Devotees flock to Baclaran Church in Parañaque City on Palm Sunday, March 24, 2024. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, when Christians around the world commemorate the Passion of Christ through prayer and contemplation. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN NewsPresident Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Palm Sunday urged Filipino Catholics to “have a meaningful and reflective Holy Week” as the lone predominantly Catholic nation in Asia embarks on the final week of Lent.

Holy Week — which starts on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter — is an opportunity to “commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ as well as reflect on the many transcendent encounters that beckon us to explore the depths of our souls and rediscover the spirituality that lies at the core of our being,” the President said in his lent message this year.

“This hallowed time of contemplative silence behooves us to ponder on the mysteries that elude our grasp, seek revelation in the face of the inexplicable, and acknowledge the interplay of joy and sorrow in life so that we may understand the path laid before us by Almighty God,” he said.

“In this solemn occasion, let us not only seek to unravel the mysteries of our faith, but also to illuminate the path for others through acts of kindness and selflessness ,” he said.

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The President said that he also prays for Filipinos to “humbly accept our authentic selves as imperfect beings for it is by becoming truly human that we can experience the divine.”

“Let us always remember to seek the Lord in our desires and to desire Him in our seeking,” he said.

Filipinos are expected to travel to their respective provinces this week as the country starts its long weekend on Maundy Thursday.

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