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Can't do Visita Iglesia? Here's what to do instead for Lent reflection

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Trishia Billones, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/04/13/20160324_visita-igelsia-rm.jpg"/></figure></div><p>Filipino Catholics are called to use the Holy Week to commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ.</p><p>But as Filipinos continue traditions, Catholic Bishops&#x27; Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Archbishop Socrates Villegas cautioned believers against losing the real meaning of the Holy Week.</p><p>&quot;The challenge for us Filipino Catholics is to pour much love into it also, concretely what can be done,&quot; he said in an interview with ANC&#x27;s Beyond Politics.</p><p>So what can you do? Here are some actions of love, according to Villegas: </p><div><strong>PABASA</strong></div><p>Some Catholics chant the Pasyon, a poem narrating the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in a tradition called &quot;Pabasa.&quot;</p><p>But if one does not know the tune of the Pasyon, one can turn to the Bible and reflect on its words.</p><p>&quot;You can go grab a Bible which is very available anywhere, read the Bible. That is still in the spirit of Pabasa ng Pasyon,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>&#x27;VISITA IGLESIA&#x27;</strong></div><p>Catholics normally stop by 7 to 14 churches during the traditional Visita Iglesia on Maundy Thursday, but Villegas offered a different take on the pilgrimage.</p><p>&quot;What can be done is you go to 7 charity wards of hospitals and visit the sick people there and bring them something to eat as we usually do for Christmas. That is a pilgrimage.&quot;</p><div><strong>FASTING ON GOOD FRIDAY</strong></div><p>Filipino Catholics also believe in fasting on Fridays of Lent and most especially on Good Friday when they commemorate Jesus Christ&#x27;s death on the cross. But Villegas asserted, &quot;fasting in itself is not good.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Fasting only becomes good when you save what you have fasted on and then share it with others because if you don&#x27;t eat on Good Friday and you have extra food on Black Saturday, that is not fasting; that is savings,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>FLOGGING, CRUCIFIXION</strong></div><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/04/13/20160323-flagellants-mandaluyong-md.jpg"/></figure></div><p>While the Catholic Church no longer frowns on Holy Week beach vacations, it had spoken up against several practices like crucifixion and flogging as acts of penance.</p><p>&quot;It does violence to the body and the body is the temple of God. That&#x27;s the first reason why we object,&quot; said Villegas.</p><p>He added, they are also against it because people who do such acts &quot;attract attention to themselves&quot; and the so-called sacrifice becomes an opportunity for an &quot;ego massage,&quot; when the focal point of the Holy Week should be Jesus Christ.</p><p>Villegas insisted, &quot;it is no longer necessary to shed blood&quot; as the people do when they publicly flog themselves or have themselves crucified.</p><p>&quot;The shedding of blood is completely done by Jesus Christ. We don&#x27;t have to hurt ourselves anymore because we cannot add to the merits of Christ&#x27;s passion,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;What we must do is to realize how much God loves me and realizing how much God loves you, become more loving with those around you. To be more patient with pains in the neck, to be more forgiving with annoying people--that is the way to show your love for God,&quot; he said.</p><p>Instead of inflicting pain on themselves, Villegas said these people should &quot;help the poor,&quot; as in the Scriptures, where it is said that &quot;alms giving covers a multitude of sins.&quot; </p><p>&quot;So if you really want to atone for your sins, help somebody in need, somebody who cannot thank you--not just a relative, a neighbor you know by name,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>GETTING FLOWERS FROM THE &#x27;CAROZA&#x27;</strong></div><p>Villegas said rushing to get flowers from the &#x27;caroza&#x27; also needs to go. As people believe these flowers have healing powers, they may be hurting others while trying to get hold of the blooms. </p><p>&quot;On a season like Holy Week, you step on somebody, sisikuhin mo, susuntukin mo, sisipain para lang makakuha ka ng isang pirasong bulaklak, all for yourself? I think that&#x27;s contrary to the mandate of the Lord to &#x27;love one another&#x27;,&quot; said Villegas.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;d rather we leave the flowers where they are or if you really want to get the flowers, then put some order into it: make sure that you do not forget charity, you do not forget compassion, you do not forget malasakit when you such a thing,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Catholics normally stop by 7 to 14 churches during the traditional Visita Iglesia on Maundy Thursday, but Villegas offered a different take on the pilgrimage.</p><p> </p>

Catholics normally stop by 7 to 14 churches during the traditional Visita Iglesia on Maundy Thursday, but Villegas offered a different take on the pilgrimage.

Can't do Visita Iglesia? Here's what to do instead for Lent reflection

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Can't do Visita Iglesia? Here's what to do instead for Lent reflection

Trishia Billones,

ABS-CBN News

Published Apr 13, 2017 01:22 PM PHT

Read More:

ANC

Holy Week

traditions

Socrates Villegas

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