The Manila Times
BLACK Saturday marks a day of silence and grief as Jesus Christ was laid in his tomb following his crucifixion. According to biblical accounts, in Luke 23:50-56, after Jesus Christ’s death on the cross on Friday, Joseph of Arimathea led his burial. Joseph was a council member who opposed Jesus’ crucifixion. Joseph requested that Pontius Pilate have Christ’s body taken down. He then had the body wrapped in linen, and placed in a new, unused rock-hewn tomb. In John 19:39, Joseph was said to have been accompanied by Nicodemus, who brought myrrh and aloes spices to prepare the body. For many Filipino families, Black Saturday is a time to slow down, reflect and gather in prayer as they await the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. As a day of collective mourning, it is a time when broadcast stations suspend their regular programming and businesses remain closed. Some also observe traditional beliefs, avoiding travel due to the notion that, with Jesus in the tomb, they are left unprotected. In the evening, the Easter Vigil Mass is celebrated, marking the end of Lent and the beginning of Easter. Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas emphasized that the darkness that followed Christ’s suffering and death continues unless people proclaim Him as the Son of God. “Since that mockery, since that insult, since that murder of God 2,000 years ago, there will always be darkness until we proclaim truly this is the Son of God,” he said in a video message. Villegas said this same darkness persists today, fueled by humanity’s continued rejection of God and his teachings. He said there persists a widespread mockery and blasphemy against God, the Church and its leaders, and that these acts of insult and ridicule continue to contribute to the spiritual darkness enveloping the world. Villegas called on the faithful to ponder and acknowledge their complicity in this darkness, and urged them to admit their sins without excuses. “What should be done is only one: to bow down our heads, accept that the Lord is Lord. Accept that we have mocked the Lord and we have contributed to that mockery. Accept that we have insulted the Lord, and we have laughed as he was being insulted. Accept that we have stripped the Lord naked, and then we gambled over his garments,” he said. Those who choose to stand up for God will be rewarded with “a new life, a new light, a new Easter,” Villegas said. In his Good Friday message, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to live with “greater faith, humility and compassion.” In a message posted on his social media, Marcos called on Filipinos to reflect on the sacrifice of Christ. “For in it, we see a love that did not turn away from suffering, but chose to embrace it for each one of us. May this day call us to live with greater faith, humility and compassion,” he said. On Good Friday, Catholic devotees take part in street processions reenacting the crucifixion, with some individuals even nailed to wooden crosses. Others engage in self-flagellation, whipping their backs until they bleed as an act of penance to atone for sins or fulfill a religious vow. Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. took to the streets on Good Friday to personally inspect security measures at Metro Manila’s busiest transport terminals, churches and other high-traffic areas. “Leadership is not just about giving orders from behind a desk,” Nartatez said. “I lead by example by being on the ground, seeing the situation for myself, and ensuring our personnel are ready to respond when needed.” Joining Nartatez were senior police officials, including National Capital Region Police Office Chief Anthony Aberin, Police Regional Office 3 Chief Rogelio Peñones Jr., Manila Police District (MPD) Director Arnold Abad, Quezon City Police District Director Randy Glenn Silvio and PNP spokesman Randulf Tuaño. In Quiapo, Manila, thousands of devotees of the Black Nazarene took part in the traditional Good Friday procession, which lasted more than 13 hours. The procession started at 11:33 p.m. on Thursday, which was earlier than scheduled. The carriage carrying the image returned to Quiapo Church at 12:51 p.m. on Friday. The MPD deployed 3,200 offices along the 3.8-kilometer procession route.
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