MANILA, March 27, 2013-Senator Loren Bautista Legarda continues to observe the century-old tradition of the Bautista family during the Holy Week and encouraged Filipinos to likewise practice the Lenten traditions they grew up with.
“The Lenten Season, especially the Holy Week, is a time for contemplation. We renew our relationship with God as we reflect on the sacrifices of Jesus Christ. There is no better way to do this than by engaging in Church activities and observing Filipino Holy Week traditions,” said Legarda.
The Senator said that her great grandparents, Gregorio Bautista and Agapita Torres-Bautista, started the Bautista annual pabasa in the early 1900s in their house along Avenida, Rizal in Manila. The chanting and singing of the Pasyon did not stop even during the worst times of the Japanese occupation.
“With the impending arrival of the Japanese during World War II, my grandparents hid two sacred images over which the Pabasa was sung. The images were cared for by a couple who used to live in the place where San Lazaro Hospital presently stands,” she narrated.
“The statues survived the war. Today, the two life-sized images of Christ - the Scourging at the Pillar and the Crowning With Thorns - are located in our ancestral home in Malabon. These statues came from Spain and are believed to be already 200 years old,” she added.
Legarda said that she, her brothers and cousins continue to observe the tradition with their aunties every Holy Wednesday and they intend to pass on the tradition to their children.
“Not only does our annual pabasa bring our family closer together, but it also gives me the perfect opportunity to share with Jesus Christ’s suffering. I hope all Filipinos, no matter how busy they are, would also find time to reflect on the sufferings of Christ and prioritize the observance of our religious traditions especially this Holy Week,” Legarda said.
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