MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos value Holy Week so much that they call it “Mahal na Araw” to symbolize how much they revere the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s final moments.

“To call something mahal means it is near your heart. The days unfolding are so dear to the hearts of every Filipino,” said Fr. Genaro Diwa, head of the liturgical affairs ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila.

Holy Week is the series of Church observances commemorating the various events in the final days of Christ’s life—His Passion and the events which immediately led up to it. It is the week which precedes the greatest of all Christian feasts, the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

It begins on Palm Sunday, commemorating Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and ends in the three sacred days of Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday, derived from Jesus’ “mandate” to love one another as he loves us, also celebrates Jesus’ institution of the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Ordination. Good Friday commemorates Christ’s crucifixion and death and Holy Saturday is the final night before the Feast of the Resurrection, which begins at the Easter Vigil.

Buildup to Easter

The Church provides the rites and worship dedicated to reenacting the final events of Christ’s life so that Holy Week is generally a busy time for Catholics in the Philippines as they build up to the great feast of Easter.

According to Diwa, the way Filipinos spend the week in total solemnity is something peculiar to the culture that values religious traditions.

He said the Holy Week celebrations in Rome, where the seat of government of the Catholic Church is located, are nowhere as somber as in the Philippines.

A foreigner observing the bustling streets of Manila would notice the sudden slack in activities during the seven days of Holy Week, he said.

‘Everything stops’

“It is as if everything stops. Everything becomes slower. The liturgical celebration is so important that it affects the normal flow of life of Filipinos,” he said.

Holy Week in the Philippines starts with the celebration of Palm Sunday, or Passion Sunday.

While the worship services are usually remembered for the blessing of the palms, Diwa said the palms are actually just an auxiliary to the faithful’s understanding of the special importance of this particular Sunday.

It is on Palm Sunday that the story of Christ’s Passion is read from the Gospel, which acts as a sort of preview for what will unfold during the rest of the week.

Palm Sunday not only marks Christ’s entry into Jerusalem but, more importantly, symbolizes the faithful’s desire to accompany Christ, Diwa said.

Palms welcomed champs

The Jews waved palms to welcome Jesus’ entry into their city, using the common symbol for discipleship.

According to Diwa, the Romans also used palms to welcome their champions returning from war.

“It is like saying, ‘we will be with you until the end,’” said Diwa.

In the Philippines, each region and parish have their own traditions for celebrating Palm Sunday. Some hold solemn processions before entering the Church grounds to dramatize Christ’s entry into Jerusalem.

In some provinces, women, in a tradition known as “paglalatag,” lay pieces of cloth or mats on the road leading to the Church as devotional symbols of their welcome of the Messiah, Diwa said.

The more devout among them use tapis (a piece of fabric used as a wrap-around skirt) that had been passed down from generation to generation specifically for the occasion.

To dramatize Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, old women in the province would lay their “tapis” on the ground for the parish priest, acting as the Christ figure, to walk on as he makes his way to the Church.

Alay Kapwa Sunday

Today, the Philippines also celebrates “Alay Kapwa Sunday.”

Alay Kapwa, or the offering of oneself to one’s neighbor, is an evangelization program which the Church in the Philippines established in 1975.

In a pastoral letter, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales has made a special appeal for the protection of the environment in this year’s Alay Kapwa Sunday.

In the letter, which has for its theme, “Protection and Preservation of the Environment, a Christian Responsibility,” Rosales reminds Filipinos of their Christian responsibility to take good care of their environment.

Environmental protection starts with simple living, he says, and people should use only the things that they really need in their lives.

The Alay Kapwa campaign is implemented in all dioceses and requires the Catholic faithful to share their time and talent with their neighbors.

Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), emphasized the message of hope in the resurrection.

Christ’s resurrection does not only pertain to Christ but gives hope that all Christians will rise to life with Christ, he said in a statement.

Sinners will rise

“The message of Holy Week for all the world is not only that Christ suffered and died for us, but that he also rose from the dead for us,” said Lagdameo.

He said the liturgical celebration also gives hope that sinners would rise again from their mistakes and sinful ways.

He asked the Catholic faithful to be prayerful and reflective during the days of Holy Week and to focus their thoughts and actions on God.

He also encouraged everyone to participate in the worship services prepared by their parishes