By this time last year, the local Catholic parishes were busy preparing for the annual lenten procession of the carrozas de la Semana Santa - the story of Christ's Passion and the saints who were part of it.
A few days before that, hundreds of intricately designed palm fronds held by the parishioners were blessed at the Palm Sunday mass and days after, our parish priest washed the feet of the 12 Apostles.
The preparation of the carrozas starts weeks before but this time, in 2020, it's a different kind of Lent.
All Lenten activities this year have all been cancelled.
This Holy Week, no carrozas would be decorated, no 'santos' will be clothed, no flowers would be arranged, and no religious procession would journey through the streets of sin and sinners.
The salawikain (proverb), "Kahaba-haba man ng prusisyon, sa simbahan din ang tuloy", will not be literally proven again. At least, not this year. It means 'no matter how long is the procession, it would still end up at the church'.
And since there will be no procession of the pasos, I am sharing these images from last year's Good Friday when no one expected that, just 12 months after, He would bring upon the world, not fire and brimstones that would kill from without, but a punishment that would kill from within.
In the past, most houses would light candles by their front doors to illuminate the path of the thousands of people joining the procession. And without those lighted candles, we all seem lost and can not find our way in the dark.
The streets are quiet, the paths dark, and the churches empty.
But our faith remains strong.🙏
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