Summer is coming, but as we started to enjoy the first warm sunshine and the ripening of fruits, lies the day wherein anything is sacred and of course sorrowful-starting with daily devotions to god, especially of seeing men with bloody backs.
And in every television show, whether it is a part of the news or a feature in a saturday or sunday show, lies the scenes wherein we may call it gory, of sorrowing, and to others a sadist mean of devotion, as these people are marching, flogging and having their backs red with their fresh blood. With the reason of invoking their prayers, of curing their illness or even fulfilling their wishes.
But then,
This sadist way to be with god was and is controversial. Being a part of a pagan festivity and being "Christianized", flagellation began as a militant pilgrimage and was later condemned by the Catholic Church as heretical. But despite the prohibition, the followers were noted for including public flagellation in their rituals.
And according to Wikipedia:
"...At first, flagellation became a form of penance in the Christian church, especially in ascetic monastic orders. For example, the 11th century zealot Dominicus Loricatus once repeated the entire Psalter twenty times in one week, accompanying each psalm with a hundred lash-strokes to his back. The distinction of the Flagellants was to take this self-mortification into the cities and other public spaces as a demonstration of piety. As well as flagellation, the rituals were built around processions, hymns, distinct gestures, uniforms, and discipline. It was also said that when singing a hymn and upon reaching the part about the passion of the Christ, one must drop to the ground, no matter how dirty or painful the area may seem. Also one mustn't move if the ground has something on it that may cause an inconvenience..."
For sure Filipinos who practise that kind of sadistic action also do the same procedure as what the people of the Mediaeval age do-praying, flogging their backs, lying and marching over the rising midday sun and feeling its hottness in their blood stained bodies. And these people somehow are sacrificing their bodies for their common cause, even life is at stake just to fulfill it!
How wonder as we starting to enjoy the heat and preparing to take a dip into the cool waters we need to see these people marching with bloodstained scarry backs and even seeing a crucified man first as part of the holy week festivity within the summer holiday, well... as what Leo Tolstoy said: "God sees the truth but waits."
