Happy Easter

Aside from Christmas, the Holy Week serves as another occasion when family members gather together. If you have a family as big . . . rather, as huge . . . as mine, you’ll always look forward to holy weeks when kinsfolk reunite and bond together, especially with the homecoming of family members who permanently reside in other cities or abroad.

I consider holy week gatherings as an opportune time to update each other with information on the whereabouts, the preoccupations and the achievements of family members. Save for some challenges which may have been encountered in the past year, it’s still tremendously a nice exercise to count a lot of things we are thankful to God for - - like new graduates who’ll soon become professionals and of high-yielding business endeavors undertaken by relatives that add substantially to the wealth of one’s clan.

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I have never failed joining processions of the Santo Entierro whenever I am here in Dipolog on Good Fridays. I just do not know if procession organizers have failed to notice this, but it seems that in recent years, our processions have become similar to Alay Lakad and other ordinary local parades. I am particularly referring to the very fast pace at which people walked, as if everybody were in a rush to finish the procession quickly. I even had to control my laughter after a Carmelite nun unintentionally bumped me as she tried to overtake and block my way. I am therefore humbly suggesting to our parish’s procession committee to make the route shorter next year, and the pace slower, so that the faithful public could recite their rosaries or psalms more solemnly. We hope we can come up with a sacred, somber procession rite in the future just like what we see in Vatican. Just praying . . .

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Ever wondered why we celebrated holy week relatively early this year compared to past years? According to the encyclopedia, “Easter”, which is a Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, refers to the Sunday immediately after the first full moon that occurs on or after March 21. Take a look at the 2008 March calendar. The full moon falls on the 22nd of March and the nearest Sunday after such date is March 23. So there you have it, blame it on the moon, our Easter Sunday this year comes unusually early. It comes even before the school year ends.

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There are a number of things and activities which we associate with Easter celebration. Most usual are beach picnics when people compensate food sacrifices they had during the lent with “eating all they can” salvo. To all picnic-goers, please don’t forget that it took you months and thousands of pesos to whiten your skin, just to have it burnt with an hour of sun exposure at the beach.

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A few days after Easter, we expect to see the much-awaited results of Philippine Bar examinations. I know of some Dipolognon bar exam takers who, I am sure, are now starting to dispose nervous tensions. That’s normal guys. When you successfully make it, you’ll feel a bit taller, and you’ll have that great career twist in your life. Good luck, and congratulations in advance.

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Tomorrow, March 24, is the opening of the week-long Zamboanga Peninsula Regional Athletic Meet. To the general public, try going to the ZDN Sports Complex at ZNNHS and see a great make-over of the place. To all athletes, officials and visitors from other provinces and cities, feel the warmth of Dipolognons’ and Zanorteans’ hospitality. Welcome to Zanorte!

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The darkest hour in this world happened on the first Good Friday more than 2000 years ago. After that darkest hour, the brightest moment followed. We call such brightest moment today as Easter Sunday. May you embrace with much rejoicing the most important truth in the Christian world - - - that Jesus Christ is risen . . . that He is alive . . . and that He lives in us. Happy Easter to all our TP readers!

Minding Your Own Business by T2 Julz March 23, 2008 - Tingog Peninsula