Why Everything Stops
Bleacher Talk
April 12, 2009
Why Everything Stops
Holy Week. Semana Santa. In the Philippines. Everything stops.
Isn’t it ironic how the Philippines may be one of the few remaining countries where sports comes to a full stop during Holy Week? If you turned on the TV over the break, you can’t help but notice that while local sports is off the air, the international sports world is very much alive. You name it, it’s on. Basketball and golf are very much in the spotlight with the NBA playoffs and Masters lording it over the air waves. Football’s UEFA Champions’ League is also on with mid-week playoff matches.
But I guess that’s just the way it is. If given the choice between both worlds, I’d still go for our Holy Week break to put a temporary stop to everything. This just goes to show that we Pinoys take time out to give way to more important events that are over and beyond the realm of sports or the material world. The past few days were supposed to be days of reflection as we remember the passion and death of Christ. Kicking off with Palm Sunday and followed by Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, the Holy Week gives all of us a much-needed break from our usual activities to reflect on the supernatural.
While some use the time wisely for the right purposes (and some do not), it’s imperative that all of us (not only those in the sports world) realize that none of us would be here if Jesus didn’t go through all the suffering, death and resurrection. This is where we appreciate how the faith of the Pinoys is very much strong and firm.
While the media may highlight how some spend the Holy Week at the beach or at some posh resort, they also somehow fail to see the thousands of the faithful who attend the various activities of the Catholic Church over the past week. To borrow a phrase from the sports world, the churches saw “full-house crowds” at the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Last Supper on Holy Thursday, the Siete Palabras, Celebration of the Lord’s Passion and Veneration of the Holy Cross on Good Friday, and last night’s Easter Vigil. You can bet that today’s Easter Sunday’s masses will be even larger in terms of attendance to celebrate the Church’s biggest fiesta. In between are the large crowds going to confession, making the traditional “Visita Iglesia” on Holy Thursday, and the Way of the Cross on Good Friday.
But why all this? Why do all of us make this annual break from our regular lives to do something else? The Holy Week is a perfect time for all to remember that beyond our earthly lives is a more important life that we need to reach after our lives here on earth expire. Everything that have here on earth is temporary and given to us for the purpose of serving the Lord. Our life here on earth, which comes to a stop when we die, is a mere preparation for the bigger life up ahead. The volume of earthly achievements that we “win” means nothing if it doesn’t lead to our salvation and joining Our Lord in heaven. “What profits a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” In sports, we may be a member of a champion team, the MVP of a tournament or the most respected sportsman of all time. But does this guarantee a ticket to heaven when we die? No sir. I’m afraid these aren’t the scorecards for a soul who wants to see Our Lord in heaven.
But there is one thing that we can exploit from all these. We must all realize that all the traits, virtues and characteristics that sportsmen and athletes have are also the very same virtues that can lead one to heaven. We already have the tools to get there. All we need to do is use these to lead us there. And we already have a model to follow.
The MVP of all MVP’s has shown us how to do it. He came down to earth to show that we too, can live a life of prayer and sacrifice in the middle of our everyday lives. We can become “ipse Christus,” other Christs.
It is our wish and prayer that the Holy Week served as a proper break and reminder that on top of the MVP’s that we admire here in the sports world, the life of the MVP of all MVP’s is still the most important example to follow.
oOo
Time-out: The Cebu Milo BEST Basketball Clinic will be held May 18-23, 2009 at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit Mango Campus Gym. For more information, please contact 516-9036, 0918-939-4846 or 0923-342-8193. >>> You can reach me at bleachertalk@yahoo.com.
April 12, 2009
Why Everything Stops
Holy Week. Semana Santa. In the Philippines. Everything stops.
Isn’t it ironic how the Philippines may be one of the few remaining countries where sports comes to a full stop during Holy Week? If you turned on the TV over the break, you can’t help but notice that while local sports is off the air, the international sports world is very much alive. You name it, it’s on. Basketball and golf are very much in the spotlight with the NBA playoffs and Masters lording it over the air waves. Football’s UEFA Champions’ League is also on with mid-week playoff matches.
But I guess that’s just the way it is. If given the choice between both worlds, I’d still go for our Holy Week break to put a temporary stop to everything. This just goes to show that we Pinoys take time out to give way to more important events that are over and beyond the realm of sports or the material world. The past few days were supposed to be days of reflection as we remember the passion and death of Christ. Kicking off with Palm Sunday and followed by Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and Easter Sunday, the Holy Week gives all of us a much-needed break from our usual activities to reflect on the supernatural.
While some use the time wisely for the right purposes (and some do not), it’s imperative that all of us (not only those in the sports world) realize that none of us would be here if Jesus didn’t go through all the suffering, death and resurrection. This is where we appreciate how the faith of the Pinoys is very much strong and firm.
While the media may highlight how some spend the Holy Week at the beach or at some posh resort, they also somehow fail to see the thousands of the faithful who attend the various activities of the Catholic Church over the past week. To borrow a phrase from the sports world, the churches saw “full-house crowds” at the Evening Mass of the Lord’s Last Supper on Holy Thursday, the Siete Palabras, Celebration of the Lord’s Passion and Veneration of the Holy Cross on Good Friday, and last night’s Easter Vigil. You can bet that today’s Easter Sunday’s masses will be even larger in terms of attendance to celebrate the Church’s biggest fiesta. In between are the large crowds going to confession, making the traditional “Visita Iglesia” on Holy Thursday, and the Way of the Cross on Good Friday.
But why all this? Why do all of us make this annual break from our regular lives to do something else? The Holy Week is a perfect time for all to remember that beyond our earthly lives is a more important life that we need to reach after our lives here on earth expire. Everything that have here on earth is temporary and given to us for the purpose of serving the Lord. Our life here on earth, which comes to a stop when we die, is a mere preparation for the bigger life up ahead. The volume of earthly achievements that we “win” means nothing if it doesn’t lead to our salvation and joining Our Lord in heaven. “What profits a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?” In sports, we may be a member of a champion team, the MVP of a tournament or the most respected sportsman of all time. But does this guarantee a ticket to heaven when we die? No sir. I’m afraid these aren’t the scorecards for a soul who wants to see Our Lord in heaven.
But there is one thing that we can exploit from all these. We must all realize that all the traits, virtues and characteristics that sportsmen and athletes have are also the very same virtues that can lead one to heaven. We already have the tools to get there. All we need to do is use these to lead us there. And we already have a model to follow.
The MVP of all MVP’s has shown us how to do it. He came down to earth to show that we too, can live a life of prayer and sacrifice in the middle of our everyday lives. We can become “ipse Christus,” other Christs.
It is our wish and prayer that the Holy Week served as a proper break and reminder that on top of the MVP’s that we admire here in the sports world, the life of the MVP of all MVP’s is still the most important example to follow.
oOo
Time-out: The Cebu Milo BEST Basketball Clinic will be held May 18-23, 2009 at the Sacred Heart School-Jesuit Mango Campus Gym. For more information, please contact 516-9036, 0918-939-4846 or 0923-342-8193. >>> You can reach me at bleachertalk@yahoo.com.
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