"When 'Red' is more than just commemorating, but also dedicating lives"
(Thoughts after "Red Wednesday")
Churches in the Philippines "turned red" as Catholics honoured persecuted Christians and those who offered lives for the faith.
Popularly known as "Red Wednesday", this campaign Initiated by the Papal Charity "Aid to the Church in Need", and approved by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in remembrance of and as a day for prayer for persecuted Christians, as well as to encourage Christians to stand up for religious freedom and their faith.
However, this occasion also end reinterpreted by some as a political gimmick as they failed to understand the significance of the occasion, with Red as its featured colour- especially as the 2022 elections draw near- with some aspirants also use the colour in their campaigns and sorties as part of their branding, like those of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and of Leody de Guzman.
Perhaps the event is all but misunderstood by many especially when everyone saw various colours used in political campaigns. And to think that "red" has been synonymous to the Marcoses, there are those who reinterpret the occasion as the church supporting the late dictator's son who's running for the presidency. What a coping mechanism then.
But again in one twitter post, Fr. Fiel Pareja said that "red is the symbol of blood of killed Christians, and not of its killers." (roughly translated from Filipino).
Indeed. But since Fr. Pareja said those words that red is not the colour of its persecutors, isn't it that also political and not merely spiritual? "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church", tis reminds of "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants". But since fools like those complaining online think that "Red Wednesday" as all but a political gimmick just like how they enjoy reading fake quotes supporting their idol, then how about the much traditional Gaudete and Laerete Sundays? This did require the colour pink and blue in their vestments, so does these also meant supporting Robredo and Domagoso because of those colours also synonymous with themselves and their campaigns? How stupid their interpretations isn't they. But to think that this occasion is political, then yes, it is a political not just a spiritual sentiment- for red signifies the blood of the martyrs whose call was simple: the right to worship Christ as their lord and saviour in a time everyone was worshipping the god-emperor or the gods like "Vulcan" or "Jupiter". Yes, it was a political sentiment that out of their belief in Christ meant death, and their lives a sacrifice the way Christ sacrificed himself in the Calvary being accused that of disorder against both the empire and its vassal king, if not against the faith he saw as corrupted
This may sound controversial as any other event tainted by politics, that even the most religious would madly disagree on it that the occasion was also political; but the reality that those who cling to their belief that "faith, hope, and love" is also a political sentiment then why deny it? It is the same bible that says "Faith without Action is Dead", what more that it is the same bible that Christ didn't came in peace but a sword. After all, those who belief in the afterlife is also driven by the fact that they had enough of ever-present repression and injustice. That those who follow Christ wasn't just driven by "going to heaven and be happy", but preparing to face the consequence especially in serving God's people irrespective of their belief even at the expense of their lives.
And it is the duty of a Christian to rise up and assert what is right and just the way it clings to its belief and its vision of a society where faith, hope, and love reigns. Pardon for the thought but since there are those fools cried "red" as political as the other colours, and this religious occasion didn't escape the heckling, then expect those to see this "red Wednesday" not as to commemorate the martyrs who died for their faith, but also to dedicate lives in helping the repressed and persecuted- and that includes the will to resist.
After all, here are those who are deeply religious, but their religious conviction made them to "rebel" against the system that even their church is also affected!