POPULAR PIETY PUNCTUATES LITURGY

Imagine early Easter Sunday, the Blessed Virgin Mary walking around, dressed in her black
mourning dress, still pained by the sword of sorrow and suffering caused by the death of her
beloved Son. In her anguish and with tear-filled eyes, she does not see whom she is about to
have a head-on collision with. Suddenly, angels greet her with Alleluias and similar
comforting hymns, telling her to rejoice and be glad – Regina Ceaeli, laetare! An angel lifts
her mourning veil and to her utter delight finds her Son, her Jesus right in front of her in
dazzling white garments. Her tears of sorrow form into tears of joy for Jesus has finally
conquered sin and death, giving way to the Father’s eternal plan of salvation.

SALUBONG - or meeting of the risen Christ and His Sorrowing Mother is a scene that
punctuates the Easter celebration of many parish communities in the Philippines. It
comprises of two processions coming out from separate church doors at 4 in the morning.
One procession focuses on a statue of the Risen Lord and traditionally accompanied by the
men. The second procession is of the Virgin Mary wearing dark clothes and a black veil, in
mourning, and is traditionally accompanied by the women. As the two processions head off
in different directions, they eventually meet up again in front of the Church, where there is a
high platform where usually a child dressed as an angel would lift the veil of the Virgin Mary
as soon as she meets up (Salubong) with the Risen Christ. At the precise moment that the
veil is lifted, the Alleluia Chorus is played, and celebration ensues. In some places, this
climax is ushered in with pealing bells and fireworks. Usually, the event continues to an
Easter morning mass.

“Is it biblical?” Some might ask. True enough, the account of Jesus Christ’s resurrection in
the Bible says that upon resurrection, Jesus greeted his disciples, Mary Magdalene, and “the
other Mary.” There is no mention of the Resurrected Christ greeting his mother first.
And perhaps, it is only the Filipinos' natural affinity to their mothers that intuitively tell
them that if there is someone to whom Christ will show himself first after his resurrection, it
must be to his mother who loved him so much and journeyed with him from conception to
death. On the other hand, the idea has also been carried in the Church’s tradition. St.
Ignatius of Loyola himself seems to have the same logic in his Spiritual Exercises. He writes,
"rising again, he appeared in body and soul to his Blessed Mother" (SpEx [219]). He
explained that, "Although this is not stated in Scripture, still it is considered as understood
by the statement that he appeared to many others." (SpEx [299]).
Officially, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the
Sacraments in the “Directory on Popular Piety and Liturgy, 2001” under the heading The
Risen Christ meets his Mother states:

“Popular piety intuits a constancy in the relationship between Christ and his mother:
in suffering and death and in the joy of the resurrection. The liturgical affirmation
that God replenished the Blessed Virgin Mary with joy in the resurrection of her Son,
has been translated and represented, so as to speak, in the pious exercise of the
meeting of the Risen Christ with His Mother: on Easter morning two processions, one
bearing the image of Our Lady of Dolours, the other that of the Risen Christ, meet
 each other so as to show that Our Lady was the first, and full participant in the
mystery of the Lord's resurrection.” [149]

At its core, participating in the salubong, ushers an actual contemplation of the consoling
effect of Christ's Resurrection. And there is no doubt that devotees experience a certain joy –
a share in the joy of the Blessed Virgin Mary upon seeing the risen Lord. On yet another
level, the celebration allows us entry into the experience of Jesus fully alive yesterday, today
and in the days to come!