Catholic Holy Week and Easter With Lenten Reflection Palm Sunday Holy Thursday Good Friday Easter Vigil Easter Sunday Stations of the Cross

Dear people of God, please make out the time to be actively part of every rite and ceremony of this gracious season of Lent and holy week. Easter is the most solemn of the feasts of the church. The preparations for Easter begins on Ash Wednesday when all of us begin to reflect on the temptations, suffering and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our Lord's entire life, especially his passion, would have made little or no meaning if there was no resurrection. Let us therefore, thank the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who raised him from death and made us partakers of the glory of his resurrection.At Lent and especially in the Holy week the Church offers us a very rich and spirit filled ceremony and expects us to participate actively, in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council. The holy week celebration requires that all of us, priests and the faithful alike, immerse ourselves in the paschal mystery that we celebrate. This we must do through simple acts of prayer, reflection, silence and a deep expression of religious piety. If we use this Holy week and Easter Manual to participate fully in this holy season. We will be in the full spirit of the season. The stations of the Cross, liturgy readings, prayers, Holy week ceremonies and gestures as laid out in the manual will afford every one of us the opportunity to triumphantly enter Jerusalem with Christ on Palm Sunday, partake in the last supper be arrested with Christ on Holy Thursday, scourged, crucified and die with Christ on Good Friday in order to RISE with him on Easter Sunday. The readings are in accordance with the Vatican II and it also contains daily Readings for Easter Octave.May the Risen Lord bless our Lenten observance with an eternal and glorious Easter