Week 18: Visita Iglesia is #BetterByBicycle

The Lenten season is a significant time for many Catholics, especially here in the Philippines. It is the time of the year we commemorate the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, reminding us to repent our sins, abstain from worldly pleasures, and reflect how we can  cleanse ourselves to follow Christ's way and deepen our connection to God. 

I have seen many changes over the years at the way Filipinos observed the Holy Week. Nowadays it's very different from what I used to experience when I was a child. For example all the economic activity would be on downtime, with stores and businesses shutting operations from Maundy Thursday to Black Saturday, including TV programs. In the past, I used to think of it as the most boring time of the year, with literally nothing to do, not even play. Whenever my siblings would get too loud with our chatter, my mom and grandmother would give that scary do-you-want-to-go-to-hell look. When I got a little older, I began to understand why it was necessary to pause from our regular activities and focus on repenting and reflecting. With today's hi-tech society and loosening of church conventions,  people have adopted more creative approaches to observing Holy Week, allowing some non-essential economic activities to continue. I have nothing against people who choose to use the holidays to unwind or reset somewhere, I think that in many ways, the spirit of Lenten season is really all about slowing down and reconnecting with God and the people we love, and be the disciples that Christ hoped us to be, in any form that works for us. And people are free to observe that spirit in any form that works for them, as long as they are not causing harm to other people and to the planet.

I am not a religious person, but I do credit my Catholic upbringing to many of the moral philosophies I subscribe into. So I still practice many of the Catholic traditions to some extent as they do serve me a purpose of  self betterment. One of the traditions that I manage to continue is the Visita Iglesia, the practice of visiting 7 churches, where each church serve as a stop to pray  and reflect on 2 of the 14 Stations of the Cross. I have to be honest though, the past years that I've done the church visits, I'm too distracted. Yes I do pray when I'm inside the church, but, I feel like I was more motivated to the historical and architectural appreciation experience than actual reflection. Church interiors  are becoming more and more sophisticated that I just find it difficult to concentrate on my prayer. I find myself to be more on deep thoughts and reflection when in nature. 

So this year, because I was alone, I decided to just do my visita iglesia in 3 nearby churches, and for the first time, I did it by bicycle. I originally intended to visit 7 churches in my province, if only I was strong enough to endure the summer heat. Nevertheless, I still think that doing it by bicycle is the best because, number one, parking won't be a problem. It's naturally busy and crowded in churches, and looking for a parking spot can take so much of my reflecting and praying time. I mean even if the church patios have no bike parking, church personnel are manning the entrance and exit of the church to manage the traffic. Requesting to look out for my bike was not a problem. Now I don't have actual statistics to back this, but I also think that robbery crime during this time of the year is low, I mean people are on repent mode. Number 2, the exercise I do when cycling makes the pilgrimage beneficial not just for my spirit, but for my body as well. Also, because I move slowly and quietly between churches, it gives  me time to reflect and pray without the rush of traffic or the distractions of commuting by automobile. But most importantly, because it reduces my carbon footprint, cycling honors the spirit of stewardship and care for God’s creation.

This Holy Week, my visita iglesia on a bicycle felt really sincere. Pedaling through quiet streets, feeling the warm breeze, and stopping to pray in each church made the experience more meaningful and grounded.