The Difference between T.G.I.F and Good Friday… is there any?

Friday, 22 April 2011 11:57

Written by Aaron Benedict De Leon

T.G.I.F- a term most popular amongst students, young professionals- the youth in general. So much so for the 5 days of school or 5 days of work, this is the time where young people converge on the busy clubs of Fort Bonifacio, Eastwood, Greenbelt and Tomas Morato.

Non-stop partying, social drinking and eyeballs- these are activities that normally happen in a normal Friday gimmick, where men and women meet on borderless grounds- without parents, teachers, guardians looking after their actions and even words.

For young people like myself, Friday is the day in a week I look forward to the most.

But for this week, in this special Friday of the Lenten Season, called “Good Friday”, can we still say the same thing? Are we all in agreement in saying “Thank God its Friday”?

Of course, when asked, young people would say that indeed, this celebration of Good Friday is something they look forward to. But when you ask them to supply with good reasons for such belief, they would give you the most superficial of reasons, to rest, to have time with the family at the beach, to simply just be at home and do absolutely nothing.

I’m alarmed at this value system that some of us have developed in recent years. I remember when I was 6 or 7 years old that Maundy Thursdays and Good Fridays were perfect opportunities for people to reflect and pray, because there isn’t much pre-occupation with TV shows, because they do not have regular programming during these days.

But I guess times have changed. We now have Cable Television and the Internet which would occupy the attention and the time of our youngsters as we countdown to the days leading up to the commemoration of Jesus’ death.

We merely don’t party or do the normal things we do on a regular Friday because we feel we need to comply with tradition, with customs and beliefs, and beyond that, bad karma lies for those who would defy.

I just hope our motives go beyond compliance, and that our understanding of sacrifice really goes to the merit of repentance and reflection. I do hope we partake in the suffering of Christ, not merely by not doing things that we normally do, but also by trying to put to death all of our wrongdoings and mistakes as human beings.

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