The Easter "Salubong"

Happy Easter to everyone!

At long last, I finally got to see the Easter "Salubong" (Meeting) in my old barangay!  Just like the yearly Immaculate Conception Pagoda, I used to hear about the "Salubong" as a child, but I've never experienced it.  I could never get myself out of bed early on Easter Sunday mornings!  Even when we lived in Bayan across San Bartolome Church, any activity that involved my having to wake up at the crack of dawn never made it past wishful thinking.

But this year I told myself I should experience this Lenten tradition at least once in my life.  So I set my alarm clock to 3:30 am and went.


WHAT HAPPENS AT THE "SALUBONG"?

The "Salubong" is the re-enactment of the first meeting between the Risen Christ and His Sorrowful Mother.  The two statues of Christ and Mary sometimes come from two different places and are brought by procession to meet at the church courtyard. Mary is covered by a black veil to show that she is in mourning.  At the meeting place, the two statues meet under a canopy, and in some places, a child dressed as an angel lifts the veil of Mary, to show a mother who is joyfully seeing her son again.

In the "Salubong" of the Immaculate Conception Parish Church this morning, both statues of the Blessed Mother and the Risen Christ came from the church courtyard and their meeting or "salubong"  was at Cuatro Cantos, in front of the Rufina Patis compound.  The Risen Christ came out first - a little past 4:00 am - and was brought by procession on General Luna Street.  The procession of the Blessed Mother left a little later via C. Arellano Street.  We joined the procession of the Risen Christ.

On the way to Cuatro Cantos,  our procession chanced upon the procession of the Risen Christ of the Aglipayan Church as it was coming from Hulo going to its own "Salubong" (somewhere at the back of Mary Jay Restaurant, according to one of the procession marshalls I inquired from).  So this made for a unique and amusing situation of two Risen Christ images having their own "salubong."

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Risen Christ procession of the Aglipayan Church heading towards the direction of Bayan.

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"Salubong ng Dalawang Kristo" (Meeting of two Christs) could very well be the title of this unique scene.  Malabon devotees have long gotten used to situations like this.  They simply make way for each other to pass, then continue on to their respective destinations.

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After that brief crossing of paths, our Risen Christ procession continues to make its way to Cuatro Cantos.

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Many people were already waiting in front of Rufina Patis.  Easter Mass began a few minutes before 5:00 am, officiated by Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, Fr. Rey Amante (parish priest of Immaculate Conception Church), and another priest. The "Salubong" was held after the Mass.

In the "Salubong," the statue of Mary is moved under the canopy while that of the Risen Christ remains outside.  There is a shower of confetti and pigeons are released from the ceiling of the canopy.  A dove is then lowered onto the statue of Mary to remove the black veil over her face. The choir breaks into joyful Alleluias after the unveiling... multi-colored balloons are released into the early morning sky... and the crowd bursts into clapping and cheers of jubilation.  Afterwards the statue of the Risen Christ is moved towards that of Mary, and soon both statues leave in a procession going back to Concepcion church via C. Arellano.

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Devotees await the start of Easter Mass in front of the Rufina Patis compound.

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Blessed Mother statue is moved under the canopy.

White dove is lowered from ceiling of canopy.

Dove is about to lift Blessed Mother's veil.

Veil has been lifted from Blessed Mother's statue.

The balloons on top of the canopy are released into the morning sky along with the dove and veil.

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The "Salubong" of the Risen Christ and the Blessed Mother.

Window seat

Going back to church.

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OTHER EASTER SUNDAY SCENES

A sure attraction for the kids

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Full packed for breakfast

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A refreshing drink on a summer's day

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The Good Friday Procession

As a child I remember that Good Friday or "Biyernes Santo" was always very quiet and solemn.  There was a certain "Biyernes Santo" behaviour expected of us kids back then:  Just stay inside the house, no playing, no music and no loud laughter.  Uh, correction please:  no smiling even! 

Which is why we always looked forward to the procession that comes in the late afternoon.  After keeping still and being solemn all day, that gave us a chance to get out of the house and jostle with the other kids who were watching the procession.

I remembered all these with a smile when my son and I went to see the Good Friday procession yesterday afternoon in Barangay Concepcion.  We did not join the "prusisyon";  we just contented ourselves watching the nicely dressed-up "carrozas" (carriages) pass by. All the familiar characters from the Passion narrative were represented - the suffering Christ, His sorrowful Mother, the apostles, Mary Magdalene and the other holy women of Jerusalem, even Simon of Cyrene who helped Christ carry the Cross.  Thus it was a relatively long procession.

The procession left the Immaculate Conception Parish Church at 5:00 pm, then made its way on General Luna Street to Cuatro Cantos in Hulo.  From there, on to C. Arellano Street, then back to General Luna Street via Camus.  It was nearly 7:00 pm when the "prusisyon" arrived back at the church this time without the statue of Christ lying in the glass casket.  I was told that the image was left behind at the St. Jude Chapel.

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 We were able to watch a part of the Aglipayan Church procession as well, which usually follows that of the Immaculate Conception Church.  We didn't get to see the beginning of this procession, though, because we were late in coming out again to the street, having been misinformed about the time interval between them. I do remember that these two processions often overlap and there are times when one has to wait or give way to the other when their paths cross.  But everything always works out.

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The "Pabasa "

One thing I miss about living in the heart of town is the way you really feel part of the community's Lenten activities.

Take the traditional "Pabasa ng Pasyon" (Reading of the Passion), for instance.  When we used to live just four houses away from Concepcion Church, and at another point, almost across San Bartolome Church, there was no forgetting that Holy Week was upon us, because the "Pabasa" almost literally became the soundtrack of the days leading up to Good Friday.  Whatever you happened to be doing inside the house during those days, your background music was inevitably that familiar sometimes monotonous chanting of the "Pasyon."

But for the past nearly 20 years that we've lived away from the heart of Malabon in Barangay Potrero, there are years when I don't even get to hear a single chanting of the "Pasyon."  In that sense, I really get to feel we're so "out of it" in terms of the traditional community activities.

So after attending yesterday morning's Photo Exhibit at the Malabon City Hall, when I chanced upon a Pabasa going on in front of the Immaculate Conception Church on my way to my Dad's house, I felt glad. It suddenly felt like old times.


WHAT IS THE "PABASA," ANYWAY?

The "Pabasa," is a long-time Pilipino tradition - said to have began during Spanish times - wherein the life and passion of Christ is chanted or sung mostly a capella.  A group of singers usually take turns in chanting/singing, and devotees gather around them to listen and reflect. Although the "Pabasa" is commonly done during the Holy Week, a friend whose family holds a "Pabasa" every year to fulfill their mother's vow or "panata," says it can be done anytime within the Lenten season which begins on Ash Wednesday.

The "Pabasa" can take place over a span of days or even just hours.  My friend's family one time held their "Pabasa" from 3:00AM until 3:00PM of Good Friday.  The important thing is to finish the reading of the Passion of Christ once it is begun, and the singers can adjust their singing to suit whatever pace or time frame they have in mind.  Over the years there has been a lot of flexibility as well on the melodies used during the singing or chanting -- in fact I read recently in the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the Church is not averse to having the "Pasyon" sung in a hip-hop beat if the effect is that it reaches more young people! 


THE "PABASA" HELD IN CONCEPCION

According to the Concepcion Church Parish Office, this "Pabasa" that I chanced upon yesterday morning started on the evening of Palm Sunday and ended on the evening of Holy Monday.

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Other devotees pray and sing along.

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Taking turns singing or chanting the "Pasyon."

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