Good Friday..................Easter Sunday

I know I am quite late on this but would like to impart some of the understandings that I have between these two important days.

Good Friday is called "Good" because it is the day that our Lord Jesus Christ bought our redemption by His death in the cross. Though most of the theme of this day is sad especially when you relate this day to the movie "The Passion of Christ" we must be thankful to God because on this very day we commemorate His very great love for us. Traditions on this day is the usual Stations of the cross and the Good Friday service. Remember that there is no mass on this day. The afternoon service which usual starts on 3 o'clock pm consist of 3 parts:Liturgy of the Word, Veneration of the cross, and the Holy Communion. The readings will particularly recount Jesus sufferings up to His laying of the tomb. This day is similar to a necrological service;thus we have the Veneration of the Cross.Like a wake we fall in line to say our final good bye to the Corpus Christi. And then the Holy communion is distributed. On this day no sacrament is allowed to be performed except on urgent cases only for Baptism,Penance, and Anointing of the Sick. An exception for the mass is only granted by the Vatican See just like the mass celebrated last Good Friday for the casualties of the the earthquake at Coppito, Italy which killed about 200.

If you can only attend one Sunday mass, the Catholic church teaches us to attend the Easter Sunday mass. It is the most important mass that we attend because we commemorate Christ resurrection. Easter is important because if our Lord did not resurrected then what we believe in today is all falsity. Our faith will be pointless. The service on this day will be started by the blessing of the Easter Fire and the Paschal Candle. Then the usual mass celebration continues but with theme of the importance of the Risen Christ and the symbolism of life like the ringing of the bells while singing the Gloria. Also the blessing of the water is made and together with it either any new member of the Church is baptize to symbolize new life. After that all will be renewing their baptismal vows;that is denying Satan and his works and believing in Christ. Then the priest goes around to sprinkle water on all as if to baptize each member again. On this day we celebrate life.

Thus these two events are important because on these to days we remember the connection of Christ death to His resurrection, that is to die for us to redeem our souls from sin and to rise together with Him to the new life that our God has given us