Visita Iglesia: The Origin and TheTradition
Holy Week or some Filipinos preferred and used to call it more often as Semana Santa is a very important event, especially for those religious Filipino Catholics. The devotion to the Passion of Jesus Christ was observed with special solemnity at these times of the year. It is a week to commemorate salvation and redemption. In addition, this is also a week of penance, repentance, and meditation. Holy Week is between the Palm and Easter Sunday, in the Christian Church. Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday are the five days of special significance.
Palm Sunday commemorates the humble entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to observe the Passover. He was greeted by crowds of people, according to the Gospel who spread their cloaks in His path together with the laid palm leaves while the people also proclaimed Him as the Son of David. Christian churches celebrated Palm Sunday with a blessing and procession of palms. In addition, in Filipino, people called it Linggo ng Palaspas.
Maundy Thursday or Huwebes Santo marks the intuition of Jesus at the Last Supper of the Eucharist. The Good Friday or the Biyernes Santo was commemorated as the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross. Moreover, this day was also a day of penance, sorrow, and fasting. Holy Saturday or Sabado de Gloria, also known as the Easter Vigil is traditionally the end of Lent. Lastly, Easter Sunday is the day of the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Easter Sunday In Filipino was Linggo ng Pag-kabuhay. Every Easter Sunday, there are some traditions associated with various folk that has a little connection with the religious celebration; there they have a painting of Easter eggs that are so loved by the kids and kids at heart, as well as the Easter lamb, and Easter rabbit.
The whole week indeed was marked by different religious activities and traditions, and of these traditions is the Visita Iglesia.
The Origin and The Tradition
What is Visita Iglesia? It is a practice in Holy Week of visiting and praying in at least seven different churches. This was usually this is usually done on Maundy Thursday. The number is not fixed, sometimes, some make it at least more than seven churches to visit. Depending on their practice to visit different churches, others can even travel far. If the churches are far apart, the usual Maundy Thursday of Visita Iglesia can take days until before Easter Sunday sometimes.
What is Visita Iglesia and what is its purpose? The visitations’ purpose of this Holy Week’s tradition was to pray, pay adoration, or honor the Blessed Sacrament.
There are so many theories about where did Visita Iglesia's practice start. One of these was commemorating in 7 parts the suffering and death of Jesus from the early Christian communities of the Roman Empire. The practice evolved to visiting 7 churches, its current form when Christianity became the Roman Empire’s official religion under Emperor Theodosius I.
What is Visita Iglesia in the Philippines? It became a practice or tradition of religious Filipino Catholics. It came to our land via the Spanish colonizers back then. There were only a few churches back then so doing the church visits was initially difficult. Our history made a huge impact on some sort of changes in the practice of Visita Iglesia nowadays. So that if some may ask what is Visita Iglesia in the Philipines, it has expanded beyond and still is a purely religious practice.
Aside from Visita Iglesia, here are some of the most common traditions in the Philippines every Holy Week.
Waving the Palaspas
Palm Sunday or Linggo ng Palaspas, also called Passion of Sunday, t is the last Sunday of Lent and the start of the beginning of the Holy Week. As mentioned above, it is the day of the arrival of Jesus Christ as a Savior and King into Jerusalem. Filipinos attend the Palm Sunday Mass in the Philippines and have their palaspas or the woven palm fronds, sometimes in different and unique designs blessed by the priest. It is a practice that upon the priest’s entry to the church, people wave their palm leaves, it is a reenactment of the entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem.
Fasting from food
Every Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the Catholic Church observes abstinence and the discipline of fasting as a part of remembering Jesus’ sacrifices for mankind. Abstaining from meat specifically or people sometimes fast from eating food in general. Liquids such as water were never mentioned during the fast in the Lenten season.
Partcipating in “Pabasa ng Pasyon”
During this season, many of us prefer going outside such as going to the beach, visiting the different churches, etc., this tradition of “Pabasa ng Pasyon (Reading of the Passion) will never get out from the Holy Week traditions. Catholics in the Philippines practice the “pabasa” by chanting constantly the “Pasyong Mahal” – it is an epic poem from the 16th-century narrating Jesus life, passion, death, and resurrection.
Staging of Senakulo
The word “senakulo” was derived from the word cenaculo (or cenacle), it refers to the place where celebrated together with his disciples the Last Supper. It became a tradition in the Philippines to stage a Senakulo every Lenten Season, this play represents the life and passion of Jesus Christ.
Joining the “Salubong” on Easter Sunday
One of the most common traditions during the Lenten season is the Salubong which occurs during the morning of Easter Sunday. This tradition is the reenactment of the risen of Christ together with her mother, the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary’s image wearing a black veil with an angel which is portrayed by a child will take the veil off is featured in a procession while the image of the Christ approaches.
Aside from the lists of traditions mentioned above, it is also becoming a tradition to rewatch again some films to let us remember, restore, and reignite our faith this Lenten Season.
Reignite and Retore your faith: Must watch movies this Lenten Season
The Passion of Christ (2004) is about the final twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life and his crucifixion in Jerusalem. This movie will make you understand and see what Jesus went through and his sacrifices to save us.
The Prince of Egypt 199
This is about the story of Moses from the time that he is being the Prince of Egypt to the moment he together with the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea. For sure this movie will remind you about God’s plan for you.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
This religious drama was released by Paramount Pictures in the year 1956. It is a classic religious drama that was based on several novels such as the Book of Exodus, the Pillar of Fire by J.H. Ingraham in 1859, Prince of Egypt by Dorothy Clarke Wilson in 1949, and On Eagle’s Wings the novel by A.E. Southon in 1937. The film is about the life of Moses who received the Ten Commandments from God.
The movies mentioned above are only some of the long list of movies that you can able to watch on a different movie platform online.
This coming Lenten season, let us fast and rekindle the things that will remind and strengthen the faith in our hearts. Don’t forget to stay safe during your different activities, traditions, or practices this Holy Week.
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