Lenten Season's Reflections

Times have changed. People have changed. I have witnessed the observance of Holy Week more than 40 times. Definitely, it has changed. Gone are the days when there was no TV program to watch but the Ten Commandments and the Jesus film. It was usually quiet, particularly during Holy Thursdays and Good Fridays. Of course, there are still those people who do penitence and adhere to their "panata". There's still "visita iglesia" but there's also "visita Boracay" and visits to famous summer destinations during the week. There's the "pabasa" or "pasyon" but in some places, it's done in more upbeat tunes. For some entrepreneurs, it's still business as usual. Easter has become highly commercialized. Mall sales, Easter bunnies, and egg hunting have highlighted the as-important occasion as Christmas. Whatever has kept us busy during the Lenten season, may we never forget the life and sacrifices of Jesus more than two thousand years ago. Born to die so that man may live.