basahin mo na lang: Holy Week in my Hometown

Every Holy Week, we commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus and I usually spend it in my hometown - Binangonan, Rizal. I went there early on Wednesday and surprised my cousins. I brought a bulky sports bag packed with my stuff for my whole stay until Sunday.

In the afternoon, there was a mass at Sta. Ursula Parish and followed by the procession at exactly 7 pm. Although I didn't attend the mass, I consistently join the procession. Then, my cousins come with me in the procession but now that they are both altar servers, they were positioned in a separate lane so I asked my tropa to go with me.

Sta. Ursula Parish, Binangonan, Rizal

On Wednesday procession, the carozas were decorated dominantly with elegant roses. The images were dressed up with colorful linens and satins and highlighted with spotlights so they looked vivid and dramatic.

After the priest's blessing, the tableaus were driven to the plaza for the pabasang bayan.

I with my cousin went to the plaza on Thursday to check if the carozas were already arranged there. When we passed the church, we saw a group costumed with tunic and they executed what is called penitensya where an acting Jesus will carry a cross and walk all over the town and ends at a Calvary. It seems disappointing that the groups who do this tradition has deteriorated because when I was younger, I had seen many.

We attended the Last Supper mass on Thursday afternoon where the parish priest washed the feet of the 12 acting disciples of Christ. It was ended by the procession of the blessed sacrament.

On Good Friday, we performed abstinence and our food was fish, to be exact bangus. I also reduced 1 cup of rice from my plate. In the afternoon, I prepared early for the procession because it will start by 5 pm, so as my friend who joined me. We had a sneak peak of the saints inside the Binangonan Catholic College quadrangle and I noticed that most of them were clothed in black linens in sympathy of Jesus' death. When it started, there were many who wanted to take photos so I found it difficult to cram in and shoot the best view.

Some photos of 45 images and tableaus. ( above: La Penitente )

Paghahatol

Paghuhugas ng Paa ng mga Apostol

crucifixion

pagsibat ni longinos

tres caidas

Pagbababa kay Kristo

Pagkikita ng Mag-ina

Desmayado

La Samaritana

La Pieta

The 1st part of the procession was finished at 10 pm. After the blessing, together with my cousins, we agreed to go home and waited for its 2nd part. We ate the appetizing biko prepared by my lola and watched some documentations aired that time. It was already 1 pm when we were informed about the gewang-gewang so we rushed for a good spot to watch its dominance.

gewang-gewang

devotees in white shirts

Gewang-gewang is a tradition in Binangonan, Rizal that is performed during Good Friday procession. It is a Quiapo-like procession where the Santo Entierro is moved through the strings tied to its caroza. The devotees carry this out as their thanksgiving and supplication. As it passes by, people throw towels for it to be wiped in the feet of the Senor because they believe that it will shower them blessings. Although this is so grueling and caused faint to few who tried it, still the population of the devotees has augmented through the years.

The Senor is followed by the sorrowing women of Nazareth. ( Above: Maria de Betania )

Martha de Betania

It was 2 am when the 2nd part of the procession finally reached the Church. We were all exhausted that time but felt blessed on the other side.

Next day, we went to Mt. Calvary to take some pictures. It is a pilgrimage site during holy week and many people go there to pray and reconciliate and some also do stations of the cross.

We tried to run up straight to the hill but we failed, hehe. Upon reaching the top, we were astonished with the picturesque view, very scenic. As what my cousin said, "amazing". There was also a newly installed 6 ft image of Fatima placed in glass panes for those who want to set rosary praying. The sunset scene attracted me the most because I appreciated how God created such a beautiful planet.

Cross at the top

sunset view

stairway

stations of the cross

Fatima

Late at night, together with my cousin, we went to the church to take some photos again for it was the anticipated night before Easter Sunday.

baroque art applied in the retablo

paschal candle

On Sunday, we woke up at 2:30 am for the Easter Sunday mass. It was not excitement to be 30 minutes advance in the church but its preparedness. The mass at Brgy. libis was preceded by a praise dance to glorify the rising of Jesus from the dead. After it, there was a waswas, where a male and female youth will dance waving their flags as attributes but I definitely don't know what it would like to portray. Next to it was the salubong where the veil of the Virgin Mary was removed and they met each other again.