I like the idea shared by Bishop Socrates Villegas on the social media about Holy Week Traditions. I agree with his stand on the issue because I share the same sentiments.
We had known people who would do crazy things during the Holy Week. Some would hurt themselves believing that it would wipe off their sins and misdeeds. There are even individuals who would submit themselves to be literally nailed on the cross thinking that it is a way to holiness and a real share in the sufferings of Christ. We may not have witnessed things like these in our place, but they are everywhere in the social media and in the TV shows covering Holy Week activities anywhere.
Bishop Soc Villegas is right in saying that: “Holy Week traditions vary from country to country. Holy Week practices evolve with time. For more than 2,000 years now, only one tradition has remained—the Christian tradition of Love. It is not just a tradition. The first Christians were known to be the most loving of all. Love is our identity. This week is holy because of love. Love alone can make us holy.”
He is right in saying that the only tradition that we must focus on is the love of God for us. The Holy Week story, the sufferings of Jesus, is the greatest love story of all times. It was the moment when he proved to us the love of God, by offering his life on the cross for the sake of our salvation. If we want to imitate Christ, we must imitate the kind of love that he had shown by his life. We must imitate his unwavering commitment to do his Father’s will, and we must learn how embrace humiliation, insults, and all those pains inflicted on him, without a slight idea of revenge and getting even with the abusers one day.
In this world and in our present society, we are always invited to imitate the life of Christ in serving our lowly brothers and sisters. People are at war with each other because this world has become an arena where only the tough and the strong survive. People are dying of poverty and hunger because only the materially rich can afford to feed and secure themselves. People are sad, lonely, and despairing because genuine love seems to be so elusive in our society today. This is the challenge that every believer must confront. Confronting this challenge is making alive the real spirit of the Holy Week and everyone must take this challenge by heart.
Holy Week is a love story, even if many people think that it is a tragedy. Well, they have a reason for believing that it is a tragedy because the hero, Jesus Christ, did not win the fight and he died at the end of the story. We are so fond of stories about superheroes, and we want our story to end with the victory of our heroes. But let us always remember that God is not thinking in the same way that humans think. His priorities are so different from our priorities, his ideas are so different from human thoughts, and his kingdom is not of this world.
The life of Christ left us an example to follow. This extraordinary true man showed love and affection to sinners and hypocrites, to harlots and tax collectors, to the sick, the leper and the dying, and even to robbers and killers. He lived within the periphery of the society and away from the rich and the famous. His last act of love for the sinful man is when he chose to be crucified on the cross to regain redemption for us humans. He is a classic example of a crazy man if we will look at it from the world’s point of view.
The life of Christ is a story of love. It is the unending story of God’s love for the sinful man… you and me and all of us. True love must always lead the lovers to bleed in terms of their willingness to sacrifice for the sake of the beloved.
We have a lot of things to do in our present society. People are desperate and they are losing hope. Everyday is a chance for us to be that ember to light their paths, to be that voice who will guide them to the path that leads to God, to be that friend who is a real shoulder to cry on, to be that hero who promises that he will always protect them from all evils, and to be that simple and imperfect person who is willing to journey with them even if that road will lead them to the foot of the cross.