Holy Monday: Bishop tells faithful to ‘be careful, not fearful’
MB – Published March 29, 2021, 10:22 AM
As Christendom marks the second day of the Holy Week on Monday, March 29, a Catholic Church leader called on the faithful to “be careful and not fearful” amid the spike in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases.
Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr. called on the faithful to be more vigilant while remaining calm and staying healthy.
“When we pray the Oratio Imperata against COVID-19, we pray that we will be saved from our fears. Let us not be fearful, rather we should be more careful. Careful but not fearful. The people should be more careful but not fearful because at this time we should keep our spirits up, because when our spirits are up, our immune system is strong,” said Bishop Bacani over Radio Veritas.
The Church leader reminded the public to continue to observe the safety health protocols to help prevent the further spread of the virus.
“Let us continue to remain vigilant and careful like wearing face masks, washing of hands, observing physical distancing, and avoiding unnecessary trips outside the home,” Bacani said.
The bishop called on the faithful to strengthen his faith and to trust in the will of the Lord.
Before the pandemic, traditional Holy Monday observances include the three-day “pabasa.” Also known as “pasyon” in reference to the Passion of Christ, the Gregorian chanting of the poetic prayer story on the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, was traditionally led by the town elders who sang in shifts. The marathon chanting of verses on the life of Jesus from the pages of the Sacred Scriptures was, likewise, observed in some churches in Metro Manila. But because of the pandemic, this tradition will be missed this year.
Holy Monday in the life of Jesus narrates the story of the Anointing at Bethany, which focuses on Mary, the sister of Martha and the resurrected Lazarus. Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with costly perfume and wipes them with her hair. Many of the Jews were also starting to affirm their faith in Jesus on seeing Lazarus whom He raised from the dead.
From today until Holy Wednesday, prayers and reflections will focus on the theme, Jesus as the Bridegroom of the Church.
The Church calls on the faithful to join the holy masses and other religious activities for the Holy Week online.
SOURCE: https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/29/holy-monday-bishop-tells-faithful-to-be-careful-not-fearful/
