Stored Treasure: Barasoain Church's procession for faith and tradition

BAYANIHAN REPUBLIC:

Stored Treasure / 04 April 2010

Next in the Holy Week tradition that I revisited is the Good Friday procession of the Way of the Cross.  The procession features life size replicas of biblical characters and scenes depicted in the Passion of Jesus Christ.

At Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan, the activity usually starts at around 5 or 6 PM but we managed to enter the patio right before the procession so we could have a better look at the sacred figures. =)  Here are some of the shots I have taken.

Barasoain Church may be an icon in Philippine History but first and foremost, it is a home to centuries old Filipino Catholic tradition.

Stored Treasure: Talk the Walk... the Good Friday walk to Kapitangan

BAYANIHAN REPUBLIC:

Stored Treasure / 02 April 2010 
http://digitista.blogspot.com/2010/04/talk-walk-good-friday-walk-to.html

Like the "pabasa", the "lakad sa Kapitangan" (walk to Kapitangan) is another Holy Week activity I grew up with. There's nothing spectacular about this tradition except that we get to walk in woods and rice fields, see the standard Filipino Catholic activity like Via Crucis and penitensya, eat native dishes at the street, buy "langis" (oil) that said to possess healing power, witness the crucifixion of Mother Paring, an old woman who make herself crucified each year during Holy Week and of course bond with my cousins.

Photo shows a man who volunteered himself to do the penitensya.

Stored Treasure: Pabasa lives on and enriches relationships, spirituality and culture

 
BAYANIHAN REPUBLIC:

Stored Treasure / 01 April 2010

After Christmas, Holy Week is the next most awaited occasion in our family as it brings us to valuable traditional activities that were started decades ago.

On Holy Thursday, we have the "pabasa", an activity where people chant the book that narrates the Passion of the Christ. In pre-colonial Philippines, poems are not read but sang or chanted (like in epics Lam-ang and Alim). That I think is the reason why pabasa is done that way.

On Good Friday, we have the "Walk to Kapitangan" which I will blog next, the "prayer at Barihan" and "prusisyon at Barasoain". Come Saturday, since there are plenty of kids, we usually have a swim. =)