Observe Holy Monday in ‘fervent prayer, penance, charity’ — CBCP

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on the Filipino faithful to spend today in "fervent prayer, penance and charity."

The observance of Holy Monday, although not a major feast on the Catholic calendar, is marked as a day of cleansing in Jesus Christ’s life leading to his passion, death and resurrection.

CBCP spokesman Monsignor Pedro Quitorio said it was on this day that the cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem was believed to have taken place.

On his second day in the Holy City, Jesus overturned the tables of the traders and moneychangers at the temple and said to them: "It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you make it a den of robbers." (Matthew 21:13).

"On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts," reads Mark 11:15-16.

Tonight the Catholic hierarchy has prepared a special recollection with Fr. Gerry Orbos at the Recollection Parish at San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City.

Quitorio explained that penance is best observed through abstinence from eating meat and fasting, which he said is one of the best ways to follow the way of Christ.

"Penance is often misunderstood. People do different ways of sacrifices that are not within the context of Liturgy," he explained, pertaining to real crucifixions in the provinces that have become a tourist attraction.

The CBCP official said such spectacle is "not a good Christian idea."

He also said it is the best time to confess sins, revealing that priests often stay in the confession box in church during this period.

Yesterday, the Filipino faithful celebrated Palm Sunday in Masses all over the country. As per tradition, Catholics brought palms to be blessed by the priest.

This is done to recall the arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem as he was welcomed by a great crowd waving palm branches. The people shouted "Hosanna" and laid their cloaks and palm branches from nearby trees in his path.

It was believed that at this time, Jesus had fully accepted his mission in life. In order for him to accomplish this, he had to be presented to the people as a common criminal after being wrongly accused of pretending to be the messiah. In the coming days he would endure physical hardships that ended with his death on the cross on Mt. Calvary. His resurrection came on Easter Sunday, the faithful believe.

The Masses yesterday remained faithful to the spirit of Holy Week despite the stand issued by the CBCP against the ongoing people’s initiative for Charter change as bishops did not raise the issue in their homilies.

Meanwhile, various anti-Arroyo groups are not likely to take a break from protesting this Holy Week, as they are set to stage their own version of the "pasyon" and "way of the cross" that would emphasize their sorry plight under this administration.

Human rights groups Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), along with party-list organizations Sanlakas and Partido Manggagawa, will commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Christ with its own adaptation of the traditional Filipino "pasyon."

In a program dubbed as the "Pasyon ng mga Bilanggong Pulitikal at Mamamayang Inaapi," the militant groups will sing the "pasyon" with lyrics reflecting Christ’s suffering in the poverty, injustice and oppression that many Filipinos purportedly experience under the administration of President Arroyo.

"The Filipino people today are suffering from a president whose actions have undermined democracy and has led our country towards the path of Marcosian politics that utterly disregards the government’s commitment to the respect, protection and fulfillment of human rights," said Sr. Cres Lucero, executive director of TFDP.

The TFDP-led activity will be held at the Redemptorist Church in Baclaran on April 11 from 10 a.m. The TFDP said the "pasyon" would end with a celebratory lunch to symbolize the unity of the people in the struggle towards justice, peace and human rights.

"In spite of this, the people must not lose hope. We must renew our commitment to faith and the Gospel of salvation by reflecting on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ," Lucero also said.

"As the suffering of Jesus Christ leads to our redemption from sin so (will) the people’s suffering eventually lead to the path of truth and justice," she added.

Meanwhile, the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) launched over the weekend its yearly "Kalbaryo ng Maralitang Tagalunsod" that would depict Christ’s way of the cross through the Filipino people’s continuing struggle to rise out of poverty.

Carmen Deunida, president of Kadamay, said Mrs. Arroyo was responsible for the masses’ sad plight and was the "new Judas" behind the demolition of many urban settlers’ homes.

According to Deunida, thousands of families will be left homeless with the demolition of their dwelling places to make way for the modernization and rehabilitation of the Philippine National Railways.

And thousands more stand to lose their homes due to the planned pier privatization in the country, rehabilitation of the Pasig river project, the road widening by the government, she said. — With Katherine Adraneda