Good Fridays

A lot has changed about how Holy Week is spent. It used to be that Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday was a period of reflection (or that it appeared to be) with few programs on TV and radio. Back in the day, there was no internet and cable TV was a status symbol for those who could afford it. Of course, back then people didn't have their own cell phones and malls were quite few. Around churches, there weren't any Jollibees or McDonalds open and selling “regular” fastfood.

I was not surprised at all finding so many people flocking to the churches on Good Friday. The Antipolo Cathedral was packed as usual with people receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, doing the Stations of the Cross, or even just loitering around being part of a group doing their Visita Iglesia with the cathedral as one of the stops.

I was not surprised by the commercial atmosphere outside the church. Vendors of all kinds were selling their wares to visitors from all over. There were the usual candles, flowers and even prayers being sold just outside the church doors. There were also the balloons and toys that often caught the fancy of children, some of whom were crying after apparently being told by their parents that they couldn't have the balloons. There were also some who were crying after their balloons got away from them and floated to the heavens as if they were offerings on this day commemorating the passion and death of Christ. Being Antipolo, there were also the various foods being sold by different stalls like manga, kasoy, suman and other kakanin. However, conspicuous are the fastfood restaurants who were all open and offered their versions of Holy Week fare – crispy bangus, sizzling tuna, etc. Of course, for those not practicing abstinence from meat, chicken, beef and pork meals were readily available and in plain view. You can even be tempted by the smell of chicken inasal in the air.

I think the same phenomenon, if you can call it thus, is happening all around the country especially in the cities where the commercialization of religious holidays are often pushed to the limits of what society will accept given the nod to modern times. It is something the Church needs to also accept and adjust to rather than be in denial of the change in the times and conditions, rather than dismiss such fact and realities as merely mores and excesses easily attributable to temptation and the weakness of man.