For most Catholics, they not only add color to the week-long celebrations, but are, in fact, so associated with the Holy Week that it could not be conceived without them. It is not seldom that devotees–if only for these folk rituals—would spend the Holy Week in Sta. Cruz (Marinduque), Palo (Leyte), Grotto (Novaliches), or in some remote town in Bicol or Pangasinan, rather than in their own parishes. Some, for example, may decline to attend the Good Friday liturgy, but they will certainly make an effort to witness penitentesreenact the crucifixion on that day. Indeed, it happens that these activities attract more people than the liturgical celebrations themselves. But since these practices belong to the extra-liturgical spiritual life of the Church, the question is often raised: how do you look at them a critical point of view?

For the nonce, it may be well to focus on the pabasa, cenaculo, andpenitencia, and, to start with, give a short description of these practices. Usually held at home, the pabasa is the singing of the life of Jesus in poetic form, calledpasyon. Accompanied by a musical instrument, with the book placed between the two lighted candles, singers chant verses, oftentimes in alternation, before a crucifix. It is not uncommon for the host to serve drinks and finger foods during a pabasa. The cenaculo is the dramatization of the passion story, which normally begins with the scene of the agony in the garden, and ends with the crucifixion. It may take the form of simple passion play or a grand one similar to that of Oberammergau in Bavaria, where practically the whole village is involved in holding it once every ten years. Unlike the way of the cross which is aimed at meditating on the journey to Calvary, the penitencia seeks to dramatize the physical sufferings of Jesus bodily, either by physical flagellation, the carrying of a heavy cross, being crucified on it, or their combination. All of them are,objectively viewed, forms of participation in the suffering of Jesus: oral(pabasa), dramatic (cenaculo) and bodily (penitencia).

Expressions of Affective Faith

It is instructive that whereas in the siete palabras, procession, salubongand the way of the cross, the priest ordinarily accompanies the participants, especially in the provinces, he is conspicuously absent in pabasa, cenaculo andpenitencia. Of importance, however, is that these three rituals are basically meant for the edification of lay people. And they are held without having to be joined with the liturgical celebrations going on in the church. The priest has no role in them. They belong to the popular tradition. But they are originally aimed at participation in the celebrations of the mysteries of redemption. If these observations have anything to tell us, it is that these rituals are expressions of the people’s affective faith, which scarcely finds place in the official worship in the Church. In effect, it may be said that these popular practices are expressions of the lay people’s affective dimension of faith and at the same time are catered to it. They enhance religious affections and feelings. In the chanting of the pasyon, it sometimes happens that singers, swept by their emotion as they sing the poetic lines, shed tears; in the cenaculo, the participants become emotionally involved as they dramatize the events surrounding Jesus’ death; and in the penitencia, they are able to empathize with him in his pain. On the other hand, Roman liturgy is sober and reticent, and such emotion experience has scarcely any place for expression in it.

At the same time, however, they also externalize the people’s understanding of the faith. Of course, the lay people did not compose thepasyon; priests did. Most likely too, they did not, at the beginning, write the script of the cenaculo; but they make the oral and dramatic expressions, and obviously, having been written for them, these influence their ways of thinking and acting. For this reason, it is not surprising, indeed, that in most cases, their knowledge of who Jesus is and his salvific work shows a familiarity more with the pasyon and the drama than with the gospels or the official Christology and soteriology of the Church. Moreover, today, the script of the cenaculo is being written by laymen and, although priests are consulted, the over-all outcome mirrors the understanding of lay people. But this is especially true of penitencia. Though its roots may be traced to the practice of doing penance during Lent, it expresses the lay people’s faith in what participation in the suffering of Jesus must consist of. The rituals, in the other words, are a vehicle which expresses the faith experiences of the participants, but at the same time serving to call that faith to mind, and to catechize their audience in that faith.

Reason for Attractiveness

That these rituals (particularly the cenaculo and the penitencia) attract more people than the liturgical celebrations has at least four significations. First, this indicates their success, at least in catering to the affective dimension of their faith, and the understanding of that faith. In other words, they are able to speak to the needs of the lay people. Unhampered by liturgical discipline, they undergo changes and additions as they develop and flourish in response to those needs. For this reason, they are meaningful to them. The second implication is simply the reverse of the first. These rituals may also be interpreted as an expression of their disaffection from the official Church liturgy. For lay people, it is difficult to appropriate the meaning of the prayers and the action of the official liturgy. Hence, they feel the need for a ritual in order to plug in to the reticent liturgical celebration. A case in point is the holding of hands during singing of the Lord’s Prayer. Although it is against liturgical norms to do so, people in Manila make that gesture because, as someone said, it feels good. More should be said of this, but the point is, there is wisdom in the proposition that liturgy should not be foreign to the affective dimension of the people’s faith.

Moreover, the lay people have been estranged from the official liturgy because, before the Second Vatican Council, they had a little chance–save forcantoras–to take an active part in the liturgy. They were simply spectators, who could not understand the meaning of the words and gesture in the liturgy. Third, in these folk rituals, the lay people are, on the contrary, the subject of the expressions of faith experiences, not merely the recipients or onlookers of the celebrations. And the medium of expression is the language they speak and are at home with. On the other hand, that of the liturgy before, which was Latin, was opaque to their understanding. Hence, they could never comprehend nor feel for themselves the meaning of the celebrations. And fourth, on account of all this, the rituals provide them identity.

Environment of Poverty

The aspect of disenfranchisement brings the discussion to the social location which these religious practices presuppose: an environment of poverty. In general, those who take part in pabasa, who are involved in the cenaculo, and who engage in bodily flagellation do not came from the middle class or above it. They belong to the lower classes–those often alienated from the official liturgy. Even today, they are, in many areas, still disenfranchised, because they are not given opportunities to take an active part and express their faith in parish celebrations to a degree which these rituals allow. (Eucharistic celebrations in which members of charismatic communities are able to express themselves emotionally are an exception rather than the rule.) Quite apart from the gulf created between the language of the liturgy and that of the poor people, the common values which these practices represent are the pain and the suffering which Jesus endured until death, and people who are poor easily understand and identify themselves with these values. Hence, solidarity in values also accounts for the popularity of these rituals in an environment of poverty. The crucifixion for them is God’s empathy from which they can derive strength and inspiration. Clearly then, these rituals speak something of the part of society or the environment in which they thrive.

Encounter between Faith and Culture

Their practitioners to some extend cut off from the official Church, and coming from the grass roots, these rituals–it is the whole understandable–reflect an understanding which is the outcome of the encounter between the Christian faith, which they received with much limitations, and the culture in which they were brought up. They presuppose an environment removed from the centers of religion and politics. Before the coming of the Spanish missionaries, our forefathers believed in animism. Here, it was taught that the forces of nature were controlled by spirits who, by magical rituals, could be rendered beneficent or harmful. These were performed by the diwatahan, tambalan or baylana. If Holy Week folk rituals have anything to tell us, it is the animism has not been completely erased from the Filipino psyche. If one makes a survey on those who join in the cenaculo, for example, he will discover that the motive for participation is not simply to share the suffering of Christ, if at all; some likely answers are: fulfillment of a promise, thanksgiving for a favor granted, or reparation for sins.

In a study made on the penitentes of Palo, Leyte, it emerged that fear of punishment was among the motives for submitting oneself to penitencia. The fear of punishment for doing something wrong the year round motivates a person to placate an angry God. By experiencing pain, one assures himself of forgiveness, escape from punishment, and peace of mind. Nonetheless, this is actually an animist theology, though one cannot blame the devotees .They probably have never been thought correct theology, or have correctly understood it, in the first place. On the other hand, the environment of poverty prevents them from having access to opportunities to learning orthodoxy. Hence, the theology of these rituals does not perfectly cohere with the official teaching of the Church. On the contrary, it represents the result of the people’s appropriation of the gospel message vis-à-vis their pre-Hispanic culture and their situation of poverty.

Which brings us to other shadows of these rituals. Alienated from the centers of Catholic authority and life, they are in danger, among others, of being engaged in for utilitarian purposes. That one participates in self flagellation to obtain God’s forgiveness values the ritual for what the subject can obtain from it. This borders on superstitions, which nurtures the belief that as long as one engages in the ritual, he will be safe, for example, from calamities. This is true of other expressions of popular piety which are celebrated in connection with liturgy. For instance, although a procession is designed as a public witness to the faith, this is not how lay people take it. In many cases, they do not participate in it for that end. That one takes part in it so his illness will be cured, or so his son will reform his life–motives like these are very common. It fact during fiestas in rural areas, many residents will complain if the conduct of the procession excludes their houses from its ambit, convinced as they are that this will also bar them from receiving the graces that are obtained through the intercession of their patron saint.

Subjectivism and Lack of Ecclesial Sense

Related to this is the risk that these rituals are anchored on subjectivism. As already noted, one reason for the popularity of a Holy Week ritual is that it caters to the people’s affective needs. Because it is in touch with their feelings, it makes them satisfied. But there is a danger in thinking that what satisfies is good. That is subjectivism. In official liturgy, of course, this is not supposed to happen, because liturgical signs have their own meaning. That is why the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments, for example, forbids the raising of hands during the Lord’s Prayer because this gesture symbolizes communion. At any rate, lay people continue the practice because they feel good doing it. But it is precisely the role of liturgy to educate us in such a way we are able to express the meaning of liturgical gestures as our own, and so enter into the mystery of God and our own as a community. This frees liturgy from the danger of subjectivism. On other hand, since lay people engage in Holy Week folk rituals because they make them feel good and satisfy their affective needs, they do not lead to a real participation in the saving mystery.

In addition, these rituals hardly promote a sense of belonging to the Church. Because they focus on answering the effective needs of the participants, they, in general, are individualistic in orientation. If one were to ask the motivations of Black Nazarene devotees in Quiapo for joining the January procession or for wiping their handkerchiefs on the image, the responses would hardly differ from the ones that would be given for joining the cenaculo or thepenitencia: personal favors, either material or spiritual. There is scarcely any sense of being community or of belonging to one. (Which reminds us the pre-Vatican II eucharistic celebrations where each member of the congregation acted as if he or she were not related to the other worshippers in the church.)They lack social direction. Understandably, the theory of salvation or soteriology they embody is likewise individualistic: it is the individual who is saved from material and spiritual evils. Hardly ever clear is the concept of salvation of the community, still less the teaching that we are saved through the community. Consequently, the idea of building up the kingdom as part of their mission is far removed from them. On the contrary, the understanding is oriented toward the maintenance of the status quo. It is not farfetched to say that these rituals are burdened with the pre-Vatican II theology. And since they tend to develop apart from the hierarchical structure of the Church, it is not surprising that, in some cases, they are celebrated without any harmony with the liturgical time and meaning of the Holy Week. And their lack of ecclesial sense of belonging opens itself to abuse. It does happen that these rituals are held either for the personal advantage of their patrons, or for tourism purposes, or both.

As is true of other popular devotions, these Holy Week popular rituals–to many lay people–are regarded as more important than the liturgy itself for reason already noted. As a young priest assigned to the seminary, I used to say Mass in far-flung barangays. For lack of priest, only one Mass was celebrated in each of them once a month. One day, in one barangay, the old ladies asked me a favor after the mass: “Father, since you come here only once a month, may we suggest that instead of coming every first Sunday, you rather say Mass for us every first Friday?” Similar views can be encountered when it comes to the Holy Week rituals. For many, it is more fitting to act as Pilate in the cenaculo than to attend the Holy Thursday liturgy. It is more meaningful to undergo self-flagellation than to participate in the Good Friday liturgy, for, in the penitencia,one really experiences than the pain which Jesus himself experienced. And so on.

The problem, of course, is that this only reinforces the development of wrong values in the sense that these are at variance with those held by the Catholic Church. And precisely because many consider these rituals more important than the liturgy, there lurks the danger that they might think that all that is needed to be in the right before God is to take an active part in these folk practices. They might believe these are the ways of approaching God. That many ritual enthusiasts do not go to Church on Sunday, that they do not receive the sacraments, that they are more familiar with their practices than with the Bible–these reflect their lack of belonging to the Church and the importance they ascribe to these rituals. That the most important in being Christian is to follow Jesus daily in discipleship within the community, not in the yearly act of self-flagellation–this, it would seem, is still lost to the devotees.

Incomplete View of the Passion

Finally, the primary importance attached by the participants in thecenaculo, pabasa and penitencia to the death of Jesus results in the formation of values which have grave consequences for their faith and life. (Of course, such significance is not limited to the practitioners of these rituals. As may be observed during the Holy Week celebrations all the country over, it is only during Good Friday that people feel obliged to go to church; hence, pews are occupied to the full. But Easter and its Vigil, which are the culmination of the three-day celebrations, does not, except in parishes where small communities are flourishing, command as much crowd.) The value placed on the death of Jesus has serious implications for a theology of salvation, because this overlooks the life and ministry which led his death, and the vindication of him by God through the resurrection. In such a theology, Jesus came only to die. Which, of course, is a gross oversimplification. Seen in this light, suffering almost becomes valuable in itself, or at least part and parcel of being human which nothing can be done about. But then, this would almost associate Christianity with masochism! Suffering, however, is evil, even in Christianity. In systematics, God is always viewed as a pure positivity. In the Bible, Jesus never enjoyed suffering; if he suffered, it was a consequence of the life he led. He was murdered; he never sought pain and suffering. To say therefore that all that is important is to participate in the suffering of Jesus by simply undergoing self-flagellation or by joining the cenaculo is to oversimplify the meaning of Jesus’ suffering and death. Such a theological understanding would encourage the acceptance of injustice, oppression and domination, and could be used to justify them.

But despite these observations, there is no reason to dismiss these rituals as aberrations. On the positive side, what the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) says of popular piety readily applies to them: “These religious practices are rich in values. They manifest a thirst for God and enable people to be generous and sacrificing in witnessing to their faith. These practices show a deep awareness of the attributes of God: fatherhood, providence, loving and constant presence. They engender attitudes of patience, the sense of the Cross in daily life, detachment, openness to others, devotion’’ (PCP II, Acts and Decrees, 172). In their Third General Conference at Puebla, the Latin American Bishops describe the lights of popular piety, which may be said of any of our Holy Week popular rituals: it “presents such positive aspects as a sense of the sacred and the transcendent; openness of the Word of God; Marian devotion; an aptitude for the prayer; a sense of friendship, charity, and family unity; an ability to suffer and to atone; Christian resignation in irremediable situations; and detachment from the material world” (GCLAB, Puebla, 913).

Potential for Social Transformation

Despite their weaknesses, they should not be suppressed. Our attitude should be “one of critical respect, encouragement of renewal” (PCP II, 175). For one thing, these Holy Week rituals are engaged in by numerous but poor Catholic all over the Philippines. And being part of the Church, they are subject of the Church’s care. This even gains prominence today since the Church in the Philippines has declared its intention to become a Church of the Poor where, among others, its “members and leaders have special love for poor.” The Church must therefore value their faith expression, however distorted or superficial, found in these rituals. For this reason, we must help the devotees in such a way that these practices can contribute to the maturing of our faith. And, probably, this could be done in two ways. First, we can identify their values and motivations and purify them in the lights of Christian faith. Then we can transform them by imbuing them with Christian values. In the process, we can show how these rituals are connected, for example, with the entire life of the Christian, and with the life of others. The purpose here is primary their coherence with right beliefs and right living (orthodoxy and orthopraxis).

Second, in helping deepen their faith, we can explore the potential of these rituals for social transformation. At present, they are observed yearly, but do not have–it would seem–any visible impact on the communities they are held in. Probably for most, they are simply rituals, religious externals–period. But it is instructive that during the Spanish period, from the 18th century onward, the Tagalogs found in the passion story a motivation for revolt against oppression. (A Filipino theology of liberation must take into account the theology of the Filipino peasant religious movements.) We are still in the process of liberation, and as the Philippine bishops noted their Pastoral Exhortation on the Philippines Centennial Celebration, “today, our liberty is eroded as much by foreign invaders, as by internal enemies as the poverty of the many and the concentration of wealth among the few, inequality and lack of participation, injustice and exploitation, deficient culture values and mind-set, destruction of the ecosystem and deterioration of peace and order, to mention a few. True freedom demands that we, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, are liberated from this evils (cf. Gal 3:25-28). It requires profound changes in socio-economics and political structures, revolution of the heart (cf. Jas 4:1)and, most important, liberation from sin (2 Chr 7:14 Rom 6 18; 1 Tim 1:5). It dictates that we ourselves shape our history.” Of course, we should not utilize these rituals to incite revolt—that is unchristian. But surely we can ask: what values could be appropriated from these rituals which could serve as vehicles, in a very Christian way, and how they could contribute to the process of transforming society, which the PCP II speaks of (cf. PCP II, Decree 97)? How can “they serve the cause of full human development, justice, peace and the integrity of creation” (PCP II, 175)?* (Note: The author wrote this essay in 1998].

http://msgrlope.multiply.com/journal/item/26/A_CRITICAL_LOOK_AT_FILIPINO_HOLY_WEEK_RITUALS?&show_interstitial=1&u=/journal/item

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Traditions and Customs from all over the world

wedding venue — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:42:43 +0000

Holy Week or Mahal na Araw in the Philippines includes numerous traditional events. This is the country where Roman Catholics make 81% of population. 5% of Filipinos belong to Protestant churches. 4% of population belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Iglesia Ni Cristo, Philippine Independent Church, Seventh Day Adventist, United Church of Christ and other Christian communities. Christianity of the country was in many ways influenced by the Spaniards who ruled the country for more than 300 years.

Palm Sunday in the Philippines
Palm Sunday is the start of Holy Week. On this day Christians remember the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before his Passion. People bring palm leaves to church where they are blessed by the priest. Some people decorate the leaves. People keep these blessed leaves in their homes.
One of traditions of the Holy Week in the Philippines is reading of religious texts or „pabasa“. The pabasa usually starts after the mass on Palm Sunday. But it is also organized on other days of the Holy Week.
The book of the passion of Christ is chanted in many different ways. The organizer of the “pabasa” prepares two books for the readers. One group of readers reads (chants) one verse and the other group of readers reads (chants) the next verse.
Pabasa can last all the day and all night. In some places the best reader at pabasa gets a small prize. Next to the chapel people make a tent or „kubol“ where the organizers serve food and drink for readers and other people present at pabasa.
Most pabasas are public one, organized for the whole community. There are also so called private pabasas. They are organized by some families in their home. They invite relatives or friends to join them.
“Pabasa” usually ends on or before Good Friday. Then “Siete Palabras” or the Seven Last Words of Jesus before he died on the cross are read. Everything is broadcasted on national tv.
Many Palm Sunday processions are organized in different part of the Philippines.
Malolos City (in Filipino – Lungsod ng Malolos), is the capital of Bulacan province. It has a population of 223,069 (2007). The city is located about 40 km north of Manila.

Malolos City
The city name comes from Tagalog word „paluslos“ which means „downwards“. The name of city is actually result of misunderstanding. Spanish missionaries asked the locals what’s the name of the place. They did not understand Spanish. So, they just said that the flow of the river in that part was downstream or “paluslos”. Spanish missionaries than heard it wrong and remembered it as “Malolos” or “Malulos”.

The Barasoain Church in City of Malolos
In part of the city called Santa Isabel there is a famous Palm Sunday procession. In the procession there is an image of the Humenta or Christ on a donkey. Local women spread their traditional aprons or „tapis“ as the priest walks by.
Gasan is a town of 29,799 (2000) people in the Marinduque province. The province is actually an island located about 18 km of the biggest Filipino island of Luzon. In the local procession the priest himself rides a pony on the way to church.

Marinduque province
The same as all other parts of Holy week, the Holy Wednesday in the Philippines is known for its processions. The most famous processions on that day are those towns of Pakil, Majayjay and Paete. These towns are located in the Laguna province on the island of Luzon. Language used during processions is the ancient Tagalog.

http://traditionscustoms.com/religion/holy-week-philippines

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Philippines Wedding Venues Service Center
Creekside Road corner of Centennial Road,
Central Business District, Clark Freeport Zone,
Pampanga, Philippines 2023

Tel: (045)599-5949 0917-520-4403 0922-870-5177

For any assistance in planning and organizing a wedding ceremony, indoor or outdoor garden reception or to find other wedding service providers, Click here to contact us click here

Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 Rea or Chay

Email: Wedding@Yats-International.com

For assistance in hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines, log on to
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com

To inquire with the highly recommended beach resort hotel in Clark Pampanga visit http://www.ClearwaterPhililippines.com

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