Good Friday and Easter Sunday 2010

It seems apt that I start off with Good Friday and Easter Sunday... after all, this blog was "born" with the resurrection of Christ this year :)

Well, I did attend the Good Friday service but did not attend the Easter Sunday one as it clashes with Cheng Meng (Qing Ming). If you do not know what is that, it is a traditional Chinese festival where the young and old pray before ancestors, sweep the tombs and offer food, tea, wine, joss sticks and burn paper accessories. And this is normally practised by the Taoists believers. I don't know if all Catholics does this but my family will normally just visit the tombs of our ancestors and say a prayer for them. We do not burn joss sticks or paper accessories etc. And we do not need to go on the actual day. We could go at anytime near to the date (normally 1-2 weeks before is fine).

OK, enough on the explanation on Cheng Meng. And well, the reason I did not attend the Easter celebration is because I need to go back to my in law's place for Cheng Meng. And being staunch Taoists, my in laws do not support or approve of me going to church. I could say that all this while I have been going to church behind their backs. And it hurts me too that they do not acknowledge or respect (or maybe I do not feel so) my religion.

To avoid disagreements, I just went along for the Cheng Meng celebration. I did not dare to suggest that something could be worked out so that I am able to go to church and also be in time for the Cheng Meng celebrations. I hope and pray that in time, I will be able to be strong enough to insist that I need to practice my religion and will receive the blessings to do so.