PALMA TO CATHOLIC FAITHFUL
As the year’s most somber week begins tomorrow, Sunday, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma called on the people to ponder upon the mysteries of salvation and God’s all-encompassing love.
“Holy Week is an occasion for us to deepen our reflections on God’s great love. Although He’s powerful and awesome in all things, Jesus came down from heaven, suffered greatly, and offered His life on the cross so that we may live as children of God,” he said.
The 68-year-old prelate appealed to the Catholic faithful to attend the religious activities during the Holy Week at churches instead of going to the beach for a vacation.
“I understand that some people wanted to take some time off from work and have a vacation. But please don’t do it the entire Holy Week. By Maundy Thursday onwards, please do participate in the liturgical celebrations and other events in churches,” he said.
Catholics all over the world mark the start of the Holy Week with the blessing of palm fronds in churches to commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entry in Jerusalem to fulfill his destiny.
Passion or Palm Sunday ushers in what has been considered as the most solemn and somber period in the Church’s liturgical calendar when Christians relive the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago.
At dawn on Sunday, Palma will lead a Mass in Balamban town, west Cebu to culminate the 32nd Local World Youth Day, an annual gathering of young people in the archdiocese.
The archbishop will also celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 5:30 p.m. Before every Mass in all Catholic churches, priests will bless palms brought by the faithful.
The palms will later be burned and its ashes used in next year’s Ash Wednesday. St. Matthew’s lengthy version of the passion and death of Jesus will be read in all Masses.
Since Palm Sunday is also Alay Kapwa Sunday in the Philippines, second collections in all Masses tomorrow will go to the Catholic Church’s programs for the poor and the less fortunate — a charitable endeavor spearheaded by Caritas, an international organization now headed by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.
Holy Week caps the 40-day season of Lent leading to a joyful celebration on Easter Sunday.
On Maundy Thursday, Palma will lead the Mass of the Lord’s last supper at 4 p.m. at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. On this day, priests reenact the washing of the feet of the apostles as Jesus’ symbol of humble service and love for each other, and celebrate the institution of priesthood and the Holy Eucharist.
To conclude the Maundy Thursday liturgy, the Blessed Sacrament will be transferred to an altar of repose, usually decorated with flowers. By tradition, Catholics visit various churches to pray before these altars as part of the Visita Iglesia.
On Good Friday, priests and selected lay persons will give their meditations on the Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ or Siete Palabras from noon till 3 p.m. at the Metropolitan Cathedral. The event will be aired live over Cebu Daily News’ Facebook page, GMA 7, radio DYRF.
The Good Friday liturgy and veneration of the holy cross will be held in all churches at 3 p.m. to be followed by the procession of the Santo Entierro or dead Christ.
On the evening of Black Saturday, an Easter Vigil and Mass — the grandest liturgical celebration in the entire Church year — will be held in all churches.
Rituals include the blessing of water and fire to commemorate Christ’s passing from death to life. Adult baptism is also conducted in parishes for candidates who finished catechetical instructions in previous months.
At dawn of Easter Sunday, religious processions will reenact the meeting of the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ in the “Sugat” or “meeting” to be followed by the Easter Masses.
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