THE NIGHT OF THE BLEEDING MOON

Two of the Holy Week traditions back home that I miss are the Holy Thursday and Good Friday processions. These are practiced mostly in many of  the provinces in the Philippines.

Sure, it is a social event. Townmates attend it to see and be seen, especially if they see each other only once in a while.

But for some, the procession itself is a reminder of the crucifixion that took place years ago in Calvary. Curious gawkers followed the bleeding Christ as He dragged the heavy cross on a obscure path that went out of the city limits, through stony ridges and then at last on an open hill where he could be seen by everybody.

The Holy Thursday procession shows Him as still alive ( the last moments He was still mobile ) carrying a cross. The Good Friday entourage features Him already dead, resting inside a hearse, like a lifeless person being brought to his final resting place.

This is what it is all about, all those church ceremonies done only back home.

 

But there was a natural phenomena which took place one Good Friday Night, just as the Good Friday procession was proceeding back to the church after a cursory trip around the side streets of Asingan's poblacion.

For some reasons, the procession started late. Usually, it commenced at 4:00 pm so it would not be so dark. This time it began past 5:00 pm. The evening sky was slightly cloudy. According to the lunar calendar a full moon would come out at about 6:00 pm.

When the procession was already a few hundred meters away from the church, it was heading south on a road headed for Barangay Baro. It was a few minutes past 6:00 when I turned my vision to the eastern horizon. I nudged my companion ( I forgot already who it was ) and told him, "look at the moon.."

"Oh yeah," he said. In our group nobody was paying attention to the rising moon, which was just peeping out of the clouds and peering  through the clump of trees bordering the church yard.

The moon was blood red.

For some reasons, the prevalence of thin clouds as it came up ( and the sun has also just set in the opposite horizon ) might have caused this discoloration a slight bending or refraction of light from the sun. When a full moon is coming out of a clear evening sky, its color first is yellowish, more like golden or anything.

That moment it was really red, and it was partially covered with darkening evening clouds. My companion was not really paying  attention much to it. Maybe at that momenthe was thinking of something else . But that sight is still in my mind up to now.

 

The procession veered to the left and the church gate was already a few meters away. My sight was still fixed on the moon. It was less reddish in color already. But it has not attained its full yellow color yet.

Then we were all inside the church. My friend and I sat on the back pew so we can leave just in case there will be additional  long prayers. My stomach was already grumbling.

The priest had no more prayers to say, but he started making some announcements concerning the upcoming Easter dawn ceremony.

"Let's go, " my friend said and we shuffled out of our seats and walked fast into the evening air outside. Automatically I glanced at the moon.

It was already above the eastern horizon. There was a very thin cloud that veiled the early nigh sky. It was not red any more. It had the same "normal" colour.

But that night it was not as bright as it usually was. It was very pale yellow like a gold coin tarnished with a thin oxide coating. Normally, it would be a bright shining object sailing through a cloudless night sky.

Since Asingan had no street lights yet that time ( it was a few years before electricity would come to town )the full moon would always be a big night light to all the kids who would still do some games on the streets before tucking in to bed. Come to think of it, there was still no television at that time.

This was the only time I saw the moon coming out of its den garbed in a different colour---#