Happy Easter !

Image via Wikipedia

I read in one of the forum recently that someone claimed that celebrating Easter is "against God" and only Passover should be celebrated. How ridiculous!

HOLY WEEK COMMEMORATES the last week of Jesus’ earthly life. The Church helps the faithful to focus on Jesus by highlighting the significant events that preceded Jesus’ death on the cross. These are done with special liturgies on Palm Sunday (when Jesus enter Jerusalem), Holy Thursday (the last supper and washing of feets) and Good Friday (when Jesus was cruxified).

How can these be "against God"?

Easter mark the start of a new liturgical season. Though not part of the Holy week, it is the first day of a new liturgical season. The first celebration of Easter takes place at Easter Vigil, celebrated on the Saturday evening before Easter Sunday.

And on Easter, we celebrate the risen Christ, the resurrection of our Lord. As St Paul said: "If Christ had not risen, our faith is a delusion, is empty! Our life does not make sense! Christ redeemed us by His death and resurrection. We believe in Jesus who was handed over to death for our sins and raised up for our justification." (Rom 4:25)

As Archbishop Nicholas Chia said in his Easter 2009 message:

"Through Christ's death and resurrection our sins are taken away and new divine life has been given to us.

And so, dear friends, as we live the Easter mystery, we have the light of the Risen Lord in us ONLY when we recognise, respect and love each other as brother and sister in Christ. "Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark" (1Jn 2:8-9)

Christ is risen and He wants to light up our lives. Let us hare this joyful message with our fellowmen."

It's Good Friday

Image via Wikipedia

It's Good Friday and Christians flocked to churches to mark the day they believe Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross and died.

The Catholics churches was stripped of all decorations and no music - on a day meant for prayer, fasting and abstinence.

There will be a celebration three days later on Easter Sunday, Christ is resurrected.

Ash Wednesday and Lent

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

"Yet even now," says the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments."

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of 40 days of Lent leading up to Easter. Lent is a time of repentence and coming back to God. During this time, we are called to recognize how far we have strayed from God and return to him.

As on Good Friday, Catholics ages between 16 to 60 (except those physically and/or medically unfit to do so) are required to fast on Ash Wednesday. This means having only one full meal that day ... several smaller meals may be substituted - to sustain ones physical strength, as long as they together do not exceed one full meal.

This is to honor Christ and to focus on His passion and death and our relationship with Him.

During Lent, many Catholics choose to give something up as a sign of their repentence and a way to remember the importance of this time. This is based on very old tradition but giving something up is not required by canon law. What canon law requires is that we abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent.

Find out more about Ash Wednesday here and Lent here.