Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 7) — Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula urged the faithful on Good Friday to make sacrifices for others like how Jesus Christ made a sacrifice for humanity.
“We must also remember we are called to love one another as Jesus loves us. This means that we must be willing to make sacrifices for the sake of others just as Jesus did for us,” Advincula said during his homily at the Manila Cathedral.
As Catholics commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion and death, Advincula called on the faithful to “respond to God’s love with humility and gratitude.”
“We must recognize that we are unworthy of such a great gift and yet God still chose to give it to us,” he said.
In the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, also known as Baclaran Church, hundreds of Filipino Catholics flocked inside as restrictions eased for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.
At 1 p.m., devotees solemnly reflected on Christ’s seven last words before his final breath, with the church’s modern reenactment of the Lord’ s passion and death.
The faithful were also urged to reconnect with their faith by surrendering to the Lord, especially during times of suffering.
For devotees, the Holy Week marks a period of repentance and a solemn tradition that has spanned many generations.
“Kaugalian natin ‘yan kaya dapat talaga natin i-celebrate dahil sa paghihirap ni Kristo para sa atin,” Mary Grace Mallard told CNN Philippines.
[Translation: It is in our tradition. That is why we should celebrate because it is Christ’s sacrifice to us.]
She added that intentions in her prayers include easing the hardships of Filipinos, especially with the rising prices of commodities, and finding solutions to the country’s problems.
For Jas Cabisas, going to church means repenting and expressing gratitude, especially during Holy Week.
“Hindi naman tayo perpekto lahat so eto na ang araw ng Holy Week kaya pumunta po tayo sa simbahan para makapag hingi ng sorry at magpasalamat sa mga natatamo natin sa buhay”,”he said.
[Translation: Of course, we are not perfect. That is why this Holy Week, we go to church to ask for forgiveness and to thank the Lord for the blessing we received.]
The same goes for Al Cruz who went to church this Holy Week as a way of expressing his gratitude to the Lord.
“Pasalamat dahil nagdaan ang COVID(-19) nakita niyo naman, yung hirap na inabot natin noon. Hindi natin alam pano makakalusot pero eto tayo ngayon, nagkakausap kahit papano buhay,” Cruz said.
[Translation: Thankful because during the COVID-19 we experienced hardships. We do not know how to get by but here we are, alive.]
