The Holy week atmosphere will never be complete unless you walk the streets and hear the uninterrupted chants of people that narrates the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. The ‘Pabasa ng Pasyon’ has already been part of the Filipino Lenten tradition in which the parishioners of the Diocesan Shrine of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu (DSPNSDA) commonly observes. It is definitely unquestionable that the ‘Pabasa’ tradition is in the brink of disappearance since most people usually ignores this and are actually clueless of its true significance. So here are some P-A-S-Y-O-N facts about ‘Pabasa’ that is expected to feed not only your minds but also your souls:
P-‘Pabasa’ has an interesting historical background of how it started to be observed by the Filipino Catholics. The first Tagalog version of the ‘Pabasa’ dates back to 1704 and is credited to Gaspar Aquino de Belen, a native of Batangas in the service of Jesuits in Manila. This shows that the ‘Pabasa’ tradition has been a Filipino tradition for centuries. It was entitled “Mahal na Passion ni Jesu Christong Panginoon Natin na Tola (The poem of the Blessed Passion of Jesus Christ our Lord).”
A-Anyone could basically participate in the ‘Pabasa’. There are usually two ‘Pabasa’ readers or singers who alternate with the singing the verses and here’s what makes it more interesting, anyone could basically take part of this tradition especially the youth.
S-Sung usually in acapella with different melodies or tunes and sometimes with an instrumental accompaniment. Any tune is actually welcomed to be used during the ‘Pabasa’ as long as it keeps the tradition sacred and with full respect and intention to reflect on Christ’s passion death and resurrection.
Y-Your family or even religious organizations can serve as the host of a ‘Pabasa’. This is one of the main reasons why during Holy week is you commonly hear ‘Pabasa’ chants throughout the streets not only in churches because any group or family could host as long as they could provide food and refreshments for the reader or singer of the said tradition.
O-Oral chants that shows one’s devotion. ‘Pabasa ng Pasyon’ is long and uninterrupted thus it last for almost 24 hours making it a good way of sacrificing and as a form of a ‘panata’.
N-Narration of how God’s eternal love was disclosed through Christ’s death on the cross. Since this tradition narrates the passion, death and resurrection of Christ, this tradition depicts the history of our salvation through God sending His one and only son down to be crucified and die on the cross.
Others may have established a wrong interpretation about the ‘Pabasa ng Pasyon’ tradition that it is only done by the adult or elderly people but through this P-A-S-Y-O-N facts, it hoped that it will bring awareness to the youth for them to actively participate in this kind of tradition and to not just let it die out since it has already been part of our history and mode of expressing devotion.
Mariele Aquino
Junior Writer, Website Team, Media Ministry
Mariele R. Aquino is a member and website writer of the NSDA’s Media and Public Information Ministry, an aspiring future medical specialist and currently a STEM senior high school student in the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas. Her principle in life is that genuine success is something achieved through a path and battlefield of dodging a thousand bullets without the course of self-centered desires and conducts for temporary existential accomplishment. As a form of simple youthful religious fervor, Mariele used her skills, talent and dedication in writing to serve her Lord but also to grow not only intellectually but more on spiritually.
