Monday…Tuesday…Wednesday...Thursday…Friday…Saturday…Sunday.
What are you, marking off your calendar?
No, I'm memorizing the days.
What for?
Holy week.
Holy what?
For the days' Holy week counterpart.
Huh?
*sigh* Holy week. You know, the set of days marking Jesus' agony, death, and resurrection.
Oh. So what do people do during this week?
Ah, I'm glad you asked. During this time, people attempt to strengthen their faith. They try to relive Jesus' passion through processions, novenas, and all the like. There are even some who go as far as inflicting Jesus' pains on themselves by flogging and crucifying-
Wait. Crucifixions and floggings on themselves? I thought the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit thus it must be respected and taken care of.
*shakes her head* But it has been their tradition, their panata, as they call it.
*stares into space thoughtfully* …
This was the conversation shared by me and one of my young cousins during our celebration of Holy Week last year. It had me thinking seriously about the event and how we Filipinos commemorate it.
Holy week or Semana Santa is of great importance to us Filipinos. It has been ingrained in our tradition since our race was influenced by Christianity. We follow Christ from his Jerusalem entrance to his resurrection. We glorify him by prayers and devout processions. And we try to thank him by reviving his sufferings in our own flesh. This act is the main thought that comes to mind here in our country when one says Holy Week. A man moaning in agony while his hands bleed from the puncture of nails driven through his flesh to a wooden cross, a man with his head bleeding due to the crown of thorns lodged on his head is the usual and shallow essence of Holy Week. An essence frowned upon by many.
Penitensya. It means “suffering”. It is the act of inflicting pain on one's body to serve as penance for one's sins. This would go from simple fasting to self-flogging to actual crucifixion complete with cross, nails, and thorns. Many believe that this act is a way of atonement for sins. Some see it as a way to ask for something. They would pledge to do it for a certain period of time in exchange for a favor from the Lord (ie. maintenance of a loved one's health, help for one's job, etc). Those who practice this state that it brings them closer to God for they realize the pain Jesus went through all for man, giving salvation heartfelt importance.
On the other hand, there are many who find this a grave contradiction of God's teaching that the human body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. God told that the body must be taken care of and nurtured since the Holy Ghost resides in it. People claim that by doing this penitensya, God's word is being seriously contradicted. Those who stand by this belief justify that God would not want us to consciously inflict pain upon ourselves because He loves us too much. That is the reason why He sent His son to save humankind.
There have been many arguments concerning this issue. Those who sincerely want this act to be stopped have raised petitions citing how these bloody acts pose a nuisance to the public and influence young minds who witness the deed. Pros counter by saying it's an act of faith, a public declaration of love and thanks. My utterance through my glasses: neutral. If people want to practice penitensya, let them be. It is their decision, maybe because it makes them feel God's presence more, so why contradict them? They practice their faith and they recognize God's power. And since it has not been a big issue, one that has not been commented upon by the office of the Pope or even the office of the Philippines' church leaders, it must have been accepted as an act not violating the Lord's teachings. Though one thing is for sure: whether or not penitensya is right in the eyes of God, it has been a solid part of our tradition, one that sets our culture apart from others and portrays our people's strong sense of faith.
