A play about faith
Counting the remaining five weeks before the 51st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) on January 24-31, 2016, preparations are more or less on the final stage. And for the cultural side, last week at the University of San Jose Recoletos Center for Performing Arts Hall and at the Ayala Cinema 3 of Ayala Center Cebu, was the restaging of Msrg. Agustin Ancajas' "Mga Dula sa Pagtoo", a suite of six short plays about faith. The plays depict a wide spectrum of man's faith and his multitudes of awakening in the process.
I directed and acted as the ghost in "Sila nga Mitaliwan Na" with Silvin Maceren and my alumni from the University of the Philippines Students Theater Arts Guild for Education (UPSTAGE) Ferliza Calizar-Contratista, Ronyel Compra, Karen Quinanola-Gonzales and Brasilia Racaza-Valdez, as my casts. The play narrates the power of prayer to attain peace for others who have gone on earth in an untimely death.
One's passing is God's will, not of men. But if it's the hand of the former, such demise would lead, they say, to soul's wandering because of unfinished business. Such passing could lead for someone to seek revenge or could be out of love or hate. Whatever it is, they just hold on too tight, can't let go. They are trapped and caught in the same loops, replaying the same tragedies over and over.
The intertwining association of culture and religion has stories of salvation and condemnation that are handed down from generation to generation. Our religious belief tells that if one's passing is not His, it is something that requires prayers for one to attain eternal peace. And so we have stories of souls who are roaming around, asking the departed for reconciliation, forgiveness, and prayers.
The present idea being proliferated has more or less would point to some existing literatures about ghost appearances. Ghost stories have probably been around as long as humans have had language. The Epic of Gilgamesh, thought by many scholars to be the oldest written story, contains many references to the spirits of the dead. That is the most basic definition of a ghost -- a person's spirit that continues to exist in some form after the physical body has died. Most religions describe an afterlife where these spirits are sent to be either rewarded or punished for their deeds in this life. A lot of ghost stories focus on spirits that return from this afterlife or never get there in the first place; instead they interact with people in the physical world.
Why do they have hard time getting to, or staying in, the afterlife? Citing the "unfinished business" in the dead person's life caused by sudden violent or traumatic death are reasons given for hauntings. In some cases, people seem to have formed such a strong bond to a specific place in life that his or her spirit returns there after death.
But at the end of all their "appearances" and patching in some loose ends, prayers are so powerful to seal an end. Prayers complete the unfinished business-and provide eternal peace. Peace that is needed for one to pursue the journey to eternal rest.
We offer our prayers for personal intentions. We pray to prepare ourselves to face the many uncertainties we face every day and the days ahead. For uncertainties make us troubled to deal with life, but more than anything else we offer our prayers for others to attain serenity and contentment.
As we celebrate the International Eucharistic Congress in 2016, we need to pause for commitment and prayer. It is a commitment to pray for the welfare of His people. The message of His coming this Christmas prepares us for a greater celebration of the significance of the Holy Eucharist, the great faith we hang on.
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