OUR LENTEN JOURNEY CONCLUDES WITH EASTER JOY. (Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil & Easter)

Easter Season is one among the beautiful season of our Liturgical year. Every year we celebrate Easter, some years it comes early and some years it is late. For example this year we celebrate Easter on the 16^th of April. But the church calls our attention that we need to rejoice as we celebrate this big event of Christ Resurrection. By the passion, death and the resurrection Christ gave us hope of new life with him here on earth as well as eternal life.

We began our Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday marking our forehead with ashes reminding ourselves that we are sinners and we are in need of God’s merciful love and forgivingness. At the conclusion of our Lenten journey we begin with Palm Sunday also called Passion Sunday that followed by Three days of TRIDUUM.

Triduum is the shortest season of the liturgical year a season of merely three days. They are not just any three days but rather THE THREE DAYS! This season is a condensed version of the whole liturgical year. It is a microcosm of the life-passion-death-resurrection of Christ our Lord. Triduum capsulizes the revelation of our salvation history.

Triduum begins with the mass of our Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday and concludes with the mass of resurrection on Easter Sunday. During these days...

WE MOVE FROM THE LORD'S SUPPER--in which we focus on the ministry of Jesus and our call to ministry to others. We give thanks for the bread we share, the bread which makes us all one body in Christ.

TO THE PASSION AND DEATH OF JESUS--our identification with the suffering of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, our acceptance of the times we die to self.

THEN WAIT IN THE DARKNESS OF THE VIGIL--at which we recall God's Covenant the promise of salvation for his people.

UNTILL WE REJOICE IN THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST--the fulfillment which opens to us eternal life in Christ.

Every Christians should plan their Holy week and Easter around these great festival days of the triduum. They are the very center of our faith life. Our church should be filled to capacity. "Could you not watch one hour with me?" Jesus asked His disciples. Can we not spend one hour with Jesus and our parish family each day of the Tridium? I invite you to join us on these very special days.

Each Sunday, then Jesus calls you and me. Each member of  parish family to join him in this Sacred Meal. There he forms us as his people and sends us out into our world to be a light to the people. If you are not in the practice of joining and celebrating   each weekend, know that your presence would be strength and a blessing to your parish family. And our Lord Jesus Christ too will grace you.

May this beautiful Easter Season bring joy and peace to our parish families and also peace to the world.  Let us rejoice and be glad because Christ is truly Risen  “ALLELUIA”

Fr. Tony Andrade.