Biyernes Santo
By Rudy Arizala
I woke up this morning feeling, sad, lonely and homesick. I remember
how, when I was still a child and even when already grown up, Biyernes
Santo is observed in our hometown of infanta.
As narrated in my piece "The Meaning of Lent" published in a book of
mine "A Need for Moral Recovery and Other Essays,"in 1994, (Remember
when I launched said book at the Philippine Center, Fifth Avenue, New
York City when I was still Consul General in the Big Apple?), I recalled
it as follows:
"Whenever Lent approaches, I remember the old stone chuch of my town,
the old women in ´sayas´or skirts with black veils covering their faces
and huge ´scapularios´hanging around their necks. I also remember the
various statues of saints which participate in the long procession
during Good Friday.
"The fishermen of my town, including the ´dumagats´or ´aetas´ crowd
around the corpse of a ´dead Christ´and elbow each other to get hold of,
and get a bite of the ´cordon´ or rope tied around the waist of the
statue. For it is their belief that if you are a fisherman and get a
bite of the rope tied around the ´dead Christ´, you will have plenty of
catch when you go fishing.
"The others who crowd around the statue of the ´dead Christ´ during the
procession, are those having ´anting-anting´or amulets. It is the
belief of the holders of amulets that by touching the dead Nazrene,
their amulets are énergized´and remain valid.
"Aside from the procession on Good Friday, we also have the ´
penetencias´or flagellats. These persons wear no clothing except leaves
of trees and banana plants tied around their waists whlle their heads
are covered with leaves and flowers. They dance and move around while
whipping themselves with iron chains and twigs with thorns. Their sweat
mixed with blood glistens in thier bodies under the afternoon sun.
After two to three hours of such rituals, they go to the river or
stream and bathe themselves.
"Why do they practise such things, or become flagellants? Most of them
have been sick or afflicted with an incurable disease and made a vow
that once they get well, they will be flagellants. Others simply do it
as a sacrifice for the atonement of sins.
"These penetencias or flagellants observe their religion or belief with
so mch faith and devotion. They are simple folks - fishermen and
farmers - who still cling to the old traditions, with the innocence of a
child.
"They are like the old woman of my town who are still with their ´
sayas´(skirts) and ´kotsus´(thick leather slippers) with long rosaries
and ´scapularios´hanging around their necks; and the flickering lights
of candles during the procession on Good Friday trying to defy the winds
of change and modernity.
"Will they be able to hold on and defy the winds of change?
" In this moder age of computers, cellular phones and laser, people
still like to hold on to old traditions and belief or in miracles,
perhaps to reassure themselves that after Good Friday comes Easter or
Resurrection and therefore, the possibility of their own immortality."
NOTE:
Wonder if the above practises and relgious rituals are still observed in
our hometown of Infanta. If no longer, they merely exist in our memory
and on the pages of the book: "A Need for Moral Recovery and Other Essays."
Have a blessful Good Friday and Joyous Easter Sunday.