Christians celebrate Holy Week & Easter with virus restrictions

12:24:00 AM {"id":611,"user_id":1,"title":"Christians celebrate Holy Week & Easter with virus restrictions","slug":"christians-celebrate-holy-week-easter-virus-restrictions","excerpt":"The celebration commemorates Jesus\u2019 triumphal entry into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, when his followers laid palm fronds on the road in his path.","content":"<p><strong><img src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/IMG-20200410-WA0020.jpg\" width=\"100\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Lini Makhal<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n<p>The celebration commemorates Jesus\u2019 triumphal entry into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, when his followers laid palm fronds on the road in his path. On this day, Christian churches, particularly Catholic, distribute palm fronds, which the faithful wave as a symbol of Jesus\u2019 victory. Many people fold them into cross shapes to remind them of the historical events of the Easter season. And each year, the previous year\u2019s dry palms are ceremonially burned.<\/p>\r\n<p>But because of the coronavirus pandemic, Christians are forced to celebrate Holy Week at a distance this year. No church congregation, Holy Mass, Holy week services to be streamed live from the Archbishop House for the Roman Catholics from the Bishop House.<\/p>\r\n<p>As the virus continues to spread in rapid numbers, the state is in a holding pattern that stretches through the Holy Week of Palm Sunday, April 5, through Easter Sunday, April 12.<\/p>\r\n<p>Shortly after our honourable Prime Minister passed the \u201cstay home, stay safe\u201d order, Archbishop Thomas D\u2019souza of the Archdiocese of Kolkata and Krishnanagar shared a statement that Catholic churches will be closed in cooperation with the government\u2019s order.<\/p>\r\n<p>Easter Week is the holiest holiday on the Christian calendar, in which worshippers come together to pray and celebrate the resurrection of their saviour, Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday is preceded by a week of traditions and rituals. Thousands of Christian faithful have no option other than to watch Holy Week traditions play out on their TVs and digital screens as they livestream services at their homes.<\/p>\r\n<p>None of our priests recall the church ever having to shut their doors like this. \u201cWe\u2019d probably have to go back to the Spanish Flu of 1918, priest says. \u201cI'm not sure public liturgies have ever been closed in this way, even during the H1N1 outbreak in 2009. This is pretty extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>Catholics have three main focuses during the 40 days of Lent, leading up to the start of Holy Week on Palm Sunday \u2014 praying, fasting and giving. Under the current circumstances there are still ways of incorporating those three focuses for the Easter season.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/Easter-400.jpg\" width=\"300\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cGiving up church isn\u2019t something a lot of people are happy about, but it\u2019s a necessary measure which is done in the spirit of charity,\u201d he says. \u201cWe are staying home to help society and one another and to protect ourselves and our most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>During this time at home, it is giving Catholics the Lenten experience and opportunity to pray more, make sacrifices and consider others.<\/p>\r\n<p>In uncertain times, it\u2019s not unusual to look for a silver lining. One large reason why people say they don\u2019t pray is lack of time. But with most people being homebound, more pockets of free time have opened up.<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cThis can be an invitation or opportunity to pray more and have quiet time to develop and increase your relationship with God.<\/p>\r\n<p>They are keeping focused on the domestic church inside their home by live streaming Mass every day through their home parish.<\/p>\r\n<p>Another concern of many Catholics is their inability to receive certain sacraments, such as the Eucharist \u2014 consecrated bread and wine transubstantiated into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and distributed in Holy Communion during Mass \u2014 and Reconciliation, the confession of sins.<\/p>\r\n<p>According to Pope, certain prayers can be said in place of the Eucharist during this time, such as the Act of Spiritual Communion prayer or the Act of Contrition prayer. \u201cIt\u2019s awful and heartbreaking for priests to preside at Mass when the church is empty, but it\u2019s wonderful that we even have the option to livestream. I hope it\u2019s an opportunity for people who don\u2019t come to church that are watching to be inspired to come back to church when this is all over.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cPeople are social creatures\u201d. \u201cPeople need people, which is why social isolation is really hard. The Sunday mass was a family outing ritual for Christians, with everything going online, they are keeping up the spirit of the season by dressing up for it, even if they are at home. I hope it will have a positive impact as far as having an appreciation toward the church.\u201d<\/p>","content_html":"<p><strong><img src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/IMG-20200410-WA0020.jpg\" width=\"100\"><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Lini Makhal<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The celebration commemorates Jesus\u2019 triumphal entry into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, when his followers laid palm fronds on the road in his path. On this day, Christian churches, particularly Catholic, distribute palm fronds, which the faithful wave as a symbol of Jesus\u2019 victory. Many people fold them into cross shapes to remind them of the historical events of the Easter season. And each year, the previous year\u2019s dry palms are ceremonially burned.<\/p>\n<p>But because of the coronavirus pandemic, Christians are forced to celebrate Holy Week at a distance this year. No church congregation, Holy Mass, Holy week services to be streamed live from the Archbishop House for the Roman Catholics from the Bishop House.<\/p>\n<p>As the virus continues to spread in rapid numbers, the state is in a holding pattern that stretches through the Holy Week of Palm Sunday, April 5, through Easter Sunday, April 12.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after our honourable Prime Minister passed the \u201cstay home, stay safe\u201d order, Archbishop Thomas D\u2019souza of the Archdiocese of Kolkata and Krishnanagar shared a statement that Catholic churches will be closed in cooperation with the government\u2019s order.<\/p>\n<p>Easter Week is the holiest holiday on the Christian calendar, in which worshippers come together to pray and celebrate the resurrection of their saviour, Jesus Christ. Easter Sunday is preceded by a week of traditions and rituals. Thousands of Christian faithful have no option other than to watch Holy Week traditions play out on their TVs and digital screens as they livestream services at their homes.<\/p>\n<p>None of our priests recall the church ever having to shut their doors like this. \u201cWe\u2019d probably have to go back to the Spanish Flu of 1918, priest says. \u201cI'm not sure public liturgies have ever been closed in this way, even during the H1N1 outbreak in 2009. This is pretty extraordinary.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Catholics have three main focuses during the 40 days of Lent, leading up to the start of Holy Week on Palm Sunday \u2014 praying, fasting and giving. Under the current circumstances there are still ways of incorporating those three focuses for the Easter season.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img src=\"\/storage\/app\/media\/Easter-400.jpg\" width=\"300\"><\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiving up church isn\u2019t something a lot of people are happy about, but it\u2019s a necessary measure which is done in the spirit of charity,\u201d he says. \u201cWe are staying home to help society and one another and to protect ourselves and our most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During this time at home, it is giving Catholics the Lenten experience and opportunity to pray more, make sacrifices and consider others.<\/p>\n<p>In uncertain times, it\u2019s not unusual to look for a silver lining. One large reason why people say they don\u2019t pray is lack of time. But with most people being homebound, more pockets of free time have opened up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis can be an invitation or opportunity to pray more and have quiet time to develop and increase your relationship with God.<\/p>\n<p>They are keeping focused on the domestic church inside their home by live streaming Mass every day through their home parish.<\/p>\n<p>Another concern of many Catholics is their inability to receive certain sacraments, such as the Eucharist \u2014 consecrated bread and wine transubstantiated into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and distributed in Holy Communion during Mass \u2014 and Reconciliation, the confession of sins.<\/p>\n<p>According to Pope, certain prayers can be said in place of the Eucharist during this time, such as the Act of Spiritual Communion prayer or the Act of Contrition prayer. \u201cIt\u2019s awful and heartbreaking for priests to preside at Mass when the church is empty, but it\u2019s wonderful that we even have the option to livestream. I hope it\u2019s an opportunity for people who don\u2019t come to church that are watching to be inspired to come back to church when this is all over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople are social creatures\u201d. \u201cPeople need people, which is why social isolation is really hard. The Sunday mass was a family outing ritual for Christians, with everything going online, they are keeping up the spirit of the season by dressing up for it, even if they are at home. I hope it will have a positive impact as far as having an appreciation toward the church.\u201d<\/p>","published_at":"2020-04-10 00:24:00","published":1,"created_at":"2020-04-10 12:40:40","updated_at":"2020-04-10 17:03:09","metadata":null,"ginopane_blogtaxonomy_series_id":null,"seo_title":null,"seo_description":null,"seo_keywords":null,"canonical_url":null,"redirect_url":null,"robot_index":null,"robot_follow":null,"summary":"The celebration commemorates Jesus\u2019 triumphal entry into Jerusalem 2,000 years ago, when his followers laid palm fronds on the road in his path.","has_summary":true,"categories":[{"id":6,"name":"\u0986\u09ae\u09be\u09a6\u09c7\u09b0 \u0995\u09a5\u09be","slug":"our-words","code":null,"description":"","parent_id":22,"nest_left":8,"nest_right":9,"nest_depth":1,"created_at":"2019-01-28 16:56:57","updated_at":"2019-03-30 13:01:52","url":"https:\/\/www.banglaworldwide.com\/category\/our-words","pivot":{"post_id":611,"category_id":6}},{"id":22,"name":"\u0996\u09ac\u09b0\u09be\u0996\u09ac\u09b0","slug":"news","code":null,"description":"","parent_id":null,"nest_left":3,"nest_right":10,"nest_depth":0,"created_at":"2019-01-29 13:27:00","updated_at":"2024-03-19 16:44:22","url":"https:\/\/www.banglaworldwide.com\/category\/news","pivot":{"post_id":611,"category_id":22}}],"featured_images":[{"id":944,"disk_name":"5e901d766eeed039303755.jpg","file_name":"Easter-900.jpg","file_size":71361,"content_type":"image\/jpeg","title":null,"description":null,"field":"featured_images","sort_order":944,"created_at":"2020-04-10 12:47:10","updated_at":"2020-04-10 12:47:12","path":"https:\/\/www.banglaworldwide.com\/storage\/app\/uploads\/public\/5e9\/01d\/766\/5e901d766eeed039303755.jpg","extension":"jpg"}]} December 22nd am 31 11:05am