Catholic Identity
The Time is Drawing Near; Easter is Nearly Here.
The week of Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday is a sacred and special time. A week that encapsulates the most sacred days in our Church calendar. The Paschal Triduum consists of Holy Thursday, today, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, leading up to the joyous celebration of Easter Sunday. During these days, we are invited to reflect deeply on the profound mystery of Jesus Christ's passion, death, and resurrection.
Holy Thursday emulates Jesus’ Last Supper. First Jesus enacts the ultimate act of service in washing his Disciples feet. We recall the actions of Jesus with his Disciples in the Upper room, at their Passover meal. We then pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and follow him to the court of Pontius Pilate when he is betrayed and arrested.
Good Friday follows with the Passion of the Lord and the Stations of the Cross, through his suffering and death in crucifixion.
The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday is illuminated by the Paschal Candle. We remember our Baptismal promises, keeping vigil and waiting in anticipation of restored life. And finally the crescendo in Easter Sunday, – a new day dawns and Jesus’ empty tomb is discovered.
Easter Sunday - The Sunday of Jesus’ Resurrection, reminds us that Jesus lives and he welcomes us in a new life with him. Easter is not simply one feast among others, but the ‘Feast of feasts’, the ‘Solemnity of solemnities’, the Sunday of Great Sundays! The mystery of the Resurrection, in which Christ defeats death, permeates with its powerful energy throughout all time. It is the first Sunday of 50 days - ‘Eastertide’ of continuous celebration that Christ lives. Christ has risen, truly he has risen, and we are risen in Him.
As we contemplate the Passion, Resurrection of Jesus and the events which led up to this. For each of us during this time we are witnesses of our Lord's love for us, reminding us to open our hearts to one another, as he has opened his heart for us.
Jesus was indeed seeking out space to sink deeper into his humanity, draw us closer to God, and further prepare us for his work in the world. It’s a call to hold fast in faith no matter the temptations, trials, or deaths we face.
Holly Morris
Catholic Identity Leader
A Quote from our Popes
‘In Jesus Christ, we find the perfect manifestation of God's love for us. His life, teachings, miracles, and ultimately his sacrifice on the cross, all bear witness to the depth of God's compassion and mercy towards humanity. Through his resurrection, he offers us the hope of new life and redemption. Let us embrace his message of love and strive to reflect his compassion in our own lives.’ - Pope Francis
‘The whole of Christ's life was a continual teaching: his silences, his miracles, his gestures, his prayer, his love for people, his special affection for the the poor, his acceptance of the total sacrifice on the Cross for the redemption of the world and his resurrection are the actualisation of his word and the fulfilment of Revelation’ - Pope John Paul II.
