Introduction from Day 1:

Reflection for Holy Week (Last of three parts)

The Catholic Church celebrates during the Holy Week the mysteries of salvation accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ in the last days of His earthly life. Recall that it began last Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, as we commemorated our Lord's messianic entry into Jerusalem as Prince of Peace.

The weekdays of April 3-8 are dedicated to the celebration of penance. The faithful are encouraged to spend these days reflecting more deeply on the Passion of our Lord.

The Paschal Triduum:

The Paschal Triduum is ONE liturgical feast spread over three days. These are the last three days of Holy Week, which are the most solemn days of the liturgical year: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. These most holy days celebrate the Paschal Mystery, first, the passion, suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, followed by his resurrection, triumph of the holy cross, and Christ's decisive victory over sin and death.

Holy Saturday (April 8 ) - Day 3 and last

Holy Saturday commemorates the day that Jesus Christ's body is laid in the tomb. The whole day we keep our spiritual silence, to reflect on God's redeeming love who gave up His only Son to save us from sins, and also to prepare for Easter.

The sanctuary remains stripped completely bare (following the Mass on Holy Thursday). It reflects our deep sorrow and contrition for Jesus' death.

Liturgically speaking, Holy Saturday lasts until 6 PM or dusk, after which the Easter Vigil is celebrated, making the official start of the Easter season.

Easter Vigil:

The Easter Vigil is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities of the Church. On this holy night we keep watch, celebrating the resurrection of Christ in the sacraments, as we await His return in glory. The Easter Vigil is the most beautiful liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church. This is the turning point of the Paschal Triduum, like the Passover of the new covenant, which marks Christ's passage from death to life, and the beginning of Easter.

The Easter Vigil liturgy is divided into four parts:

1. Service of Light:

At the start of the liturgy, the main church is dark with all the lights out, the tabernacle empty, and the baptismal font is drained of holy water. The service begins in a suitable place outside the church. A new fire is lit and blessed as the people gathered around it to experience the flames dispelling the darkness and lighting up the night. A new Paschal Candle is also lit and is carried in procession inside the church.

2. Liturgy of the word:

A unique aspect of the Easter Vigil is the recounting of the outstanding deeds of the history of salvation. Usually there are nine readings: seven from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. This may be reduced if necessary, but at least three from the Old Testament and two from the New Testament. These readings help us to meditate on the wonderful works of God for His people since the beginning of time.

After the reading from the Old Testament, the candles at the altar are lit as the priest intones the "Gloria". The bells are rung.

3. Liturgy of Baptism:

Baptism is commemorated with the blessing of new baptismal water and the recitation of Litany of the Saints. Usually, a ritual of baptism takes place for new converts. Then holy water is sprinkled upon the people as they recite the Renewal of Baptismal Promises.

4. Liturgy of the Eucharist:

The Mass continues with the usual Liturgy of the Eucharist and distribution of Holy Communion. The whole Church is called to join at the sacrificial table that Christ prepared for us through His death and resurrection.

Synopsis:

The entire celebration of the Easter Vigil begins at nightfall of Holy Saturday and ends before dawn of Easter Sunday.

Those who participate at the Easter Vigil fulfill their Sunday obligation. But they may still attend regular Easter Sunday Mass and receive Holy Communion.

The entire liturgy of the Easter Vigil speaks of our eager expectation of the Resurrection and of its exultant occurrence. The darkness of death has been overcome, the glorious light of Christ has appeared.

The Paschal Triduum is really one great liturgy, which began with the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, through the liturgy of Good Friday, and now ends with the final blessing of the Mass on Easter Vigil. In the celebration of the Paschal Triduum the faithful are encouraged to walk with our Lord to His calvary from Holy Thursday to His final victory on Easter Vigil... one great Pachal Triduum indeed!

Our Lord Jesus Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Happy Easter Sunday to you all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

 

 The suffering and sorrowful Mary, Mater Dolorosa:  

We reflect during the Holy Week on the suffering, passion, crucifixion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ to redeem us from our sin. Thank You, Lord, for restoring us back as children of God.

In the midst of our sorrow and contrition for the suffering of our Lord, let us not forget the sorrowful journey of His own mother Mary, the Mother of Sorrow or Mater Dolorosa, as she accompanies her Son in His journey to Calvary.

For Mary is witness to suffering of her Son, with love and faith.

We may have felt more connected to Mary emotionally as the reality of how Mary suffered in witnessing the painful journey of her Son to Calvary speaks to our own lives in a more relevant and powerful way.

Because in our own lives we all experience sadness through our own suffering, or have witnessed the suffering of those close to us. We see how Mary witnessed the terrible ordeals of her own Son being humiliated before the church elders, dragged before Pilate for judgment, scourged nearly unto death, and finally nailed to the cross to die. We realize the fullness of Mary's humanity as we saw the intensity of her shock, disbelief and intense sorrow as she remained with her Son into His death.

The ordeals of Jesus' persecution and death are so horrific that nearly all of His followers abandoned our Lord. Yet Mary, His mother, and Mary of Magdala and His apostle John remained with Jesus. Mary's love for Jesus as His mother, and her hope and faith in His divinity enabled her to endure the path to His death in Calvary.

Mary knew she could not stop the torture and death of her Son, yet her love for Jesus compelled her to remain with Him in the journey to Calvary despite the suffering this caused her own heart.

Mary is our Model for witnessing suffering:

As we reflect on the sorrowful events of Holy Week, each of us can resolve to imitate Mary in our own lives by reaching out in love and compassion to assist and comfort others whom are suffering. At times this can be relatively easy, such as simply spending time with a friend whom is suffering with a problem and may need someone to listen. At other times the witnessing of suffering may require much greater effort, such as when a loved one is dying from a painful illness.

At times when our own suffering is most intense, we can turn to Mary. It can be hard, and at times we may feel as Mary did -- that we can't go on any further. But may the example of Mary teach us that through our love for others, rooted in our love for God, and faith in the resurrection and power of God's grace, we find the strength and courage to persevere through any suffering encountered in our world.

Let us pray: Lord, thank You for the gift of Mary, Your Mother, as our perfect Mother too and model for how we as Christians must bear and witness suffering in our fallen world. Help us to imitate Mary as our Model as she comforted others in need with loving compassion, and with faith in Your resurrection and grace. Amen.    

Ad Jesum per Mariam!   

 

   

 Introduction from Day 1:

Reflection for Holy Week  (Second of three parts)

The Catholic Church celebrates during the Holy Week the mysteries of salvation accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ in the last days of His earthly life. Recall that it began last Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, as we commemorated our Lord's messianic entry into Jerusalem as Prince of Peace.

The weekdays of April 3-8 are dedicated to the celebration of penance. The faithful are encouraged to spend these days reflecting more deeply on the Passion of our Lord.

The Paschal Triduum:

The Paschal Triduum is ONE liturgical feast spread over three days. These are the last three days of Holy Week, which are the most solemn days of the liturgical year: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. These most holy days celebrate the Paschal Mystery, first, the passion, suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, followed by his resurrection, triumph of the holy cross, and Christ's decisive victory over sin and death.

Good Friday (April 7) - Day 2 

Good Friday is the second day of the Paschal Triduum. The Liturgy for this day introduces us to the mystery of Christ's redemptive sacrifice on the cross, the very act of our Lord that brought salvation to all. 

          "It is accomplished," and bowing His head He gave up His spirit. (Jn 19:30)

The whole Church today, stripped of its ornaments, the altar bare with no cloths, candles nor cross, and the door of the empty tabernacle stands open, mourns the death of our Savior.

The Liturgy in the afternoon consists of three parts:

(a)  The Liturgy of the Word

The priest and assisting ministers enter in complete silence, without any singing. They prostrate themselves for a few moments of silent prayer in front of the altar, signifying both the abasement of earthly man, and also the grief and sorrow of the Church.

The Passion account from the Gospel of John is read (Jn 18:1--19:42). 

(b)   Veneration of the Cross

A cross, either veiled or unveiled, is carried in procession through the Church, and then venerated by the congregation. We reverently venerate and kiss the wooden cross on which hung the Savior of the world in order to honor the great sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us.

Adoration or veneration of an image or representation of Christ's cross does not mean we are actually honoring the material image but rather what it represents. In kneeling before the crucifix and kissing it we are paying the highest honor to our Lord's cross as the instrument of our salvation. Because the cross is inseparable from His sacrifice; in reverencing His Cross we are, in effect, adoring Christ.

Thus, we affirm: We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has redeemed the world.

(c)   Holy Communion

The altar is covered with cloth for the Holy Communion part and the ciboria containing the Blessed Sacrament consecrated on Holy Thursday are brought to the altar from the place of reposition.

The Our Father and the Ecce Agnus Dei (This is the Lamb of God) are recited before Holy Communion.

Then the congregation receives Holy Communion.

The Prayer after Communion is said, followed by the final Prayer over the People.

At the end of the rite, the priest and people depart in silence, again without the usual final blessing of the priest. The altar cloth is removed, leaving the altar bare again except for the Cross and two or more candlesticks.

Seven Last Words:

In some Churches, it has been the tradition to reflect on the Seven Last Words of Jesus prior to the afternoon liturgy.

(1)   "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Lk 23:34)

(2)   "Amen, I say to thee, this day thou shalt be with me in paradise." (Lk 23:43)

(3)   "Woman, behold thy son"; he said to the disciple: "Behold thy mother." (Jn 19:26-27)

(4)   "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mt 27:46)

(5)   "I thirst." (Jn 19:28)

(6)   "It is consummated." (Jn 19:30)

(7)   "Father, into they hands I commend my spirit." (Lk 23:46)

Day of Fasting and Abstinence:

Good Friday is a day of fast and abstinence. According to Church's rule, fasting is required for ages 18 to 60, and abstinence is from age 14 above.

The Church mourns in silence:

We keep our meditative silence the rest of the day to mourn the death of our Lord Jesus Christ who saved us from our sins, as we await with joyful expectation His resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Let us reflect on how much our Lord loves us. He accepts His cruel death on the cross so that He may bear our infirmities and endure our sufferings.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

 

 Reflection for Holy Week  (First of three parts)

The Catholic Church celebrates during the Holy Week the mysteries of salvation accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ in the last days of His earthly life. Recall that it began last Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, as we commemorated our Lord's messianic entry into Jerusalem as Prince of Peace.

The weekdays of April 3-8 are dedicated to the celebration of penance. The faithful are encouraged to spend these days reflecting more deeply on the Passion of our Lord.

The Paschal Triduum:

The Paschal Triduum is ONE liturgical feast spread over three days. These are the last three days of Holy Week, which are the most solemn days of the liturgical year: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. These most holy days celebrate the Paschal Mystery, first, the passion, suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, followed by his resurrection, triumph of the holy cross, and Christ's decisive victory over sin and death.

Holy Thursday (April 6) - Day 1

This is also known as Maundy Thursday. In the morning of this day, the bishop with his priest in the diocese celebrates the Chrism Mass to signify the close unity of the priests with him. The bishop consecrates the Chrism (which means consecrated oil used in baptism and other sacraments) and other holy oils. 

(When it is not practicable, the Mass of Chrism may also be transferred to an earlier day within the Holy Week, if it is difficult, for example, for the priests and the people to celebrate Mass with the Bishop on Holy Thursday morning.)

In the afternoon of Holy Thursday the faithful celebrate the Mass of the Last Supper in commemoration of Jesus instituting the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist in the Last Supper.

Like what happened in the last meal with our Lord by His Apostles, the reenactment of the washing of the feet of the twelve disciples is done by the priest celebrant during the Mass. The group of men (or sometimes with women) whose feet are to be washed should, as much as possible, represent a cross-section of the local community. The number is traditionally twelve, though there is no exact requirement.

At the Offertory part of the Mass the faithful are encouraged to offer gifts in cash or in kind for the needy members of the community. Thus, this is an opportunity to share material blessings with them as a concrete witnessing of Jesus' humility and love for us, especially the poor.

When the distribution of Communion is done, and after the prayer after Communion, the transfer of the Most Blessed Sacrament to the place of repose takes place. It is not allowed to expose the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance or even in a ciborium, nor it is allowed to repose the Blessed Sacrament outside the Church building.

After the Mass, the altar is stripped privately. That means any crosses be covered with red or purple veil. Even lamps should not be lit before images of saints.

The organ music, (including bells and other music instruments), is silent or not use in the liturgy from Holy Thursday until the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil; the only music permissible during this period is unaccompanied chant.

The faithful come to adore the Blessed Sacrament in silence during the night, remembering the time that the disciples stayed with the Lord during His agony on the Mount of Olives before the betrayal of Judas.

For Filipino Catholics, the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is done through the traditional "Bisita Iglesia" by families or with group of friends or relatives.

The Liturgical celebration on Holy Thursday, from the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper to the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is a blessed opportunity for us to reflect on the practical meaning of the Eucharist in our lives, given the powerful symbolism of foot washing which our Lord Jesus Christ did to His apostles. Thus, the Holy Eucharist should inspire us to serve others as well for our Lord's sake.

Note that today's liturgy ends without the usual final blessing of the priest, because the Paschal Triduum liturgy is continuing.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!