Palm Sunday
Memorial of the Passion of the Christ
14 April 2019
Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam – For the Greater Glory of God.
The passion and the resurrection are two stages of a single mystery, the mystery of the Christ's death and resurrection, to save people from sin and to reconcile with God.
The community of Hien Linh Parish started the Palm Sunday Mass with the procession, which recalled the event that Jesus, the Messiah-like, triumphantly entered into Jerusalem (Zc 9:9-10) to shed light on the passion, to foresee his great victory against evil, sin and death. When repeating “hosanna” of the Jews, the faithful professed their faith in the Christ as well as expressed their hope in the Divine City of Jerusalem. Following the Holy Cross and the priest, they solemnly entered the church and offered the mass to reconcile with God.
Not only praising the Lord’s triumph, but does the liturgy of the Palm Sunday Mass also invite the faithful to follow him on the path of suffering. They must be enlightened by the light of the Christ to follow him in the passion without faltering, to share new life with him through the Holy Cross. It is the Church’s life and also the faithful’s life.
Holy Thursday
Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
18 April 2019
Every year, the Jews eat on the Passover to remind the event that God had freed them from Egypt and made a covenant with them. Jesus started his passion when eating with his disciples during the Passover night. He gave his disciples the bread and the cup of wine, becoming his Body and Blood, to make a new covenant by his sacrifice on the cross.
Attending and celebrating the Mass every time, the community recreates the supper of the new covenant to commemorate him, to recall his death, to rejoice due to his presence and to look forward him coming again.
In particular, during the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, after the homily, the priest following the Christ’s example washed the feet of the 12 teenagers chosen as the apostles. Perhaps the best homily of a priest is to kneel and wash the feet of his "brothers and sisters" to tell that the priesthood is to serve, but not to be served.
After the prayer, the Blessed Sacrament was carried through the church in procession to the place of reposition so that the parishioners could silently adore and contemplate.
Good Friday
Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
19 April 2019
The community of Hien Linh Parish at first celebrated the Lord’s Passion by walking the Via Dolorosa – the Road of Suffering. The 14 stations way of the Cross that the Son of God made was vividly recreated through the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. After the homily was the 10 general intercessions for the whole Church and the world and everyone, for the salvation of the Savior is universal. Next were the veneration of the Cross and the Holy Communion.
In this celebration, the most outstanding was not the sufferings of his passion, but the glory of the Cross, because every time commemorating the Lord's death, the Church also proclaims his resurrection at the same time. "We worship you, Lord. We venerate your Cross. We praise your resurrection. Through the Cross you brought joy to the world.”
Easter Sunday
The Easter Vigil
20 April 2019
The Easter Vigil is the peak of the memorial of Christ's death and resurrection. The night vigil is called "the mother of all liturgical vigils." The Christ taught his disciples to keep watch for "the Bridegroom" to come (Mt 25:13). This was the night at which the Jews ate lamb and were freed and walked through the Red Sea. This was the night at which the Christ smashed the chains of the death and came up triumphantly from the hell. This is also the night at which the early Church has still been looked forward to the Lord coming back.
The community started the Vigil with the Service of Light, including the Easter Proclamation (Exsúltet). Next was the liturgy of the Word, including the readings to review all the salvation history. When listening to the readings, the community was illuminated by the Easter candles. This candle represents the shining cloud that led the Jews on the way to the Promised Land, symbolizing the Christ as the light that inspires the world.
Next were the Liturgy of Baptism and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. It is Baptism in which people have been buried with the Christ so that they may rise with him to a new life (Rm 6:8). The most holy Eucharist is the Paschal banquet of the New Covenant, whereby the disciples recognized the risen Lord when he broke the bread and gave to them (Lk 24:35).
During the Paschal night, the faithful singing Halleluja tasted the joy of the Divine City of Jerusalem.
Quoc Tuan, SJ
Photos: #truyenthongHienLinh
