Filipinos are known all over the world for their strong faith in God and for their deep love and reverence for our Holy Mother Mary, who we call Mama Mary. It is in the Filipinos’ destiny to be OFWs (Oversees Filipino Workers), and when I think of this now that I am older, I think it is because Filipinos are destined to share their deep faith in God with others around the world, to help the world remember that God is alive, and that God loves all of us.
I am writing this article while on vacation in the Philippines. It is now Holy Week here and in every Catholic Church you will see groups of people singing the Passion of the Christ, from early morning until late at night and in the Church’s kitchen, breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served, free of charge, to anyone who wishes to come.
When I was a child, I used to come to the Church’s kitchen to meet my grandmother who always volunteered to cook during Holy Week and there she would always have food ready for me to bring home to share with my family. In a way, this Filipino tradition also highlight “feeding the hungry” during the Lenten Season. My grandmother also volunteered to sing the Passion, and I would occasionally sit next to her while she was singing and learned to sing as well. The singing of the Passion is on loudspeakers and can be heard miles and miles away.
The singing of the passion of the Christ is also done in some of the homes where people gather and sing from dawn till midnight while others cook and feed anyone who wishes to come. The singing of the Passion is actually the story of God’s love for His people which includes the story of creation, the fall of Adam and Eve, the birth of Mary, the annunciation, the visitation, Jesus’ birth, the visit of the three wise men, the flight into Egypt, Herod’s slaying of the children, the return to Nazareth, Jesus’ visit to the Temple when he was 12 years old, the death of Saint Joseph, St John the Baptist preaching about Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan river, the devil’s temptations in the wilderness where Jesus was for 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus’ public ministry which includes the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, Mary Magdalene’s pouring of the most expensive perfume on Jesus feet, the calming of the storm at the sea of Galilea, Jesus’ transfiguration at Mount Tabor, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, Jesus’ final entry in Jerusalem while riding on a donkey which we remember as Palm Sunday, Jesus’ teachings to His apostles, the story of Judas Iscariot, the Last Supper, the washing of the feet of the Apostles, Jesus’ praying in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus’ betrayed by Judas with a kiss, and the whole Passion of the Christ in detail, which we also remember in the United States, Jesus resurrection and ascension to Heaven, the descent of the Holy Spirit, the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Her Coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth.
Filipinos remembering the story of human’s salvation by singing the Passion of the Christ, singing from the heart, remembering the love of God, the history of our salvation, the sufferings of the Christ and His Mother Mary to restore what was lost when our first parents Adam and Eve sinned, opening the gates of Heaven again for all of us — all these brought tears to my eyes — and I thank God that I am a Filipino.
Not only by singing the Passion do the Filipinos remember, but by also doing processions where large statues depicting the story of human salvation are included in the procession from Jesus’ triumphant entry to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, the Last Supper, Jesus’ agony in the garden, the betrayal with a kiss, scourging at the pillar, the carrying of the Cross, the imprint of Jesus’ face on a cloth, Jesus’ Crucifixion, the removal of Jesus’ body from the Cross, Mary holding the dead body of her son, Jesus’s burial, the Resurrection, the agony of Mary and so many more large statues hoping to help Filipinos remember Jesus’ passion. The procession is usually held on Wednesday and Good Friday of the Holy Week. Hundreds of people join the procession, holding lighted candles and praying the Rosary, thanking God for this gift of life.
Jesus suffered and died on the Cross for all of us, the greatest gift anyone could offer. As I again personally experience how Catholics in the Philippines celebrate this Holy Week, I feel grateful and thankful that I am a Filipino and that I had been and continue to be a part of this Filipino tradition of the Singing of the Passion and the procession honoring God’s gift of salvation for the world. In closing, please join me in praying this prayer that Jesus personally taught His apostles.
Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptations
But deliver us from evil. Amen.
• Gina Del Rosario is a Roman Catholic who was born and raised in the Philippines, and is a parishioner at Saint Paul’s Catholic Church in Juneau. “Living and Growing” is a weekly column written by different authors and submitted by local clergy and spiritual leaders. It appears every Saturday on the Juneau Empire’s Faith page.
