Holy Egg!
Today being Sunday (
16 Mar 2008
), I attended Mass as usual. I didn’t realize how that it’s only less than a week before Easter holiday or as I fondly know it back home in
Philippines
, Holy Week.
The Filipino priest mentioned how the Australian environment is not conducive to really make this Christian event the meaning that it is due. He mentioned how all hotels seem to be booked around this time yet the churches hardly get filled with people during the service. The people would rather spend time relaxing at the beach than praying reverently to remember why we have this ‘Holyday” anyway. This has struck a cord in me in that I felt some guilt about not preparing as I should as a dutiful and thankful Christian. The first thought that came into my mind as I approached Easter was where we would hold our Easter egg hunting for the kids.
I remember in the
Philippines
, usually we would have already planned which church we would go to for confession and reflection on the Stations of the Cross. I really miss the times when we used to visit 14 different churches to represent each Station of the Cross. It was indeed a sacrifice and penance in itself to do this since in
Manila
where we used to reside, traffic was (and still is) congested not to mention the humid and heat and squeezing in the packed churches all day and all night long. It was an arduous task indeed to fulfill this. However, as we finished the 14 stations we would suddenly feel a certain relief that we’e done something to honour and remember Christ’s death and resurrection.
As I recall the angst of guilt longer, the more urgency I feel in wanting to do something to really make this a reconciliatory and cleansing ‘holyday’ period for me. My prayer apart from being ‘resurrected in Christ’ is that more and more people will know the true essence of why we have this holiday. Let the Easter egg chocolates we consume during this Holy season remind us of the beautiful and delicious new life Jesus had given us by His sacrifices and His rising in heaven. And it’s ours for the taking!
