Towards
Easter
With the celebration of Palm Sunday
our journey towards Easter takes acceleration, kind of. Tuesday morning, boys,
girls, youths and adults who will receive the baptism gather for a moment of
prayer and reflection. The leader for the reflection and prayer is Father Matteo.
In the morning we give the report
cards to our High School students, and in the afternoon I leave toward Bouar. On
the way I stop at the Rizicole Center in Bozoum, where, with the help of the “Lent of Fraternity” of the Diocese of
Cuneo, we have begun maintenance work on the dam. The basin provides water
during the dry season, and this allows to have two crops per year. But in some
places the water has damage the dam allowing huge leaking decreasing the capacity
and endangering the whole rice fields. At present the farmers of the
cooperative have emptied the artificial lake, and started to excavate the areas
to be repaired.
In Bouar, Wednesday morning, we
celebrate the Chrism Mass. It is a very special Mass, during which the priests
renew their promises and commitments in the service of the Church, and the
Bishop blesses the oils that will be used for the sick and the catechumens, and
blesses also the Chrism, which is used for the baptisms, the Confirmations and
the Priestly ordinations. At this special celebration are present about forty
priests from all over the diocese to concelebrate with the new Bishop.
In the afternoon I go back to Bozoum
stopping in the village of Bokaya, where I greet Baba Michel, the old
catechist. I think he is almost ninety! He is surrounded by a large number of
nephews, of whom he is very proud!
With Holy Thursday the Easter Triduum
begins. Thursday is the day when we celebrate the Eucharist, the Priesthood and
the Washing of the feet, with which Jesus gives us the Commandment of Love.
Friday we commemorate the Passion and Death of Jesus. And Saturday night we
will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus, and with it the Baptisms of our
catechumens.
And so ... Happy Easter everyone!
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| Domenica delle Palme Dimanche des Rameaux |
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| la diga di Bohoro le barrage du Centre Rizicole de Bohoro |
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| Baba Michel di Bokaya |
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| l'Altare della Deposizione |
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