Palma to faithful: Lent is not about vacation

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma has called on the Catholic flocks to participate in the Church activities during the Holy Week instead of going on a vacation.

“Some people think Holy Week is a time for vacation. Di man gyud unta ni pasabot na (it doesn't mean) you're free from other activities and mag-enjoy na lang or mag-relax,|” he said.

This season, Palma said, should serve as an opportunity for the people to “enter into the spirit of the season”as a number of significant activities can be participated in.

Palma said the people can start it by participating the Palma Sunday today and the following activities like the Passion of the Lord, Paschal Triduum, Chrism Mass, the Last Supper and the Seven Last Words.

“The Lenten Season invites us to make this season a season of grace… We should be appreciative of His death and of course, the new life that happens in Easter,” he said.

If one has to start the season of Lent with the call to renewal or repentance, the Archbishop said, it is so important to take the confession as a sign of the individual's serious intention to renew.

The archbishop further said that one should connect his or her faith with doing something positive.

“It's empty when not translated to good works. Those things are definitely part of the whole celebration, the reflection. Makita unta atong kausaban sa atong kinabuhi and the joy of course that goes with it,” Palma then said.

As to those who will get themselves nailed on the cross on Good Friday, Palma said they could not judge the men's motivation, but the Church is not really encouraging such practice.

“Our identification with Christ should be more internal. Di lang kay tungod si Hesus nagpalansang sa krus, magpalansang sad ta (not because Jesus was nailed we will also have ourselves nailed on the cross) that's more external,” he said.

Being loving and forgiving and being a people of peace and goodwill is the better identification with Christ this Lenten season, Palma added.

Meanwhile, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has reiterated her position against indecent and obscene shows during the Holy Week.

Garcia issued the same warning, as in the previous years, saying that others might have waited for it.

“My policy has not changed, I had hoped that I would not need to remind them,” Garcia said.

Garcia made the warning as thousands of local and foreign tourists are expected to flock in Sta. Fe town in Bantayan Island to spend the Holy Week.

The island is known for its unusual celebration during the Holy Week because while other people observe the Lenten season with fasting, the people in Bantayan Island would prepare lechon.

“Do not desecrate the religious activities of the holy week with your vulgar and obscene shows that smock of crash commercialism,” Garcia said.

The warning was issued purposely to avoid a repeat of the incident in 2009 wherein the province filed cases against two Manila-based actresses and several others in relation to the staging of a bikini show in Bantayan Island.

Actresses Maui Taylor and Jennifer Lee apologized to Garcia and to the public through a written apology published in the newspapers.  (FREEMAN)