Good Start to Demanding Week

As much as I love Holy Week, Paschal Triduum, Easter, with the Divine Mercy Novena and Divine Mercy Sunday itself, this blessed period still poses a huge challenge to any pastor who wishes to do everything in his powers to make sure that the celebrations are well prepared and rehearsed, parishioners prepared spiritually throughout the Lent spiritual and corporal exercises, in particular - parochial lenten retreat, meditations of the Stations of the way of the Cross and Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Palm Sunday we celebrated yesterday gave me solid reason to look forward to this year Holy Week and Easter celebrations. Father Godfried (from Makoko Seminary in Musoma) and myself were able to celebrate three Holy Masses each, with very good participation of the faithful. The weather was clement, though bit on a hot side, but no rain. Our vehicles did not break down, we came back in the afternoon to Kiabakari.

Today is Musoma safari day as always. Later this evening we will have a short meeting of chairpersons of districts in Kiabakari to finalize itinerary to visit the sick and elderly tomorrow and prepare them spiritually for Easter. On Holy Saturday they along with poor, sick and elderly who are not Catholics, will be presented with Easter gifts from our parochial community - money, clothes, shoes, food etc - donated by the parish and the faithful.

More news in coming posts. Have a blessed Holy Week!

Chant

I have suddenly found myself this morning longing for a peaceful place to celebrate Holy Week and The Paschal Triduum, filled with echoes of gregorian chants, just like in the abbey of Solesmes. There is nothing more sublime in sacred music than a gregorian chant. It's notes are like finest feathers falling from angels' wings floating in the space consecrated by the presence of God and set in motion by human breath, filled with awe of God-With-Us... The perfectly crystal clear manner of praising Living God in the midst of the living community of His children...

Good Friday

No, it is not the Good Friday in the Holy Week I am thinking about. Today is Friday and it has been a very good Friday so far to me...