Today Is the Easter Sunday

A statue of the resurrected Christ in St. Lawrence the Martyr Church at Scarborough, Toronto

Photo (Toronto: April 7, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Easter Sunday, also known as the Pascha or Passover, commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the greatest feast day of Christianity, even more important than the Christmas – the birth of Christ. Christians strongly believe that salvation from sins came to mankind through his passion, death and resurrection.

Christianity would be meaningless without such events in the life of Jesus. Christians believe that by doing so, Jesus Christ, through his blood and death, expiated for the sins of mankind and brought eternal life for those believe in him. 

The Easter Sunday marks the end of 40 days of Lent, when Christians make personal sacrifices, repent for their sins and pledge to lead a good life in future.

Happy Easter to you all!

The Quotation of the Week (April 8-14, 2012)

Dogs at play on a side road at Tejkunipara, Dhaka

Photo (Dhaka: January 16, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

Today Is the Holy Saturday

The Holy Saturday is the third or last day of the Easter Triduum. On this day, Easter vigil is kept as a preparation for welcoming the day of Easter on Sunday  when Jesus Christ resurrected from his death.  

On the Holy Saturday, some Catholic churches organize baptism and confirmation for adults, bless water for use in baptism for the rest of the year, bless the long paschal or Easter candle and share the light from this candle among the faithful present.

The paschal (Easter) candle used in the St. Lawrence the Martyr Catholic Church, Toronto, during the Lent

The faithful light their own candles from the flame of the paschal (Easter) candle when making their baptism pledge

The priest dips the lower part of the paschal (Easter) candle into water to bless it for use in baptisms

The priest is baptizing a person with the newly-blessed baptism water

Photos (Toronto: April 7, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

Today Is the Good Friday

The Good Friday is the second day of the Easter Triduum. On this day, Christians commemorate the trial and death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion. In his honour, many Christians make sacrifice by fasting and abstaining from eating meat.

Christians, especially Roman Catholics, in their church services listen to the reading of the passion and death of Jesus. They also participate in and meditate on the Way of the Cross. They venerate the cross, as the symbol of Christ’s passion and death and reflect on its effect on their lives.

In spite of Jesus’s suffering and death on this day, it is called ‘Good Friday’ because Jesus, through his death, brought the remission of sins and salvation for mankind. So, the Good Friday brings hope for many of his followers.

St. Lawrence the Martyr Church in Toronto is jam-packed on April 6, 2012 during the Good Friday church service

After this Holy Communion service, the faithful will venerate the cross, unveiled and kept in the middle of the church

These two stained glass windows in the church depict the scourging and nailing of Jesus on the cross, which are the main theme of the Good Friday

Photos (Toronto: April 6, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

Today Is the Holy Thursday

In the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Thursday, also called ‘Maundy Thursday,’ commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his founding of the Holy Eucharist (also called ‘Blessed Eucharist’ or ‘Blessed Sacrament’).

On this day, the priest blesses the oils, which are then called ‘holy oils,’ and washes the feet of 12 males in commemoration of Jesus’ washing of the feet of his 12 disciples. 

The Holy Thursday is the first day of the Easter Triduum (three consecutive days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday before the day of Easter Sunday).

Many Catholics make it a point to participate in the church services during the Triduum and Easter Sunday because they believe that Jesus came to this world to die on the cross and rise up from death to save mankind from their sins.

 The following photos give an idea of the Holy Thursday evening service at St. Lawrence the Martyr Church in Scarborough of Toronto.

Catholic faithfuls are coming to St. Lawrence the Martyr Church in Toronto to attend the Holy Thursday service

Two priests are saying the Holy Thursday Mass

The distribution of the holy communion among the faithful

The procession with the Blessed Eucharist inside the church

The veneration of the Blessed Eucharist in the church

 

Photos (Toronto: April 5, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Photo of the Week

A memorial to the 150th anniversary of the 

Congregation of Holy Cross, St. Joseph's Higher 

Secondary School compound at Mohammadpur, Dhaka

Photo (Dhaka: January 8, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (April 1-7, 2012)

Design © Jerome D'Costa (March 31, 2012)