Filipino Devotional Practices during Holy Week: Pabasa and Prusisyon
April 10, 2017
by Gian Paolo Mayo
by Gian Paolo Mayo
The Holy Week in the modern setting of our society is a time for rejuvenation, a break from the usual pattern of working in office or studying in school, which drains men in several ways. Most of us escape the city jungle during the holiday and look for serenity and peace in the provinces. By searching for physical and mental ease during the holidays, we resort to having quick getaways. We check travel blogs to find the ideal tourist destination to go to during the break. We look for online promos of airline companies and travel agencies to lessen the cost of the trips we plan to have, and suddenly, we forget the real essence of the holiday. We are reminded by the roots of our Catholic faith through traditions which were passed down to us by our ancestors.
Every holy week, my family goes to Infanta, Pangasinan. It is the hometown of my father and the place where we do our panata or devotion. Every year, we sponsor the pabasa or sometimes, we refer to it as pasyon. Old men and women usually come to our house early in the morning while we prepare a long table, set the chairs and distribute the books needed for pabasa. Most of the time, they start at 7:00 in the morning, in order to have a break at noon and finish it in the evening before dinner.
The pabasa, which was written in FIlipino, requires a rhythmic way or chanting the pasyon. It describes the passion and death of Christ which we are reminded of every Good Friday. Sometimes, the chanters brought with them their children or grandchildren in order for them to learn and to be accustomed in reading the pasyon. There are instances in the reading of the pasyon where someone in the group, man or woman, leads the chant in order to highlight a significant event in the passion of Christ. One of the most notable events in the pasyon is when Pontius Pilate let the people choose who should be freed: Jesus or Barabbas. A male chanter leads the chant, while the rest mimics response of the crowd.
Every holy week, my family goes to Infanta, Pangasinan. It is the hometown of my father and the place where we do our panata or devotion. Every year, we sponsor the pabasa or sometimes, we refer to it as pasyon. Old men and women usually come to our house early in the morning while we prepare a long table, set the chairs and distribute the books needed for pabasa. Most of the time, they start at 7:00 in the morning, in order to have a break at noon and finish it in the evening before dinner.
The pabasa, which was written in FIlipino, requires a rhythmic way or chanting the pasyon. It describes the passion and death of Christ which we are reminded of every Good Friday. Sometimes, the chanters brought with them their children or grandchildren in order for them to learn and to be accustomed in reading the pasyon. There are instances in the reading of the pasyon where someone in the group, man or woman, leads the chant in order to highlight a significant event in the passion of Christ. One of the most notable events in the pasyon is when Pontius Pilate let the people choose who should be freed: Jesus or Barabbas. A male chanter leads the chant, while the rest mimics response of the crowd.
As the pabasa progresses, so is the preparation for the prusisyon. Like the pabasa, the prusisyon or procession in Infanta depicts the passion and death of Christ. Our family is the caretaker of a poon or an image of Jesus Christ, which portrays him carrying the cross. This image is commonly known as Mahal na Poong Nazareno. As the caretaker of the image, our family is also responsible in the preparation of the carroza or carriage for the prusisyon. The women of our family prepare the flowers of the carroza, while the men prepare the image for the procession. We would later bring the image to the carriage and accompany it to the church in our town along the other images for the procession. The prusisyon becomes the highlight of the entire day and it reminds us of the traditions left by the older generations.
The pabasa and the prusisyon are part of tradition that completes the real essence of the Holy Week. These two practices originated in the religious activities of our ancestors before the coming of the Spaniards. Epics and legends were passed through oral tradition, with chants and songs being produced that show the cultural development of our ancestors. Images were greatly venerated and were usually presented during festivals. The Spaniards incorporated Catholicism in the traditions of our ancestors, which greatly increased the influence of religion in our lives. These activities present that before the coming of the Spaniards, our ancestors already established traditions that represent our cultural heritage. These do not just remind us of our Spanish colonial past but also our aboriginal past which shows the sapin-sapin culture of the Filipinos.
These traditional activities, which is unique in the Philippine setting, reminds us of the importance of the Holy Week. We relate ourselves in the passion of Christ, because we also feel pain and suffering in our lives. And through this pain and suffering, we can understand that despite all the negatives in life, we can truly say that we have God who understands all our sufferings. We are also reminded that rejuvenation of the body alone cannot complete the true essence of recovery. We can only be truly revitalize by the grace and love of God
The pabasa and the prusisyon are part of tradition that completes the real essence of the Holy Week. These two practices originated in the religious activities of our ancestors before the coming of the Spaniards. Epics and legends were passed through oral tradition, with chants and songs being produced that show the cultural development of our ancestors. Images were greatly venerated and were usually presented during festivals. The Spaniards incorporated Catholicism in the traditions of our ancestors, which greatly increased the influence of religion in our lives. These activities present that before the coming of the Spaniards, our ancestors already established traditions that represent our cultural heritage. These do not just remind us of our Spanish colonial past but also our aboriginal past which shows the sapin-sapin culture of the Filipinos.
These traditional activities, which is unique in the Philippine setting, reminds us of the importance of the Holy Week. We relate ourselves in the passion of Christ, because we also feel pain and suffering in our lives. And through this pain and suffering, we can understand that despite all the negatives in life, we can truly say that we have God who understands all our sufferings. We are also reminded that rejuvenation of the body alone cannot complete the true essence of recovery. We can only be truly revitalize by the grace and love of God