Holy Week 2024 at Grotto

The observance of Holy Week is, in the Philippines, a deeply rooted custom. Even before I had fully grasped its spiritual significance as a mere child, the people were already flocking to this sacred site in Bulacan whenever the solemnity of Good Friday drew near. Their pilgrimage commences upon the Thursday, with souls pouring in from all corners of the metro, some even traversing the considerable distance from Cavite entirely on foot, determined to arrive in time for the awful reflection of the Lord's Passion. The roads for many kilometres are forthwith blocked and surrendered to the multitude, the highway becoming a river of humanity. Thus, even those who attempt the usual conveyance must still finish their journey by walking a considerable distance to reach the ground.

I recall the year of my adolescence when a neighbour invited this writer to undertake the journey on foot. We departed our dwelling at the fourth hour of the afternoon and arrived just before the chiming of midnight. The crowd, even then, was a press of humanity, shoulder to shoulder upon entrance to the gates! It required more than an hour to merely wade through the throng to reach the main temple, and yet another hour to encompass the grounds. Multitudes lay strewn upon the earth in weariness. In those days, men carried only the simple radio for solace, for the modern phone has yet to be.

Oh, the earnestness displayed in the flesh! May the Lord grant that their profound physical labor be an outward sign of an inward grace, seeking not merely the cross, but the crucified Savior Himself!

Alas, since that time, the highway hath been widened and made smooth, transforming the weary trek into a journey of mere bodily comfort—a vast difference indeed from my youthful remembrance, when I assayed the trend and earned nothing save sore feet and painful blisters. Furthermore, this very site hath been reconstructed and made over to elevate the temporal experience. That which was once a raw, earthen ground for earnest, though misguided, devotion hath been made into a place of family repose and picnic. Every soul is now occupied not with solemn reflection, but with the vain pursuit of taking pictures of the place!

But let us not be deceived by the cosmetic improvements! That ground, which was spiritually dead then, remains spiritually dead today still. The ease of the path does not quicken the soul, nor do the polished stone remove the need for true repentance and faith. The outward show is changed, but the inward void persists, waiting for the only true Fountain of Life to be opened to those souls!

 

After I exited the grounds, it was the turn of the devout sister, Moureen, to enter the thoroughfare with Neil and distribute tracts. This blessed firebrand of the Gospel came straightway from her overnight shift—a sacrifice of earthly repose—to join us in this work of outreach! Assuredly, there is no stopping this blessed daughter of the LORD when it concerns the earnest service of her Master! Even now, she hath commenced the sacred duty of leading family worship in her own dwelling, faithfully reading the Holy Scripture with her parents and sister.

I hold a firm and godly confidence in Christ that she shall surely see the abundant fruits of her labors—both in the public street and within her own household—and that she shall praise God for the harvest He hath granted on that great, inevitable Day!

We made our way to the other end of the exit and greeted the people coming out with tracts. The better part of our stay here was when a gentleman took a tract and decided to engage us in almost an hour long conversation about church history. That encounter deserves another post.

This particular spot proved to be the perfect station for our evening's work, arranged surely by the hand of the Almighty! Midway through our fervent pleading for the souls of men, a figure stood across the way for a goodly space, silently observing our exercise, and then withdrew himself. To our wonder, he returned shortly with bottles of fresh water and bread to bestow upon us, asking Moureen what holy assembly we represented, and if I, the speaker, held the office of Pastor. With a wisdom exceeding her years, she rendered him a humble and fitting answer: "He is, sir, simply a layman."

Thus, was our attention drawn once more to the truth that the Master employs whomsoever He will, and that the only true title of service is that of a lowly servant of Christ, seeking neither rank nor worldly recognition.

Was assisted with power by the Spirit in our witness for Christ. Glory to God alone.