Stations of the Cross (Religion)

In Jerusalem, many sacred events took place, but the specific locations are not there anymore. The people of Mt. Banahaw believe that every holy place in Jerusalem was transferred to Mt. Banahaw. They now consider it as "The New Jerusalem". The locals of Mt. Banahaw are called "Rizalistas". They think that Rizal is a prophet or even an equal of Jesus. Here are a few of the complexes/stations:

The Different Complexes/Stations

River

The River is considered to be the Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized. It symbolizes Jesus' purity.

Gate of Jerusalem

The Gate of Jerusalem is considered to be the entrance into the Mt. Banahaw area. As you can see in the picture, there are many flags of different countries which symbolize God's goodness to all nations. You should also notice the two swords on top. These symbolize the KKK's battle against the Spaniards. While the writing of "Kapayapaan" on one of them means that the "Rizalistas" are a peaceful people and they are simply remembering the past.

Book of Life

The Book of Life is a stone that looks like a book near the bottom of Mt. Banahaw . It is placed there to ensure a safe entrance into God's Kingdom which is Mt. Banahaw.

Husgado/Judgement Cave

The Husgado/Judgement Cave is considered to give judgement to the people traversing it. The locals believe that if you get through the entire cave without any scratches, bruises or other wounds, you have been forgiven seven (7) years of sin.

Cross

The Cross is considered to be the same cross that Jesus carried up Mt. Calvary and was later crucified on. It symbolizes Jesus' pain and suffering.

Comparison of the Two Beliefs

There are two beliefs on the stations that are at Mt. Banahaw. One is based on Christianity and the other is based on "Rizalism".

We, as modern Christians, believe that the complexes we visited are not real holy places, but should still be respected, so as not to offend the locals. We simply see this as a minor spiritual journey that we can take once or twice. It can remind us of  some key events and locations from the Bible. We can use it as a representation of the important events and places from the Bible.

On the other hand, the "Rizalistas" believe that these places are in fact holy. They see Rizal as Jesus and other national heroes as his apostles. They think that this place is truly "The New Jerusalem". For them, this is a very serious spiritual journey that must be taken often. Their religion revolves around these stations and, of course, Rizal.

The places and practices at Mt. Banahaw are considered by the locals to be sacred and holy. While the Church considers it as a minor religion with some coincidentally familiar places.

Reflection:
This trip to Mt. Banahaw taught us that we should respect other people, no matter what they believe in. We learned to be kind to each and every person around us. Religions are supposed to make us good people  who accept and love each other, not make us reject and hate each other because we have different religions. Everyone has a right to religion that is inviolable, therefore, we need to accept the fact that people are allowed to believe in whatever they choose to believe in. Even if we are different in our religion, everyone is welcome in Heaven.

We also remembered some important events from the Bible such as The Crucifixion, Jesus' Baptism, The Carrying of the Cross, etc. Aside from this, we remembered important places too: Mount Calvary, Jordan River, etc. This shows that despite the differences in our religions, we still have similarities in our beliefs.