SINCE IT?S Holy Wednesday, let?s veer away from the usual controversies. Beneath the glitz of the biz, celebs have had their share of ?Kalbaryo,? too. May the true significance of Lent help us bear all our heavy crosses.

OGIE ALCASID: ?My worst kalbaryo was when I had to hide my relationship with Regine. I had to wait for the right time to face the music. I was able to go through it because of my belief that before God can heal our wounds, we should also try to cleanse ourselves.?

MIRIAM QUIAMBAO: ?The hardest time I had in my life was when I was suffering from bouts of anxiety, confusion and depression. When I entered into a personal relationship with Christ, I eventually experienced healing and found more joy, peace and love.?

MARVIN AGUSTIN: ?The toughest years I endured was when my dad was still in prison. I survived through fervent prayers and with our family standing by each other. That trial made us stronger as a clan.?

DIETHER OCAMPO: ?When my dad passed away, I went through hell. I was torn between continuing my studies and working to be the ?padre de pamilya.? Perseverance, strong faith and determination helped me surpass all the obstacles.?

YASMIEN KURDI: ?It was a living nightmare when my mom was confined in the hospital for her kidney problem. It was a close call. I really thought I was gonna lose her already. Thank God for His miracle, my ma is alive and well!?

CHRISTIAN BAUTISTA: ?I was devastated when my grandfather passed away. I got by with the prayers of friends, love of family and peace from God.?

BENJIE PARAS: ?The biggest kalbaryo I had was during my college years. I had four practices a day weekly. One for UP, one for PBL, one for the national team plus weight training. And in between, I had to attend school. That went on for three years. Natapos ang kalbaryo ko when I joined the PBA because I only played for one team. Life became easier for me and I had more time for myself and my friends.?

BAYANI AGBAYANI: ?Pinakamatindi na pagsubok ko yung time my daughter Rosalinda, who was then 2, vomited blood. It was torture waiting for the doctor?s diagnosis. I kept praying in the chapel of the hospital where she was confined.?

Holy Week break

Sen. Chiz Escudero said he is looking forward to taking a short leave from his hectic schedule this coming Holy Week.

The senator, his wife Christine, along with their twins will spend time together somewhere in the south, ?away from politics.?

?It will be the second Easter for the twins and I?d like us to be together,? he said, adding that Easter is like a second Christmas.

He noted though that while the twins were still too young to be conscious of the Christian tradition of Lent or its cultural significance, he knew they would have a sense of what it was all about.

?Having my kids around has made me particularly conscious of their growing up and learning about their being distinctly Filipino,? he said.

He remembered his clan getting together for Holy Week and observing the rituals of the Lenten season back in Sorsogon, which included the pabasa in the neighborhood, the stations of the cross in church, the Visita Iglesia on Maundy Thursday, the quiet solemnity of Good Friday and the festive Easter Sunday.

He also noted the Lenten presentations on stage, the cenaculo, and on the big screen, the movies made especially for Holy Week that focused on the Passion of the Life and Death of Jesus Christ.

?How come we?ve got less and less of these Lenten movies lately?? the senator asked, noting that as a child he marveled at the spectacle that was ?The Ten Commandments,? ?The Robe? and ?King of Kings.?

There?s more to the Lenten season than just the breather it offers from the drudgery of day-to-day living. For him, it is being one with his family while taking time out to appraise the future that awaits him.

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