𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗱 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮

As Holy Week 2025 begins, with Palm Sunday on April 13 ushering in Jesus’ journey to the cross, the world feels weighed down. This sacred season, culminating in resurrection, invites Christians to pause and reflect on hope amid sacrifice. Yet, the weight of recent events presses hard.

In Ukraine, a Russian missile strike on Sumy killed over 30 civilians on April 13, deepening a war’s grim toll. In the Philippines, a road rage shooting in Antipolo City on March 30, left one dead and three injured, laying bare the anger simmering on ordinary streets. These crises, though distant, share a truth: in a broken world, Holy Week offers a moment to seek inner peace.

The contrast this week is stark. In Ukraine, the Sumy attack struck homes, part of a conflict fueling a 20% rise in global conflict deaths in 2024, per the International Rescue Committee. In Antipolo, a clash between an SUV driver and motorcycle riders turned deadly when the suspect, identified as “Kenneth,” opened fire. The incident, now spurring calls for anti-road rage laws, mirrors a wider trend. Philippine National Police data show over 300 violent road incidents in Q1 2025, often tied to stress and frayed patience. These are signs of a world stretched thin, where tension spills into tragedy.

Holy Week throws this unrest into relief. On Palm Sunday, a frail Pope Francis spoke of peace from St. Peter’s Square, his voice carrying the season’s call to find light in darkness. That call resonates deeply now. Ukraine’s grief and Antipolo’s violence reflect a shared struggle. People are pushed to their limits, lashing out or buckling under pressure. This week, the rituals of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday aren’t just traditions; they’re a chance to step back, to de-stress, to reconnect with what grounds us.

The Bible offers guidance here. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Spoken before His death and resurrection, these words acknowledge pain—war, anger, loss—while pointing to hope. Jesus’ journey through the cross to Easter morning wasn’t about escaping hardship but transforming it.

This Holy Week, that message urges us to use the break for self-reflection. Step away from the noise. scroll less, breathe more. De-stress by walking, praying, or talking with loved ones. Reconnect with family, faith, or simply the quiet of your own heart.

Antipolo’s rage and Sumy’s ruins show what happens when stress festers. Holy Week, with its arc of sacrifice and renewal, offers another path. Let’s use this time to look inward, to ease our burdens, to find calm amid the storm.

By Easter Sunday, April 20, we can emerge not just rested but renewed, carrying a peace that ripples beyond ourselves, into a world that sorely needs it.