Friday 21 March 2008

GOOD FRIDAY FEARS

noeda, sharon, irish, baby danica, jehan and lovelyn

Back when my Lola Meding was still with us, for a little girl who loves playing in the mountains or at the school ground near our home, Good Friday is a doom's day. We're not allowed to go out of the house, play loud or noisy games and sing with the guitar as me and my sisters usually do when we're gathered at home. "Jesus Christ is suffering and will die today", my grandma would always remind us.


Even our sibling fights are put on hold - a ceasefire and a silent agreement to be a little bit nice in respect to "Big J's" death. What makes the day really doomed is - there's no cartoon shows on TV and regular programs are not on the entire Holy Week.

'Sabado Gloria' (Black Saturday) was better. The family usually goes swimming to Labey, the river that connects Tublay, Benguet and Ambuklao Dam. Other times, we go to the small river at my father's farm in Babatan which is only four kilometers away from our place.

As I grew up and knew more why Holy week is observed for us Catholics, I hope I understood it well. A God Himself who became a man and knew He will be mocked, thrown stone at, walked through His death and later be crucified had allowed all these to happen with His reason of saving man from their sins. That's one tough true love for HIM to bare for us who are sometimes undeserving of these noble sacrifice.

I remember that distinct feeling of my Good Friday Fears. If God is dead, ghosts and "baddies" will be all around till He is risen the next day. That sense of "security" that Someone is looking after you is gone. Oh my, I'm glad that's just for a day.

Writing these down now is not at all about my Good Friday Fears. It turned out to be a reminder of how I am doomed with out "Big J", how I really need Him after all. Funny memories, its good they keep coming back.

7 comments:

Anonymous

Great post. Like you said what makes it a doomed day is the absence of anything to do hehehe. Everything practically shuts down here during Holy Week. No newspaper, no TV, no malls. Everything is closed. Buti na lang may internet hehe. I guess I'm a bad Christian that way.

Looking forward to Easter :-)

Anonymous

Lovely group pictures you have. Wish I have those kinds of memories with my siblings, only Studio pics (da brown looking ones which never fades, hehe...)
Happy Easter to you all, cheers and goodhealth.....

raqgold

alam mo bang muntik na kaming di makalipad paalis ng pinas? kasi si nanay ko akala nya good friday ang alis namin e, di daw talaga nya kami papayagan umalis :) kasi nga, tradition is, kapag good friday, walang dapat gawin kundi reflection lang.

lovelyn

Ciao Bill,

Then it makes us two bad Christians with this entry hehehe. Know what, here its like any ordinary day. Its not even a holiday except for the schools. Only the Monday after Easter is declared a non-working holiday.
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Ciao Trublue,

Those brown old pictures are more durable and you're right, it never fades.

Happy Easter to tou too!
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Ciao Raggold,

Just like my Dad, ayaw nyang bumabyahe or naglalakwatsa sa Good Friday. Sabi nya marami raw naaaksidente sa time na yun.

Anonymous

Sometimes you just have to block all these "pamahiin" stuffs and hope for the best. 32 years ago I had a major operation for two ruptured disks (L4/L5). All my relatives and my wife's were opposed as the surgery will be done on a Good Friday. In retrospect, Good Friday was a blessing for me. Cheers and goodhealth.

lovelyn

Ciao Trublue,

You're right about the 'pamahiin'. Most of our Ilocano friends here have lots of them.

Jane

Hi Lovelyn,I love your picture here :) I was trying to figure out who's who without looking at the tags and it was only Noeda who I got right. I couldn't even locate you, bad me. hehehehe. Anyway, what a way to remember Good Friday :) Two of the things we were told before was (1)not to shout or make noise on Good Fridays and (2)avoid getting bruised or cut because getting them on a Good Friday entails long healing time. hhmmnnn...

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