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Easter or Resurrection Sunday is the day Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This event marks the central faith confession of the Christians and is the focal point for Christian worship. Easter as an annual celebration of the Resurrection that lies at the center of a liturgical year.
Holy Saturday celebrations in Malta reach their apex on Saturday evening with celebrations of the Easter Vigil held in various churches. On Holy Saturday, at 2000 CET the Archbishop led the celebration of the Easter Vigil. The celebration commenced with the Blessing of the New Fire and included the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
On Easter Sunday, at 0915 CET, the Archbishop celebrated together with the Cathedral Chapter the Easter Sunday Stational Mass and at the end imparted the Apostolic Blessing with the Plenary Indulgence.
Traditionally in Malta, processions are held carrying the statue of Christ risen from the dead. In some villages, this procession is held early in the morning at around 8o'clock. This is done to remind us that Jesus rose up from the death in the morning. In other villages this procession is held in the evening. At the end of the procession, the men who are carrying the statue on their shoulders, usually run the steps leading to the Church as a reminder of Christ's Resurrection.
This year, Passiontide, the Easter festival will be hosting British actress Polly March for a dramatised reading of the Gospel according to St Mark. The first performance was held on Good Friday. The second performance will be held on Easter Sunday and will start at 2000 CET at St Catherine of Italy Church, Valletta. This kind of reading has been performed very successfully in the UK but will be a first for Malta.
During the Holy Week celebrations all the offices of the Archbishop's Curia in Floriana and those of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal in Valletta will be closed for a whole week from Thursday, 13 April 2006. These offices will open again for the general public on Friday, 21 April 2006.
Meanwhile in his first Easter message as pope, on Sunday morning Pope Benedict XVI prayed particularly for peace in Iraq and remembered the people of Darfur in Afirca, those of the Horn of Africa, of the Ivory Coast, Uganda, Zimbabwe and other nations which aspire to reconciliation, justice and progress. He also prayed for the living conditions of the countries of Latin America.
Pope Benedict XVI's thought also went to the Middle East. "May the international community, which re-affirms Israel’s just right to exist in peace, assist the Palestinian people to overcome the precarious conditions in which they live and to build their future, moving towards the constitution of a state that is truly their own," the Pope said.
The Pope mentioned the the international crises linked to nuclear power. "May an honourable solution be found for all parties, through serious and honest negotiations, and may the leaders of nations and of International Organizations be strengthened in their will to achieve peaceful coexistence among different races, cultures and religions, in order to remove the threat of terrorism."
The Pope who is 79 on Sunday, appealed to the people not be afraid to open their hearts to God, saying that the gospel totally quenches the thirst for peace and happiness that is found in every human heart.
See also:
Holy Saturday celebrations pave way for Easter by Ruth Davies - Apr 15, 2006
Easter greetings cards available on MaltaMedia by Ruth Davies - Apr 15, 2006
Good Friday brings traditional mourning By MaltaMedia News - Apr 14, 2006
See also MaltaMedia's special feature:
Holy Week and Easter in Malta and Gozo.
© Copyright 2006 - MaltaMedia Online Network
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