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HOLY WEEK BEGINS WITH PALM SUNDAY |
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Jesus
said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you
will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to
me. If any one says anything to you, you shall say, `The Lord has need
of them,' and he will send them immediately." This took place to fulfil
what was spoken by the prophet, saying, "Tell the daughter of Zion,
Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and
on a colt, the foal of an ass." The disciples went and did as Jesus had
directed them; they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments
on them, and he sat thereon. Most of the crowd spread their garments on
the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the
road.
And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted,
"Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the
Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
(Mt. 21:2-9 RSV)
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 As
we begin Holy Week with Palm Sunday, let us pray daily for those who do
not know Jesus Christ. He died for us. May we die to sin, and follow Him
for the rest of our days. |
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 On
Holy Thursday, Roman Catholic Liturgy calls for the Washing of Feet. Just as
Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles, bishops, priests and deacons wash the
feet on selected parishioners, often volunteers at Holy Mass. Jesus invites
us to love our brothers and sisters, as He loves us. The humbling act of
washing someone else's feet, shows this love Jesus spoke about.
At the evening
Mass of Holy Thursday, the Church recalls the Last Supper, when the Lord
Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, having loved his own in the world to
the end, offered his Body and Blood to God the Father under the appearances
of bread and wine, gave these gifts to the Apostles as food, and commanded
them and their successors in the priesthood to offer them in sacrifice.
At the conclusion of the celebration the Blessed Sacrament will be brought
in procession to the Tabernacle of Reposition. The Altar will then be
stripped of all linens, and all flowers and candles will be removed in
preparation for Good Friday. |
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"Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all
the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus
cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And some of the
bystanders hearing it said, "This man is calling Elijah." And
one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and
put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink. But the others
said, "Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him."
And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. |
He died for us
so that we may live with Him for all eternity |
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Holy Saturday,
in the morning is still a day of sadness. It is a time where the Church
waits at the Lord's Tomb, praying and meditating on His death. The altar
remains stripped, the Church abstains from the sacrifice of the Mass until,
after the solemn vigil or the nocturnal wait for the Resurrection, there
come the Easter joys, the abundance of which carries over to the days that
follow. The intention and purpose of the vigil is to point out and to recall
in the liturgical service how our life and grace have flowed from the Lord's
death. And so, Our Lord Himself is shown under the sign of the paschal
candle as "the light of the world" (John 8:12) who has put the darkness of
our sins to flight by the grace of His light. |
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The
Lord is Risen!
Five Franciscan Martyrs Region
and Divine Mercy Fraternity
wish all of you a
Very Blessed
Easter
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