HOLY week is here. Scorching heat, great vacation, rest week and meditation. But what does it really mean when we say holy week? According to beliefnet.com holy week is the week preceding Easter. It begins on Palm Sunday and is traditionally a week of somber reflection on the events preceding Jesus’ death; his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, his betrayal by Judas, his Last Supper with his twelve apostles, his arrest, crucifixion and death, and his burial in a tomb.
But what is holy week for me? For us? Is it the only week for families to enjoy vacations to other places? Is it the only week where friends get to bond? Or is it the week where we try to reflect to the time on how Jesus redeemed us from our sins? I remember when I was a child, everytime Holy week was approaching I was always sad to the point of madness because during holy week there were no shows to watchImage may contain: 1 person on tv, there were lots of masses to attend to and most of all there were no gimmicks with my friends, in short there was SILENCE. Parents, teachers and even priests tried to explain the importance of holy week but then again who cares, we were teenagers who prefer to have fun.
Yes, holy week may be a boring week for those who love adventures but I came to realize that as I grow older and became more mature I got to understand its deeper meaning. I became more meditative of the past events that happened to my life. I became more reflective of the biblical narratives when Jesus was welcomed to the city of Jerusalem, to the humble acts he did when he washed the feet of his disciples, to having his last supper with them, and to the moment where Jesus was tortured, crucified, died, and was risen from the dead.
What is holy week to offer me now? Just like in the song Next in Line by After Image in the 1990s
What has life to offer me
When I grow old
What step to look forward to
Beyond the biting cold
They say it's typical
Yes stereotypical
What's there beyond sleepy world
In this cruel life
Ain't a nothing else 'round here
That human strive
They say it's typical
Yes stereotypical
It's gonna be conventional
You can't be so radical
Some of you must be singing this song now as you read them but then again what does holy week have to offer me when I grow old? The answer is LOVE. This is the truest meaning of love; no buts, no ifs, just pure undying LOVE from our savior Jesus Christ. With all the trials and challenges that I have encountered, and perhaps that you have encountered as well, these are nothing compared to our savior who died on the cross and redeemed us from our sins. Holy week offers us the greatest embracing love that no matter who we are, what we had done and what we are about to do, the unconditional love Jesus has for mankind is enough for us to be grateful. The love that he showed to us gives us the hope to endure all the tribulations in life.
Yes Holy Week is here with its scorching heat, the great vacation, the rest week, the meditation and most of all the greatest love of Jesus.
Dr. Jan Dolly Grace Llavor-Deita is an associate professor 3 of Colegio San Agustin - Bacolod.