Triduum Celebrations in Malawi.

Holy Thursday: Triduum is a climax of the forty-day reflection during  fasting period in which we are guided to acknowledge the existence of suffering and pain we inflicted on God, self, and others. The words "To acknowledge" refer to the term "to accept" that entails: " You must renounce/forget/deny/ yourself, take up your cross everyday and follow me" (Luke 9: 23). What he said is based on what he experiences this evening: he felt alone, fear, in anguish, and his sweat was like a drops of blood falling to the ground. (Lk 9;44). While Jesus taking up his cross, his disciples doing otherwise: "everyone deserted him and fled, even running away naked, leaving his garment behind!" (Mk 14;50-51). This evening, we celebrate Christ's twofold giving of himself:  to his enemies, and to his friends, and disciples and his Church (The Sunday Missal, Holy Thursday, p. 249). Being one of the  crowd in the Church, observing the seriousness of the people in the service, encourage me to feel motivated by them, by the Church of St. Montfort Parish.

Good Friday:  This year I joined the way of the Cross at Montfort Parish, Blantyre. The ceremony was conducted following the traditional way of "funeral" done everywhere in the country. First was the procession by the women, wore "mourning dresses with violet skirt, white shirt and violet veil", then followed by the big cross carried by six people, priest and altar boys, vehicle with loudspeaker then the congregation. Upon arrival back to the Church yard, they raised the cross on the ground together with other two small crosses.  After laid the flowers under the cross, then all entered the big Church for the service. All sung the songs by heart, touching ceremony that marked the value of "funeral" as a way to resurrection. This is the time to strive the meaning of "his suffering"s and the mind that was in Him.

Easter Vigil: We had two Masses, Chichewa Mass and English mass. I joined the Chichewa mass as it was more "joyful, colourful and beautiful". The celebration started at outside the church with the blessing of the "fire", then entered the Church. What a celebration especially on the time of singing "Gloria" and "offertory". It was the time when women with special uniform blue in colour, and the congregation lined up to the boxes for money, with dancing and singing. The dancing girls too, added more spices in the celebration.  My imagination went to the "idea" of "everlasting life" where the people just be there forever, glorifying God the Creator!!!!! Feeling that the "now" is a shadow of the "next  form of life" which is called "everlasting life" or "heaven" (The Catechism of the Catholic Church nos. 1023-1029).

Bro. Martin Dariyo.