Lenten Season During The Pandemic

 

   During the Kuwaresma or Lent Season, Filipinos commemorate Christ's passion (suffering and death) and resurrection. It begins forty days before Easter Sunday, on Ash Wednesday. On this day, Catholic Filipinos will return from church with ash smudged in the form of a cross on their foreheads. The Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday to Black Saturday, followed by Easter Sunday. In the Philippines, it is a special day, a time for deep atonement.

   Many people conduct holy rituals during Holy Week in order to fulfil a promise they made when they asked God for a favour, such as a cure for an illness. Purple is worn by priests and religious statues to reflect gloom. Devout Catholics attend mass every day, and some even fast. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ's entrance into Jerusalem. Filipino Catholics, following Spanish custom, carry palaspas (palm fronds) to church to be blessed by priests, then take the fronds home with them.

   The towns are eerily quiet for the majority of the week, particularly after Tuesday, with TV and radio stations going off the air and no loud noises or revelry. Catholics give up meat in favor of fish, and the most religious follow a fully liquid diet. Since many businesses are closed, make sure you have supplies, especially food, on hand. The traditional pabasa (the “reading” or singing of verses about Christ's suffering) begins on Sunday and concludes on Maundy Thursday, when the washing of the feet is commemorated.

   The crucifixion and death of Christ are commemorated on Good Friday (Mahal na Araw). On this day, religious figures will be carried down the streets.

   With the COVID-19 virus still circulating and a steady increase in the number of cases, authorities have ensured that the celebration will continue, but safety precautions will be enforced to ensure the people's safety and well-being. The standard use of face masks and face shields, as well as physical and social distancing, is strictly enforced. Disinfection and sanitization is strongly recommended. Despite the circumstances, we continued with our tradition, and despite the virus restricting many activities, we managed to get by.

Image retrieved from https://www.christianity.com/wiki/