HOLY WEEK READS: Finding hope in pain (2025)

SUMMARY

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We offer you a wide variety of Rappler stories, many of them longer than the usual breaking news, that you can take time to read this Holy Week

Holy Week, when the nation takes a break, is the busiest time of the year not only in Catholic parishes, but also in Rappler’s faith chat room.

The faith chat room, which can be found in the Rappler Communities app, is an online space where people of different beliefs can exchange stories, reflections, insights, and photos. The photos, most especially, keep our members glued to the faith chat room, as we pick the best ones for reposting on Rappler platforms. (Join us here if you haven’t!)

We get hundreds of photo submissions from faith chat room members, but of course we all have our favorites.

My favorite? Those that come from the youth.

I especially love the recent photos showing college students leading the Pabasa, the Filipino tradition of chanting the passion of Christ for hours, even overnight.

Here’s a shoutout to faith chat room member JB Tan, who showed us the Pabasa conducted by the University of the Philippines Student Catholic Action, and member Lharz Dapla, who shared how they did it at Far Eastern University Manila’s Our Lady of Fatima Chapel.

Here’s a special mention, as well, to the Immaculate Youth Ministry from Mary Immaculate Parish and the Parish Youth Ministry of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, both in Dasmariñas City, Cavite, for sending us photos of their Senakulo, the traditional Filipino play on Jesus’ death on the cross.

Salamat, mga ka-faith!

Why this affinity for the youth?

Youth reminds us of hope. No, actually, youth is hope. While I am a Rappler reporter, I am also a journalism instructor in two Catholic schools — and I can see this hope, each time, in the eyes of my students. I myself learn from their dreams and yearnings, especially whenever I find it easier to surrender to a jaded and broken world.

This hope is something we all badly need — at a time of rising prices, trade wars, and the many Judases and Pilates who use lies and violence to seek power and money.

Ours, we know, is a world of despair — and our carefully curated collection of Holy Week Reads would show us this. Check out the links below for a wide variety of Rappler stories, many of them longer than the usual breaking news, that you can take time to read this Holy Week.

Oh, but why should we bother? Shouldn’t we spend Holy Week relaxing and finding our peace?

Well, in the words of Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, only when we embrace our pain can we completely heal. “Pain is God’s megaphone,” he said on Palm Sunday. “To heal the pain, we need to feel the pain and face the bitterness.”

Have a blessed Holy Week!