The Green Miles

I have been wandering around a lot lately, walking for miles as I trailed the parish team as they distributed food packs to the families living in the outskirts of the city. And since it's the dry season in the Philippines, we enjoyed lots of sunshine and blue skies with the bonus of the inspiring color of the countryside: green!🍏

Yes, everywhere my camera and I turned, we were treated to the hues of lime, seaweed, mint, olive and those that remind you of the richness of the soil and the productive hands that grow, nurture and harvest the fruits of the sun, land and water.🌞

A few times, I stumbled upon plantations of fruit-bearing trees which reminded me of the santol and mango orchard of Lola Tinay at her Hacienda Malogo as well as the rambutan trees of Tita Lud at Hacienda Dapdap, where branches of the fruit tree dangled next to her balcony so she could just pick a few whenever she wanted. No need to climb. 😊

Lola Tinay's santol trees were probably of a different variety as the fruits were reachable by adults and huge! I remember we brought home lots of them in crates and took us days to finish! 🍊

When I was still in grade school, our teacher made us understand that we, in the Philippines, are lucky because our land is very fertile. We could just throw seeds anywhere and plants would grow, he said. Desert countries, compared to us, were not as lucky.

He was right but it seems we take it for granted. We instead abuse, neglect, exploit and ruin our environment like we wouldn't someday suffer the consequence of our poor decisions.

But as I continue to roam and enjoy the breezes and colors of the countryside, I hope generations after me will be able to do the same: to walk and appreciate the green miles. 🍀 

Sancta Maria, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus: Procession of Our Lady of Victory

That is the line in the prayer Ave Maria or Hail Mary that speaks of absolute desperation, begging the Mother of God for an intercession. 

Ave Maria, gratia plena

The Latin words "Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis peccatoribus" translate to "Holy Mary, pray for us sinners...", and these are the words that hold the main intention of the prayer - the same words recited throughout one solemn procession held on April 26, 2020.

On that day, the Our Lady of Victory Parish  celebrated the Feast of the Nuestra Señora de Las Victorias in Victorias City, Diocese of Bacolod, Philippines, with a somber procession throughout the small city.

 Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus

At the break of the dawn of her Feast that fittingly fell on a Sunday, the image of the Virgin was carried on a carroza pulled by the parish lay ministers and accompanied only by Rev. Fr. Rafael Baja, parish priest, and Rev. Fr. Vince Camarines, parochial vicar, in compliance with the government's policies on enhanced community quarantine and social distancing.

Throughout the procession, the 'Ave Maria', appropriately sung by a woman, was played as a prayer for Our Lady's intercession in this very difficult time of the corona virus pandemic.

     Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus

Days before the procession, the parishioners were advised that no one was allowed to join the procession. Instead, they were asked to light candles by their windows, doorsteps, and gates where the procession would pass.

And on that cloudy morning, early in the procession, sprinkles of rain came down from the heavens as if to mirror the tears that fell from the eyes of those who witnessed the procession and realized that the the Mother of God has always been there for them, not only in times of prosperity and joy, but especially in their hour of pain and suffering.

             Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, 
ora pro nobis peccatoribus

My mother, who watched the procession from a balcony and accompanied by a lighted, red candle, could not hold back tears at the sight of the Virgin passing, ushered with Ave Maria, a song she knew very well.

The procession followed the traditional path of the 14 Stations of the Cross for the Good Friday passage, and when it reached the highly residential side of the town, the atmosphere became more somber as more sad faces greeted the Virgin's image with tears. Even the elderly, who were supposed to be on quarantine, were on the streets, defying manmade commands just to see and seek the divine.

             Nunc, et in hora mortis nostrea

As the procession passed the gates of the prison compound, it paused for a while to enable the inmates, who could be seen from behind the locked gates craning their necks and grasping the cold steel bars that held them back, to get a glimpse of the Virgin and to be able to hear a few words of the Ave Maria from where they were. 

They, too, needed to see and feel Her presence because, no matter what misdeeds they have done and no matter how low society has judged them, they are also God's children and are the ones who needed Her help the most.

And even though the solemn procession has ended and Her feast day has passed, praying for our Mother's intercession should continue..."now and at the hour of death". 

                                   Amen.🙏

                                    * * *

La Cuaresma De Cuarentena: A Quarantined Lent

The corona virus picked the perfect time of the year to punish us all: Lent. 

These days, Lent really feels like how it was during the Holy Week of the past when no one blared their radios and music players, television shows were all about biblical stories, most fasted and abstained from eating meat, and everyone stayed home.

Before, it was bad luck when people went to the beach or traveled during the Holy Week. Drowning incidents about revelers who went to rivers or beaches to frolic were attributed to the 'mari-it' atmosphere. 

'Mari-it' is a Hiligaynon word that means haunted because it is believed that engkantos are out and about during the Holy Week, and those who didn't care about staying put had it coming, so to speak. 

But this time, as the government ordered an enhanced community quarantine, no one freely roams the streets except to get food, no one travels to other places in the island except to deliver food, and sadly for most, no one can party due to social distance rules. Worse, no one can get married at the church and no requiem mass can be said for the dead. This virus literally can hold off a couple's public display of affection as well as postpone a departed's trip to heaven.

Fisherfolk though can still go out to the sea to fish but probably have to sell them at cheaper prices since they could not freely bring them to the public markets. But their kids, I'm sure, are having a good time swimming close by. I envy them. 😄

And also the farmers - they are still able to cultivate their backyard farms and harvest any fruit or vegetable they need. And their kids can play in the gardens under the sun. I envy them, too. 😜

But for us here in the urban settlements, we need to stay home. It's for the best. 

We restrict our movements; we restrict the virus from moving around.  Nobody knows if one is a carrier because he or she looks healthy, until he or she gets sick or gets tested. 

We all stay home but still share extra food with those who we think need it more. 

But let's not forget: we don't let politicians exploit the situation.

Call them out for passing the donated goods as their own. 

Call them out for not being transparent, for overpricing goods for donation, for keeping the choice donations for their own use, for using the crisis as a publicity to further their political agenda, and most important, for not making sure the rice and perishable goods paid for by taxpayers' money and distributed to the people are actually fit for human consumption.

In short, call them out for being dishonest and inconsiderate human beings in this time of crisis and especially in this time of Lent - the only time during the year when we re all reminded that...

Someone shared His life, bread and wine with others.

Someone preferred to wash the dusty, dirty feet of his followers than they washed His.

Someone preferred to be sold like a piece of commodity for 30 pieces of silver and even forgave such betrayal.

And Someone was crucified so that others would be redeemed. 😭

Quarantined or not, it is still Lent. 🙏

                                    * * *

Now, help this little boy find his mother and tell him to stay home.😍