Aparecida – São Paulo, Brazil (Monday, 04/06/2015, Gaudium Press) At the National Brazilian Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida thousands of faithful attended the celebration of Easter Sunday. The Mass of the resurrection of the Lord was presided by the Archbishop of Aparecida, Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno de Assis.
The homily was a reflection on the theme of St John chapter 20 “for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20: 9)
For the solemn Easter Sunday the Cardinal celebrated the Mass of the Resurrection, which included the blessing of the New Fire and the Paschal Candle, the blessing of the water and the Renewal of the Baptism Promises.
On Good Friday, pilgrims and faithful devotees of Our Lady came from north and south which, according to A12 news, with a “silent heart” came to attend the Solemn Liturgy of the Passion of Lord.
Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno de Assis was accompanied by the Redemptorists Missionaries, who lay before the altar in a sign of humility and thanksgiving to Jesus Christ.
The Archbishop of Aparecida explained that the liturgy invites us to “meditate and to contemplate, quietly thrilled and thankful, Jesus nailed to the cross to free us from our sins and to reconcile us to God.”
“In the cross of Christ all the sufferings of humanity are present, including our pains. The Passion of Jesus Christ continues in the loneliness of the elderly, in the victims of violence and war, in the victims of social injustice, in those who suffer discrimination because of ethnical, religious or social reasons, in those children and adolescents who are victims of forced labor or sexual abuse; in the beggars and in the people who live in the street, in the unemployed, in those in prison subjected to inhuman living conditions”, he added.
“Before your cross, Jesus, we remember your faithfulness to the end, your generosity without limits, we contemplate your aching face, which reflects the painful face of all humanity and with Mary, your mother, we express our thanksgiving , our love, our faith in You” he continued.
“And with Faith in you, Lord Jesus, we want to follow you, because we believe that your way is the way of life. We believe, Lord Jesus, that your love has conquered death and now that you have risen, you are with us forever,” he concluded.
Before departing the faithful kissed the cross and participated in a time of adoration to the Blessed Sacrament. (LMI)
From the Editir’s Desk at Gaudium Press, with information from A12