The Holy Week: A postscript

For our special presentation after our Holy Week break, Straight from the Sky brings you the search for the eGWEN Highway. The eGWEN program is perhaps the most successful Private, Public Partnership (PPP) program that the Province of Cebu embarked with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), which creates a new standard in good governance unheard of in previous administrations. This program has triggered a spirit of competition between the participating towns, municipalities and cities in Cebu Province.

 We’ve shown two eGWEN shows in our TV show in support of this very successful program, but usually we show the results of this competition wherein the RAFI officials do the scoring. This is the first time that we shall be showing an advance show in order to drum up the spirit of competition amongst our local government executives, especially that this time, it includes the highways. We are a country known for bad roads and it is hoped that the inclusion of the Highways into this program would create a new standard of excellence for our roads and highways, at least for our Province.

 So tonight we have with us, Provincial Board member Hon. Agnes Magpale, Ms. Rowena Alinsonorin, RAFI Executive Director and Dr. Denes Dagan of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who will give us the details on the latest eGWEN Highway competition.

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 It’s the first day after Easter Sunday and so the Holy Week or Lenten Season is finally over. Should we just go back to our normal schedule of activities and leave whatever the Holy Week was to us into the dustbin of our memories? I think not! Unless you’re part of the majority of Cebuanos who spent Holy Week for their summer vacation or had a family reunion elsewhere, then perhaps you’re right to return back to your normal schedules, after all, the only thing you learn from a vacation or a family reunion is to relax your tired bodies or get the latest “tsimis” about your relatives here or abroad, which is not really spiritually fulfilling.

 But for those who of you who took the Holy Week seriously and trooped to the various churches here for the traditional “Visita Iglesia” and immersed yourselves in the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is hoped that the Lenten Season has helped transform you into a better Catholic and a better citizen in the hope that it would lead to a better nation.

 The Philippines is proudly the only Christian nation in Asia, but sadly, we have become more pagan in our ways, even when we celebrate our Christian holidays. No wonder our nation is in such a mess, especially with the way our political leaders run our very corrupt country. Before we blame our political leaders, let me remind you that we “The People” elected them into office, so instead of blaming them, it is time to blame ourselves.

 I guess it is because we get stuck with our old selves, when we’re supposed to have moved forward to our new transformed self, which should have happened after listening to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ during the Lenten season. If you are not experiencing an inner transformation, then perhaps there was something missing in your readings or spiritual feeding.

 I know that some people watched again the Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of Christ” in order to set the tone for the week, which some people find it better than reading the Bible because of its dramatic albeit very brutal effect, which brings people to ask, “Why did Jesus Christ the Son of God have to suffer in such a brutal, gory fashion so he could save us from our sins?” Another question being asked, was, “Since God is all Merciful, then why couldn’t he simply forgive us sinners so he wouldn’t have to sacrifice his only Begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ all that pain?”

 It is easy to dismiss such questions saying that God works in mysterious ways. However theologians have long proposed that Jesus was the perfect sacrifice… the unblemished lamb, wholly pleasing to God for he was sinless while at the same time he too was a God. Hence the bottom line in God’s salvific plan was for man to seek forgiveness for his sinfulness. More often than not, our human pride prevents us from asking God for forgiveness.

 So even though how much we offer to God our temple or church offerings or sacrifices (the rich often offers to their parish priests to fix their damaged churches or build new ones or prayer parks), it is really not enough for God. While man has to pay his price for offending God; God allowed his only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ to represent mankind; after all, Jesus is true God and true man. This is why dying on the cross Jesus cried, “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” That was an authentic cry of anguish from a dying human being, not from one who is a God. Hence Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was man’s asking God forgiveness of our sins. Incidentally before I forget, this coming Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday, one of the most important Sundays in the Catholic calendar.

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