After 40 days of preparation, we are now celebrating and at the same time entering the season of easter.
This season, we remember Christ's Resurrection.
This past weeks we are in the mood of sadness because we remembered the passion and death of our lord.
His great sacrifice,
His passion,
His agony,
His death...
This are the things that we focused during lent.
Jesus' immeasurable love for us.
He loves us so much, that He sacrifice even His own life on each and everyone of us, even though we are not deserving of such sacrifices.
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The Victory
The whole world now celebrating the MOST important celebration of the year.
The church have lots of feast celebrated every year, but this occasion is the feast above all the feast.
The center of our faith, It is more important even than Christmas.
Jesus' Triumphant victory over death,..
manifested that He is the Lord..
The fulfillment of the scriptures,..
From the darkness of death here comes our light.. The light that we will see in Jesus.
In all the masses of the church, the easter vigil is the longest and most dramatic.
Why dramatic??
The mass starts not inside the church, but outside.
Outside there will be a bonfire.
The fire will be blessed, and from that fire the "paschal candle" will be lightened.
The paschal candles symbolizes Jesus as our light that defeats that darkness.
From outside the candle will be brought inside the church, the priest holding the candle will stop 3 times and will say, "Christ our Light" or "Light of Christ" and the people will response "thanks be to God".
all of this happening while all the light of the church turned off, the only light you will see is the fire from the paschal candle. from that fire the people will light their own candle.
How beautiful it is to see that slowly the fire of the candle passed to each people to light their own candle.
Its like the light of Jesus will light up the whole church.
At the altar, the priest will sing the 'Exultet' or the easter proclamation.
After this the liturgy of the word begins, the candle of the people needs to be blown while the light still off and the darkness covering the whole church...
7 readings and 7 responsorial psalm....
after all this reading the Gloria is sung for the first time since the beginning of lent, at the same time the light of the whole church will now turned on. Symbolizing that Jesus conquers and reign victorious over darkness and death...
And the celebration will go on, we also renew our baptismal vows during this mass....
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That is how dramatic it is..
Some will ask why??
Why we need to do this?
If someone will ask me that question, i might probably answer him. Why not??
We are celebrating our salvation, The victory of our champion, Jesus.
This is the center of our faith, that Jesus is alive, risen from the death.
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The story of Jesus in this world does not end in passion and death.
Remember He is risen.
There is a famous saying," In every good Friday there is an easter Sunday".
In everything that you've been through, all the problems, trials and things that you might face.
do not forget there is a resurrection.
Jesus is our light,
Jesus is our life,
We must reflect the light coming from Jesus, so that this world will not always see darkness but light,
The light that guides us,
the light that defeats the darkness of evil.
So with all the trials, problems, anxiety, believe that the story does not end there,
Have faith that like Jesus our Lord, we will have our own resurrection in our life,
and like Jesus, our story will also end up VICTORIOUS!!
May your life be truly blessed,
Ash
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