Friday, April 29, 2011

APRIL 2011: PART 2 - THE LENTEN SEASON


APRIL 2011 PART 11 – THE LENTEN SEASON
Past the seeker as he prayed came the crippled and the beggar and the beaten.
And seeing them…he cried, ‘Great God, how is it that a loving creator can see
such things and yet do nothing about them?’…
God said, ‘I did do something. I made you.’
…Sufi Teaching

The Lenten Season started on Ash Wednesday – reminding each one of us that we are from dust. 
And for a believer, there is a ‘pause’ every year – from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection.
The time when we caution ourselves and apply a slight brake or a screeching halt in whatever course of life we are living. During the whole year, we live life the way we want to live. 
When we attend the Sunday mass, maybe, just maybe our conscience is pricked a little during the homily – but, never mind, ‘I’ve got a firewall…ha ha ha! Once I step out of the church, I am back to reality – my real world – the world that suits my purpose…’ We allow our errors in judgment, repeated everyday, to lead us down the wrong path – and then it’s usually too late to see what made us blind.
But then again, we have the gift of Easter Sunday. With this is the hope in the risen Christ dispelling darkness and sin within us.
As the faithful celebrated the season, one can only be reminded of Christ’s humility and love for humanity.
And a certainty – God has the last word.

The pictures below portrayed some of the activities at The Nunciature as officiated by H.E. Archbishop Augustine Kasujja.
H.E. Archbishop Augustine Kasujja celebrating the mass with the faithfuls on Maundy Thursday

'...the washing of the feet of the 12 apostles (one of them is an OFW Nonito Barraquias)' as reenacted by the Papal Nuncio
Easter Vigil - the bonfire was lighted from the balcony coursing through the string ... the altar boy at the extreme left is OFW Gel Llames
...and with lighted candles, the faithfuls went back inside the chapel for the renewal of the baptismal vows and the pronouncement that the LORD is risen.