Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday, in the Christian calendar, the Sunday before Easter, sixth and last Sunday in Lent, and the first day of Holy Week. It recalls the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem riding upon an ass, when his followers shouted “Hosanna” and scattered palms in his path. In the Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches, ceremonies of the day are the blessing and distribution of crosses made from palm leaves and the recitation of one of the three synoptic accounts of the Passion. Many wear crosses made of the palm.

I grew up in a very religious family so we are always active in any church holidays. I always remember Palm Sunday as it has a very long Gospel. During this time of the year, we always bring palms to the church to be blessed. When we get home we put a couple of cross made from the palm and put it in our altar.

I do miss Christian celebrations. I think I learn to accept the fact that religion is not very well practiced where I am. As long as my faith is still the same and I still believe in God, I know I am still a good Christian.

May we all repent as we are celebrating the first day of Holy Week. May we all learn to forgive those who have wronged us.

Stations of the Cross

I miss the Lenten traditions in the Philippines. For me, it seems like people in the Philippines are more religious compared here in the USA.

During the Lent, one of our family traditions is to do the Stations of the Cross. Yesterday, our whole family went to Maribojoc to do the stations of the cross. There are certain places that purposely built for this tradition.

Stations of the Cross (or Way of the Cross; in Latin, Via Crucis; also called the Via Dolorosa or Way of Sorrows, or simply, The Way) refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make a spiritual pilgrimage of prayer, through meditating upon the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death. It has become one of the most popular devotions for Roman Catholics.

I am glad that my family kept this tradition. Although I was not there with them, seeing some pictures makes me feel I was there too...

The Stations of the Cross

Posing after the prayers...

It was so hot... after doing the stations of the cross, time for a snack

Ash Wednesday

What sticks to my mind when Ash Wednesday comes are the words that our priest would say upon making a sign of cross on the forehead " Sa abo ka gikan sa abo usab ikaw pauli" which means "Remember (O man) that you are dust, and to dust you shall return". This is the common phrase that the priest would use during Ash Wednesday. Although there are other prayer phrases that can be used like "Repent, and believe the Gospel," or "Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the Gospel." I hear the first phrase more often.

Ash Wednesday signifies the start of Lent. Lenten season is a very important season to Catholics. Ash Wednesday is observed by fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance—a day of contemplating one's transgressions.

On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, Roman Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are permitted to consume only one full meal, which may be supplemented by two smaller meals, which together should not equal the full meal. Some Roman Catholics will go beyond the minimum obligations demanded by the Church and undertake a complete fast or a bread and water fast. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of abstinence from meat (for those Catholics age 14 and over), as are all Fridays in Lent. Some Roman Catholics continue fasting during the whole of Lent, as was the Church's traditional requirement, concluding only after the celebration of the Easter Vigil.

It's Lent season... oh how I will miss the religious activities in it and the stations of the cross tradition that we do...

Simbang Gabi / Misa de Gallo / Morning Masses

It is Christmas time. Filipino celebrates its famous 9 morning masses. It starts on the dawn of December 16. I miss the "simbang gabi" When I was in the Philippines, most of the time we complete the 9 morning masses. In Tubigon, the mass starts at 4:00am. We usually have to go there early or else you will end up standing the entire service.

I remember 4 years ago, the dawn of December 16, we arrived at the church at 3:30 and the church is already full packed! some of the parishioners has to bring their own chair because there were lot of mass attendees.

After mass, we usually have to go to the bakery and buy the famous "pandesal" it is a kind of bread which is really good with coffee!

My routine then, was to attend mass and when we got home i usually have to go back to sleep for two hours. Most of the times, during the duration of the 9 morning masses, it always rains... but despite the rain we always make sure that we go to mass for it is our tradition.

I will surely miss Christmas in Pinas... Christmas time always makes me miss home and be nostalgic. Nothing beats Filipino Christmas tradition.... I am not complaining though, I have a family here in the USA and this Christmas it will be more fun because Andrea is growing up already

ALL Saints and ALL Souls Day

In the USA, there is no spirit of All Saints and All Souls Day. While we were busy and having fun with Halloween's trick and treat, my family in the other end of the world is busy with their religious obligation and busy paying a visit to the cemetery where our loved ones were buried.

During this day, I always remember our whole family goes home to spend the holidays at home. We attend mass and go to the cemetery to light a candle and bring flowers to the tomb of our loved ones. After that, we usually gather around to have some food ... It is during this time that the whole neighborhood will be making different "kakanin" like rice cake, sweet rice, and all types of suman (sweetened rice in banana leaves). You can ask all your neighbor what they are making and you can barter. This is the beauty of living in a community where you know all your neighbors and somehow everybody is kinda related.

I can't do the usual visiting in the cemetery so what I did, is I let my brother offer a mass prayer for me for the souls of our loved ones.

To understand more about this tradition please read... from WikiPilipinas...

Undas (also known as Todos los Santos, Araw ng mga Patay, or All Saints' Day) is a holiday honoring the dead, widely celebrated in the Philippines. Filipino families traditionally visit cemeteries on November 1 or 2, to hold gatherings around the graves of their departed loved ones and lay out flowers and candles. Often the occasion is treated as a reunion or banquet, with families bringing food and drink and camping out all day or even overnight. It is an official, state-recognized holiday, so people get leave from school or work on these days.

Some families visit the cemetery several days in advance to clean up the grave site and repaint the tombstones, so that the graves look more presentable on the day itself. They also offer masses in memory of the faithful departed.

Two or three days before All Saints' Day, sellers of flowers or candles sometimes jack up their prices by as much as 500 percent. People swarm to different flower markets such as the Dangwa Flower Market to buy made to order or ready-made flower arrangements to be offered for their departed loved ones.