Holy mind and heart

By Alex P. Vidal

“I am certain of nothing but the holiness of the heart’s affections, and the truth of imagination.” – John Keats

LET’S observe Holy Week with a “holy mind and heart” instead of swapping brickbats and verbal darts like what some warring politicians and their subalterns have been doing.

We are supposed to be in the most sacred week in Christianity, spanning from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday (immediately preceding Easter Sunday).

This celebration is dedicated to commemorating the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let’s focus on this solemn occasion.

It is a time of intense reflection, prayer, and liturgical services remembering Jesus’ final days, including his entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, Crucifixion, and burial.

It is not the time to assassinate characters, spread half-truths, especially on social media, and release threatening remarks when emotions are at a fever pitch.

Holy Week, often referred to as Passion Week, is not merely a historical recollection but a liturgical experience of Christ’s Paschal Mystery — his suffering, death, and resurrection.

It serves as a time for Christians to renew their faith and reflect on themes of redemption, sacrifice, and divine love, according to Interfaith America and Indiana Wesleyan University.

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Let us continue to wish and pray that the war in the Middle East will end soon because Filipinos are among those on the losing end, with hundreds of displaced OFWs coming home like an exodus from the forbidden desert.

The Iran war has caused severe economic pressure on the Philippines through surging oil prices, leading to higher transportation costs, potential food inflation, and higher electricity rates.

Filipinos face risks of job losses, potential repatriation of more OFWs, and a slowdown in economic growth, creating a “significant” economic strain.

The Middle East has been experiencing a massive, expanding multi-front war involving direct, open military conflicts between Iran, Israel, and the United States as of late March 2026.

Entering the month of April, the conflict has intensified into a regional war, featuring Israeli invasions in Lebanon, airstrikes against Iran, and U.S. forces responding to attacks from various Iranian-backed groups across the region.

The situation has been characterized by high instability and the active potential for further escalation as U.S. forces and their allies combat Iranian-backed initiatives throughout the Middle East.

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While I was in Los Angeles, California, recently, I received the following email from New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, the same email she sent to fellow New Yorkers:

Alex, The cost of living is too damn high. The cost of groceries, insurance, and everyday essentials have all gone up, making it harder for families to get ahead.

So when tax season comes around, the last thing you want to see is even more money going out the door.

Our Affordability Agenda is delivering billions in tax relief to millions of New York families — with new savings taking effect for the first time ever this year.

Expanded Child Tax Credit: Thanks to our historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit, parents can claim up to USD 1,000 per child — three times the amount they were able to claim in the past — and more families qualify than ever before. For parents working hard to make ends meet, this means more breathing room to help cover the cost of diapers, groceries, school supplies, and everything in between. Learn more and see if you’re eligible.

Historic middle-class tax cuts: Nearly three in four New Yorkers are going to see less money taken out of their paychecks starting this year. I think hardworking New Yorkers deserve to keep more of what they earned, and with the largest cut in more than 70 years, we’re making sure more money stays where it belongs: in your pocket. Learn more and see if you qualify.

Relief for seniors and small business owners: From easier-to-access USD 2.2 billion in savings through the STAR program, expanded property tax exemptions for seniors, to lower taxes for small businesses and the self-employed, New Yorkers in every corner of our state and at every stage of life are going to be getting an extra hand this year. Learn more about the tax credits you may qualify for.

I’m constantly looking for new ways to make life easier for New Yorkers. Our Inflation Refund checks and universal free school meals program have put even more money back into household budgets — saving some families hundreds every month. And because we don’t think you should be hit with an extra fee just for filing your taxes, thousands of filers are eligible for free filing options through New York State. See if you qualify for free tax filing.

We are governing differently — with a focus on lifting people up, not making life harder. While Republicans in Washington are adding to the burden, here in New York, we are committed to easing it. From cutting taxes to proposing no tax on tips, every step we take is about helping hardworking New Yorkers get ahead. Ever Upward, Gov. Kathy Hochul

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WHY WE HAVE EYEBROWS. Our eyebrows serve a good and useful purpose. If we had no eyebrows, the drops of sweat that form on our foreheads when we get warm would run into our eyes.

THE 24-CARAT GOLD. Pure gold is known, in the jewelry trade, as 24-carat gold. This is too soft a metal for ordinary wear and tear, so a harder metal, generally copper, is alloyed with gold. If the alloy has 18 parts of gold and 6 parts of another metal, we call it 18-carat gold; if it has 14 parts of gold and 10 of another metal, we call it 14-carat gold, and so on.

LET’S HIRE A CARPENTER. Instead of spending lots of money on a new desk for our office, let us invest in some salvaged wood and pay a carpenter to make one to measure — it will have the added advantage of fitting the space exactly.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor in chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines. — Ed.)