"Ecce Homo"

"Ecce Homo"

A Holy Week message

"Ecce Homo!"

These are the words Ponitus Pilate saidth when he presents a scourged Jesus Christ, bound and crowned with thorns, to a hostile crowd shortly before his Crucifixion. That somehow has captured every imaginations coming from various artists trying to replicate the governor's, as well as the people's expression towards the suffering Christ.
That for the Roman governor, knowing of the innocence of the Lord and expressing it, is nevertheless end bowing to the will of a bloodthirsty and clamorous mob, and be eventually turned over to his soldiers the Lord Jesus Christ for them to scourge Him in preparation for the crucifixion.

That somehow that experience also corresponds to the country that has been called "Pearl of the Orient" for its scenic wonders and wealth, only to be exploited by the system the way it mocked its people their cherished ideals and aspirations as they favoured vested interests. Like the paschal lamb, the country, its cherished ideals, and the people, hath been sacrificed into the altar of interest as the system raised its knife, or in case of the crucifixion, raised its hammer as it nailed the country into the cross of suffering.

And perhaps, it is somewhat replicated in the yearly "Kalbaryo ng Maralita" protest-passion plays at Mendiola. However, this person did not visit last Monday's passion play of seeing the common Juan, representing the country and its people, be crucified by the system in a manner of thy Lord Jesus Christ.
But like the events of yesteryears, it also showed how the system has acted like Pilate and Herod, Antipas, Caiaphas, to those of Judas Iscariot in prolonging the average Juan's suffering similar to those of Christ, carrying its hardship towards Calvary.

And since everyone seen various situations wherein people sought individuals trying to present themselves as worthy amidst their controversial natures, then perhaps one would say that how hypocritical these beings who presented themselves to others as righteous yet actually they aren't. What more if they've mocked some, if not most, cherished ideals if these same people present themselves as "for the people" with all their various "contributions" and yet in reality they pocketed anything what the people hath greatly needed for it. Like the passion of Jesus Christ, the country itself, the one whom the people sworn to defend and to cherish, been mocked by the people themselves by favoring their own interests, of those who babble they are for the needy and yet actually they mocked them through their actions, be it in a form of a corrupt politician pocketing the people's hardship if not a despotic landlord repressing its tenant.

Admittingly speaking, this person ought to say that the Philippines, or the Filipinos themselves been acting like the Israelites of yesteryears waiting for a redeemer. And during elections, people hear about their preferred candidate been packaged throughout the season as a "national messiah" trying to bring peace, justice, prosperity, and a variety of hope to a suffering populace. 

Sadly, that populace whom yearning for upliftment and redemption, failed to act themselves as a community, if not limiting their affirmative actions to themselves, as individuals, alone, enough to present themselves as righteous afterwards. Perhaps, despite all these crisis, repressions, and hypocrisies, people will soon truly realise the need for a national redemption as a nation as in the past.