So... WOW!
Today it is Easter Sunday and we are celebrating the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ!! The gifts of Our Lord keep coming to me, as unworthy as I am to receive them. I do not think that these gifts are in response to anything I did or are for me alone. We are all surrounded by the gifts of the Lord, we just need to open the eyes of our hearts to see them. For years I my heart was near-sighted, missing so much. Now, after being in places where my wants and dreams come, willingly, last, my heartsight has improved immensely...not 20/20 yet, but I'm working on it!!
My lent began with a bang...literally! After 5am mass on Ash Wednesday, Sister Minerva and I were crossing the street to go home and were hit by a motorcycle. We didn't see him coming, he was in the wrong lane so we weren't even looking in that direction. I was knocked down on my right back side and hit my head on the ground. Sister Minerva landed hard on her knees. The driver was an unlicensed kid who was in a hurry. All of us are ok. My biggest pain is in my tailbone area and Sister Minerva's knee is slowly improving. But, after the shock of it all, it occurred to me that I was supposed to make empanadas on that day with the Baking Mamas to sell for snacks. The only problem being that it was Ash Wednesday, a day of fasting. Would we be leading people into temptation by making and selling empanadas on this day? Here in the Philippines, most people are Catholic. Well, the blessing of this day was that I don't remember being hit at all. What I remember is crossing the street, feeling like I was hit by a pillow and landing on a pillow. I can't even remember hitting my head. The fall didn't hurt at all. Now, afterwards the pain came, and came big, but I must have been surrounded by angels during the accident!! So, no empanadas were made on Ash Wednesday, our consciences were clean and I just rested the whole day.
My first Holy Week in the Philippines was without a doubt, the most meaningful one I think I have ever had. On Holy Thursday, we went to morning prayer at the cathedral. Then, at 4pm, we attended the Last Supper Mass. It was celebrated by the Bishop with about 8 other priests concelebrating. It was a beautiful mass attended by so many people that there must have been a few hundred people standing outside the church because there wasn't enough room for them inside. The bishop washed the feet of 10 parishioners. Then, the Oikos Sisters and all of the co-workers, of which I am one, went to Providence Home for our Last Supper ceremony and washing of the feet. It was a love-filled dinner, one that reminded me of the Holy Thursday dinners of my youth. Then for the washing of feet, we all took turns washing everyone's feet. For me, it was an incredible bonding experience that I took very seriously. Feet have always been my least favorite part of the body!!! Aside from babies, whose feet I love to nibble on and kiss, I can't remember a time when I even touched someone else's feet!! And to kneel at someone's feet, wash and dry them, kiss them...it is a humbling experience. But it brought home to me the message of Jesus on this night like no other experience in my life. After the dinner and feet washing, we went to the cathedral for Eucharistic Adoration. Our hour was from 11pm to 12am with other religious sisters and the college seminarians. Truly beautiful.
Once we got to bed, around 1ish, I did as the Filipinos often say, I slept hard and fast because we had to be up again around 4:30!! At 5am on Good Friday, we had morning prayer at the Cathedral, and then that was followed by Stations of the Cross at dawn. Not inside the church, which has always been my experience, no this was out around the city of Borongan. Walking with the Bishop of Borongan, Bishop Crispin Varquez, and about 3 thousand other people, we stopped at each station to kneel and pray right in the street. As the sun rose, we walked and prayed. It was so solemn and beautiful! I saw one woman walking barefoot. Later I asked Sister Minerva about it. She said the woman did that as a sacrifice. The roads in Borongan are not smooth. They are concrete with little pebbles and big stones scattered around the road, with cracks and uneven parts...it must have been very painful. Sister Minerva said she has done that a few times as well. It hurts my feet just to think about it!! Singing, walking, praying out in the street in a procession of sorrow laced with hope for all of Borongan to see...it was easily the most meaningful Stations of the Cross I have ever experienced.
Later that day, I went to a series of talks on the 7 last words that Christ spoke on the cross. One of the talks was given by Sister Minerva, "Woman, here is your son; son, your mother." Sister Clarissa gave a talk on the words, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned Me." Both sisters gave great talks on the words they were given to speak on. Afterwards, we attended the 3pm service at the Cathedral which was followed by another procession throughout the city. This was a burial march. We walked with statues of Saint Peter, Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint Veronica, Saint John, and Sorrowful Mother Mary. Behind us was Jesus in a glass casket. This time, there were around 10,000 people!!! Oh my goodness!!! Once again, we marched through the city praying the rosary all together. I know in the U.S. there used to be processions on certain holy days...I have to say, I wish that would come back. There is something so beautiful about walking throughout your town or city, proudly praying, announcing your faith to all without even speaking to them. At home in Buffalo, I would sometimes walk around my neighborhood praying the rosary and one time someone asked me what I was doing and we talked about the rosary and Mary for a while. I think I made a teeny difference in someone's life that day. How much more of a difference can an entire parish make? Really...it was such a beautiful day.
Saturday began with morning prayer, and then our preparations for Easter began. My job was to make pizza and cookies. Well, with the help of a lot of kids and some of the mothers here, we got the work done in no time! And what a fun day we had! We made 6 sheet pizzas, and because of a new oven we received from a friend of Oikos (more on that in another post) we were able to bake all 6 sheet pizzas at the same time!! It was a great day! In the evening, around 8:30, we went to the Cathedral for the Easter Vigil mass. It was quite solemn and beautiful. I think that mass should be a requirement for Catholics!! It is just so darn beautiful and full of meaning. It is a long mass, ours ended after 1am, but well worth the time!! Once again, the church was packed. I've never been to a packed church for an Easter Vigil mass.
After going to bed late again, you'd think I would have slept in late, but alas, I was up once again by 6am!! I remember waking up on Easter with the thought, God, I thank you for this special time in the Philippines celebrating the sacrifice of Your Son and His glorious resurrection. I truly have not felt this close to You in a long time. And although all of the services and masses have not been in English, I have felt surrounded by Your mighty presence. It is hard to not have anything familiar to me...none of the traditions and celebrations here are like the ones I have always had at home and a sense of loneliness came upon me. I remember thinking not even songs are ones that I can connect to, like my favorite song on Easter, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today." Well, I got up, got dressed, went into the prayer room to say my morning prayer, and what do you think the morning song was? yep. "Jesus Christ is Risen Today!!" Some people may look at that situation and say, What a neat coincidence. But I say, I've just been hugged by God!
On Easter we sang, played many games, ate lots of delicious food... spaghetti, pizza, fried chicken, salad, cookies and a delicious mango dessert! All together for the whole day, the Oikos Family cherished every minute, laughed together and had an amazing day. Jesus Christ is risen today!! Alleluia!!!
Well, because of the accident, my Lent got off to a rough start. But it was nothing compared to what Jesus suffered, to what millions of people suffer today much worse than me. It was a wake-up call. Not only look both ways when crossing the street, but look around you with your heart. God is present everywhere, He is showering us with blessings every day. Some may be harder for us to discern than others, but when seen through the eyes of the heart, especially when that vision is 20/20,
His blessings abound!!
Happy Easter, Alleluia, Alleluia!! xxoo
