Loud and clear

The story is told about a guide at the Niagara Falls who was telling a group of excited, shrieking Filipino tourists that the sound of the waterfall is so loud that even supersonic planes passing by can’t be heard. As the shouting and picture-taking went on, he said: “Now may I request you all to keep quiet so that we can hear loud and clear the Niagara Falls.”

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In today’s Gospel (Mk. 15, 1-39), we hear of the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark. The whole Gospel reading for today has a message so loud and clear—Jesus suffered so much and died a painful death out of His great love for each one of us.

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Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Holy Week. May we all slow down and tone down during these coming days, and really listen to God speaking to us in a very personal way. May we neither belittle nor take for granted the tremendous message of God’s love.

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Today is also April Fool’s Day. By worldly standards, Jesus was a failure and a fool, and in more ways than one, we who follow Him are considered likewise. But in the eyes of faith, there is so much truth, fulfillment, and meaning for those who follow the way of the cross that leads to eternity. May we follow Him more closely, and listen to Him more clearly, especially during this Holy Week.

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We Filipinos call the Holy Week “Semana Santa” to express the sanctity of this week, or “Mahal na Araw” to stress the importance and the worth of these coming days. Let us make holy this week, and let us give due respect and importance to the events of our faith that unfold before us.

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The Ilocanos call the Holy Week “Nangina nga aldaw,” which means “expensive days,” to stress that we were saved at a great price. This also brings out the thought that these are precious days, and as such, should be treasured days to be spent with much respect, care and gratitude. According to Mama who is a native of Pangasinan,  the Holy Week is called “mablin agew” which literally means “heavy days.” Indeed, there is nothing light about an innocent man who suffered so much pain and who died a shameful death that others may live. May we not take the days ahead of us lightly and unworthily.

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The observance of Earth Hour last night (8:30-9:30 p.m.) should set the tone for our observance of the Holy Week. This deliberate turning off of our lights for an hour is good not only for our planet but for our personal well-being as well. In the silence, and in the darkness, we realize our littleness, our dependence on God, and our interdependence on one another. When we slow down and tone down, we, so to speak, level up our true worth as persons, as a nation, and as a human race. When the rush and the noise die down, we realize that our worth is not for what we have or for what we do, but for who we are.

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The Department of Energy came out with an ad for motorists this week. The following checklist may also serve as a good spiritual reminder for all of us on our earthly pilgrimage: Fill up your gas early; check your tires; take only what is essential; know and use alternate routes; roll down your windows for fresh air; do not overspeed; do not let your car idle for more than three minutes; have your car checked regularly; stay alert on the road.

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I have a watch which I really treasure, a watch which also has a compass. Why? Because it tells me not only the time but also the direction. This Holy Week, let us meditate on the time we have or still have left in this world, and the direction where we are headed in this life. We are living on borrowed time, and we have a final destination. Life is short. Death is certain. Eternity is waiting.

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Last Friday at about 10 p.m., our car broke down at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway (SCTEx) about three kilometers from the Floridablanca exit. All we could do was to call for help and wait. Deprived of power, all that I and my companions Ramon Ocan, Chito Bello and Joel Braganza could do was to pray and wait with hope. We all experience moments when we have to pull over, stop and feel the world pass us by. The Holy Week is precisely for stopping, turning off the lights, and just staying in the silence and the darkness and letting the Lord stay with us, and just letting Him embrace us.

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Inviting you to tune in to our Holy Week Special titled “Road Less Travelled,” which will be aired on Channel 2 and TFC on Holy Thursday, April 5, at 1:30 p.m. and on Good Friday, April 6, at 3 p.m. May we learn to take the road less travelled in our journey through life, and go back to humility, simplicity and trust.

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, thank you for your message so loud and clear that we are important, and that we are loved. Amen.