Holy Week, also known as
Semana Santa, is one of the most important and solemn periods in the Christian
calendar. It is a time when Christians all over the world commemorate the
events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The week begins
on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday, marking a seven-day period of
reflection, prayer, and spiritual renewal.
Baptists and other Christian
denominations don’t make the Holy Week a biblical ordinance to observe. One
reason is that real Christians make the essence of the Holy Week the core
foundation of their faith. It is the entire Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1-4) that Christ
died and rose again. We don’t take the Holy Week as a once-a-year observance
but rather the daily content in our meditation—that Christ died and rose again
for me to live forever in heaven! To remember Christ during the Holy Week is a
source of awareness for the non-Christians. But, we, born-again believers,
believe in Christ Jesus more than the so-called Christian Holy Week observance.
For we are doing “Holy Week” in our hearts daily — even hourly. We are happy
for our biblical Jesus for He died and rose again to give us eternal life —
through our faith in Him as only Lord and Savior! We keep the Holy Week like
keeping our loved ones in our hearts every moment — not just once a year!
As a Born Again Christian, I
participate in our church's annual service that centers on Jesus's seven last words. I went to my second encounter of the Seven Last Word this year. Every
branch of our church in Ilocos is present at this ceremony, and each church has
a representative to talk about one of Jesus' final words. We have a profound
understanding of His thoughts as He took on all of humanity's sins from His
Seven Last Words. He cries out to God, pardons the repentant thief, pardons His
enemies, and announces the end of His earthly existence with these words. To be
able to forgive someone, you need to forgive yourself first. Your ability to
forgive others is directly tied to the ability to forgive yourself; the skills
are the same,” Bartlett said. “It’s all about acceptance. Accept your
imperfections and your humanity. Accept that you don’t need others to be
perfect and accept that you don’t need to be perfect either. That means you can
stop punishing yourself. And if you can ease up on that, you may find a deep
well of compassion inside you that you can finally use on yourself.” In
addition, during Holy Week, we traveled to the beach to unwind from the
pressures of school. We went swimming overnight. We had a bonfire and spent a
long time gazing at the shore. We then went to the seashore to catch crabs. We
then went for a walk in the morning before spending hours in the sea. Despite
the fact that most of modern life is still based on technology, we frequently
have the best experiences when we take time off to disconnect and experience
the world as it is, rather than how we've made it in our devices. Perhaps this
is why so many people today adore beaches: they serve as a reminder of how
different our world once was.
In conclusion, Holy Week is
a time of deep reflection, prayer, and spiritual renewal for Christians around
the world. It is a time to remember the events leading up to Jesus' death and
resurrection and to reflect on the significance of these events in our lives.
Whether through attending church services, participating in devotional
practices, or simply taking time for personal reflection, Holy Week is an
opportunity for Christians to draw closer to God and to renew their commitment
to living a life of faith and service.
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