What Holy Week is Not?

God does not die yearly in any day of the holy week, as many unevangelized Filipinos naively believe it to be so on Fridays. Jesus, although God, die only as a man—that is, his body alone died, not his soul and divinity; and it happened only once, not every Good Friday. Jesus is victorious over death; he is ever-living, and that is the essence of Holy Week and of Christianity.
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Holy week is about meditation on the love of God through Jesus Christ. It is not about having yourself crucified as if crucifixion or even death will save your soul. The meaning of “penitensya” is not scourging your body or doing a show for spectators, but being sorrowful and repentant for your sins and wrongdoings. True penitence leads to conversion, and that is a change of heart. To be a Christian is to follow Christ, not as a superstitious fanatic but as a man who lives in reality. We are commanded to bear our everyday crosses—that is to accept without complaints all the things that are beyond our control, and to keep in mind the desire of others more than one’s own—not to make any exhibition of suffering. Jesus said, “Pag mag-aayuno kayo, huwag magpakita ng lungkot sa mukha gaya ng mga mapagkunwari. Nagpapakita sila ng lungkot sa mukha para makita ng tao na nag-aayuno sila. Talagang sinasabi ko sa inyo na nagantimpalaan na sila ng husto. Kung ikaw naman ang mag-aayuno, maghilamos at ayusin ang sarili sapagkat hindi ka nag-aayuno para pakitang-tao lamang kundi para sa Amang nakakakita sa lahat. At gagantimpalaan ka ng iyong Amang nakakakita sa lahat ng lihim.” It is the same thing with praying, almsgiving, or doing any good things; Jesus taught us that what you did in secret will be rewarded by your Father who sees all secrets; on the other hand, the things that you are displaying are already rewarded by your audience.

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“Christ is risen!” It is not the same as what many Filipinos say “Buhay na ulit ang Diyos,” as if God died. Some will say that it is more grammatically appropriate to declare that one “has risen” than one “is risen”. But it is not the case with Jesus. True, Christ has risen from the dead almost 2,000 years ago; but now, we use “risen” more as an adjective than a verb. We describe Jesus as the Risen One—the only one that was resurrected. It is both correct to say, “Si Cristo ay muling nabuhay,” and “Si Cristo ang muling nabuhay”. That is why Christian Paschal celebration is the feast of all feasts; it is the center of Christian Faith—the reason behind all Christian martyrdoms—to proclaim that Christ is risen.

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Let us live our lives with what Holy Week is, and leave behind what Holy Week is not.