Now that Easter Sunday is just a day away, I've come to reflect on the relevance of the holy week and why Catholic Filipinos like me, even in foreign countries, observe it.

When I was a kid, the real meaning of the holy week was masked by it's magical and sometimes theatrical appeal. I grew up in Malabon City, a coastal town north of Metro Manila where the people are friendly, laid back and mostly religious. We were never short of activities every year like the "Salubong" ( a reenactment of Christ's first meeting with Mary), the Cenakulo (a highly theatrical and religiously energized stage performance about the passion and death of Jesus Christ), and the highly anticipated "Penitensya" where penitents coat the streets with blood from their backs, dripping from self inflicted wounds using ropes dipped in broken glass.

All these theatrics were spectacular to witness as a young man. Who wouldn't be entertained too see a man actually being crucified in front of you with real nails on an actual wooden cross? But now that I think about it, all these sort of take away and distract us from the real reason why this entire week is relevant.

We all live our lives at break neck speed the entire year. Obligations, expectations, and responsibilities literally have us tied up like puppets on a string, moving the way life forces us to move. It's during this time, when there's no work and almost nothing extra curricular to do, that we are given the perfect time to reassess ourselves and answer the question, "Are we living the way God intended us to live?". A deep question which I'm sure most of us are hesitant to answer.

For me, this year's holy week was probably the most meaningful of all. My current emotional and personal circumstances set up this situation where I learned to just let go and trust that He has a bigger plan for me. I KNOW that now. It's difficult to let go of people and things that were once dear to you but, just like Jesus gave his own life on the cross, I think I can give up some of my most cherished things to make sure I surrender to his plans. That is how I see it now.

Don't get me wrong though. I am the farthest from being a devout Catholic. But that's where the beauty lies right? When God reenters the fray, knocks some sense into your stubborn skull, and you actually understand Him! Of course the pain and confusion is there because we humans are not really equipped with faculties to truly understand His ways. So for me, just leave it all to Him. He's never let me down before.

So for everyone out there who'll try to surrender everything to Him, embrace the pain and don't think too much. Blind faith is still the best kind. If you have to give up people and relationships, here's what one of my closest friends told me.

"Don't be sad because it ended, be happy because it happened."

This too shall pass.