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a not-so holy week ?

(Painting my by uncle, Cayo Baes)


It's Holy Thursday and yet, there I was walking hand-in-hand with DH to Barnes and Noble.
If I were in the Philippines, I'd be headed to church.

As someone raised as a Catholic, the next three days are the holiest days of the year (Triduum).
It starts tonight (Thursday night) and continues through Easter Sunday. I even remember going to church every day from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. (The kids and I used to do that especially when my parents were still living here in the US).

As far as I can remember, these three days are set aside to be free of "commercialized-materialistic" fun (i.e. TV, music, socializing, work)


I guess I'm not in the Philippines anymore...






The walk with DB was a long walk filled with discussions from all aspects of our lives - including tracking down the family of squirrels who have been savoring the tulip bulbs that my 8yo and I planted last fall.


What has happened to my Holy Week?


Last nite’s Passover Dinner was Passover dinner without the seder – Does that make any sense?
Mom and Dad are still in the sunshine state, and after Dad scaring all of us last month,
we’ll be doing seder on Mother’s Day.



Mom’s chicken soup is a labor of love. If Al Gore is checking our carbon footprints, he’ll probably hop on his jet and knock on our door since we’ve used-up our quota cooking the chicken soup for days (lol). Charoset with matzo bread was yummy and a touch of a Filipino dessert , “matamis na saging ala mode” (caramelized plantain) was just the perfect ending to a not-so-holy Passover dinner.

On the other half of my family’s faith –






I can tell I’m not in the Philippines anymore since our COMCAST-TV viewing is not being bombarded by any movies about Moses or Jesus. My 8yo is watching SpongeBob Marathon!
I felt like saying, "When I was your age..." (I had to control myself since I was starting to sound like my parents)

Last night, my teens are asking to switch religion or congregation. My teens declare that the Catholic Church planned an entire hour to make you regret being in church (sob). They feel that it’s like the Church put an effort in making sure you don’t enjoy the monotonous, boring ceremonies that make them wander off instead of listening. They feel that they’ve heard the whole celebration over and over again.
I keep reminding the kids:

"Growing up in the Philippines, I remember going to church every single day of the Holy Week – from Palm Sunday to Easter. We can’t watch TV, listen to music, or be rambunctious during this week, especially tomorrow – Good Friday. "
Arrgghhh! What have I done? Why can’t my teens just sit still and stay focused on the gospel. They do enjoy singing with the choir, but then…

Why does everything have to be entertaining? (My teen asked if he can join the Methodist congregation…Hmmm, how can this happen? ) It was so much easier when they were just little.

So when President Obama said, “America is not a Christian nation”, I wonder if this is the beginning of the WE-generation era.

My family may not be religiously sitting in the church or the synagogue, but they believe.
They believe that Golden Rule - isn't that what matters?
Even though this week seemed like an untraditional holy week, getting together, discussing and commemorating these events are still embedded in my family’s core beliefs.
This next few days, I can't help but look back in my own life. As today's meditation reading spoke of "turning points", I find myself asking:
"What are my turning points?"
"What do I see when I look back?"
"How do I finish the statement - From that time on...?"
"A year from now, what will my turning points be?"
For now, I’m signing-off…





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Comments

  1. trishApril 10, 2009 at 9:23 PM

    thank you so much for the comment! you have some great photos on here, I look forward to visiting again:)
    have a great weekend
    Trish

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousApril 10, 2009 at 11:33 PM

    Perhaps on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, our children would like to join me and their Aunt Melayne at our unconventional house of worship.
    They may be interested in hearing the story of the Jewish faith, or they may be bored to death. Church may look good to them after this experience.

    By celebrating all of the holidays,religious and national, you are bringing the past, the present and the future into their lives.
    There is no substitute for TRADITION...THE CHILDREN WILL THANK YOU WHEN THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND, AND APPRECIATE, THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE LIFE LESSONS.
    I THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ALL OF THE HOLIDAYS INTO YOUR HOME.
    I LOVE YOU AND WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAY.
    MOM

    ReplyDelete
  3. Jenjen @GottaLoveMomApril 11, 2009 at 1:03 AM

    Trish, thanks for stopping by. I hope you come and visit again.

    Mom, celebrating our holidays make us story alive. we'll keep it going "our way".

    ReplyDelete

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