Updated: March 02, 2022 09:13 AM GMT
Catholic lay ministers sprinkle ash on the head of faithful during an Ash Wednesday Mass at a church in Philippine capital Manila on Feb. 17, 2021. (Photo: AFP)
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” thus says the priest as he applies ashes on a person’s forehead.
We commence the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday. The season reminds us to internalize the Paschal Mystery, where the Christian world reflects on the passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Commemorated on the third year of the pandemic, this Lenten season once again reminds us of the value of penance and fasting.
In previous years during the pandemic, observing health protocols, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) deemed it fit that the ashes, which signify remorse for the sins we committed, be sprinkled on the forehead of the faithful.
This year, the CBCP has allowed ash crosses on foreheads while also giving the option of sprinkling it on the crown.
In a country like the Philippines and in many others too, Christ’s passion is seen in the everyday life of the poor, who bear the brunt of the destructive economic impact of the pandemic.
The long separations of family members are causing agony to many who, due to travel restrictions and risks of infections, were unable to visit their family
In the Philippines, such poverty was worsened by the wrath of Typhoon Odette that made its landfall in many parts of Visayas and Mindanao a few days before Christmas 2021 and destroyed houses and the sources of livelihood of thousands of people.
For victims of the typhoon, Christmas 2021 is remembered as their darkest Christmas ever — literally and figuratively.
Against the backdrop of joblessness and homelessness of many people, the infections and re-infections caused by the pandemic were and continue to be unbearable despite Filipino resilience.
The long separations of family members are causing agony to many who, due to travel restrictions and risks of infections, were unable to visit their family.
For people deprived of liberty, prison visits are impossible and communication is constrained. Congested detention centers and the lack of adequate food and proper hygiene endanger the health of detainees.
The stagnation of the quality of life caused by the despair of many, the deterioration of mental health, and the consequent increase by 57 percent of the rate of suicide as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2021, are some of the not-so-visible expressions of the people’s sufferings.
At the first Station of the Cross, Jesus was condemned to death. The succeeding stations saw Jesus take up his cross, fall three times, meet his mother, helped by Simon carry the cross, wiped by Veronica, meet the women of Jerusalem and stripped of his garments.
Incomparable though the passion of Jesus Christ is to present-day sufferings of Filipinos, the tincture of bitterness the people are confronted with in their day-to-day lives is a feature of people’s sufferings in these trying times.
The statistics of pandemic deaths in the country, which as of March 1 had reached 56,451, are no mere figures. They signify irreparable losses of precious lives of those who could have further given life to their families, communities and society. They mean the loss of breadwinners; very high expenses for cremation with little or no government support; and deprivation of family reunions during moments of bereavement.
Yes, these deaths signify a level of pain so excruciating and grief so profound. This is not to mention the pandemic-related extrajudicial killings that occur in the name of the “war on drugs,” which has sadly not merited public outrage.
Recollecting the deaths caused by the pandemic that reached 5,975,695 the world over, we ponder on the last four Stations of the Cross — Jesus nailed to the cross; dies on the cross; taken down from it, and laid in the tomb. Darkness ensued.
Communication with each other, albeit virtual, brings deep spiritual bonding that is much needed in times of drought and emptiness
According to Luke: 23-44, “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three, because the sun's light failed.”
Yet, as darkness hovers, hope springs eternal. In these trying times, we have seen not only the worst in people but also their best. In anticipation of Easter, let us not fail to see the seemingly invisible bright things the pandemic may have brought.
At no other time than during this global crisis, we saw many families praying together either in a face-to-face setting or virtually. Communication with each other, albeit virtual, brings deep spiritual bonding that is much needed in times of drought and emptiness.
In situations of massive deaths and when many people question God's existence, rays of hope flicker for those who choose to connect with the Supreme Being and to relate with their families and friends using whatever technology can offer. People have the time to bond between and among each other, to read, to reflect and to pray — a luxury which we could not afford prior to the pandemic.
Amidst separation is interconnectedness through technology. Amidst poverty is generosity expressed in sharing whatever little people have. Amidst despair is the never-ending hope for a bright tomorrow — when the pandemic will be over and when people will look back to it, learning from its hard lessons and moving forward.
In this long dark “night of the soul,” the dawning of the most awaited end of the pandemic symbolizes the firm belief in the grand reality of the Resurrection. Then and only then when all our tears will be wiped away, all our lamentations will turn into rejoicing and all our struggles will be laid to rest.
"With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all." Acts 4:33
* The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.
Help keep UCA News independent
The Church in Asia needs objective and independent journalism to speak the truth about the Church and the state. With a network of professionally qualified journalists and editors across Asia, UCA News is just about meeting that need. But professionalism does not come cheap. We depend on you, our readers, to help maintain our independence and seek that truth. A small donation of US$2 a month would make a big difference in our quest to achieve our goal.