A day of silence and reflection

HOLY SATURDAY: THE GREAT SILENCE

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Holy Saturday, the Saturday of Holy Week, also known as Holy and Great Saturday, the Great Sabbath, Black Saturday, Joyous Saturday, Hallelujah Saturday or Easter Eve, and called "Joyous Saturday" or "the Saturday of Light" among Coptic Christians, is the day after Good Friday. Wikipedia

Today was called Black Saturday while I was growing up.  It was a day of reflection because Christ died just hours before, and we weren't supposed to rejoice until tomorrow.

It was hard because shopping centres were already open, and most of the people already stopped reflecting.  They were already having parties, et cetera, et cetera.

If there is only one thing, but thankfully there are many more, that I am grateful for the times I was actively serving in another fold, I am grateful because I was taught that the Holy Days were days of reflection and gratefulness because even if God did not have to, He lowered Himself, took the form of a slave...he stayed inside the womb of a woman for nine months...he experienced all the pain, temptations, and so much more.  He was like us in every way, except sin.  The enemy tempted His FULL humanity.  He IS true God and true man.

He lowered Himself because He loved us.  The Father loved us that's why He sent Him.  

Don't let me explain the MYSTERY of the Holy Trinity...we can only have analogies...examples...but we cannot fully fathom the exact explanation...we will only FULLY understand when the TIME comes.

For the past sixteen years I only missed serving three times during the Easter Vigil, and tonight would be the fourth time.  God willing, I'll be back on Divine Mercy Sunday...and as for my Saturday service, I think I will be back the following Saturday, depending on the situation.  I told them I'll be back the week after Easter Sunday...

💝💝💝💝💝

The Easter Vigil is the mass of all masses.  It is very long and very meaningful.

📖

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I learned about the importance of the Easter Vigil when I started serving again in the Catholic Church in 1989.  I wasn't really back yet.  I went back through Opus Dei the following year, and I was told to make a public confession in front of a small congregation after a general confession...I did not need to get baptised again, even if I was baptised outside the fold.

My journey back to the faith started when I was in Europe in 1988.  In 1989 I started serving in the MOQ choir of the Holy Child Chapel at the Bonifacio Naval Station then at the uni, of all places, I found myself receiving formation from Opus Dei.  My auntie and my first cousin were already supernumeraries, I chose to be a cooperator(an inactive one nowadays), but I almost...anyways, I did not join them, but I'll forever be grateful for the formations I received through them.  I just don't think I have the same charism.  

SACRED SILENCE

TOM BOOTH is one of my favourite composers.  He is also an FB contact.  He is very inspiring. There has been an "issue" about Sacred Silence, so I had to consult the little brother of a little sister(as far as I am concerned, whether I have half brothers or not, I really am the only girl, biologically, of my dad and mom, so she's not related to me by blood) who is a priest, and thankfully he enlightened me a lot.  It's not PROHIBITED to have rehearsals inside a Church as long as we behave, but if we value Sacred Silence, and if there are other places where we could practice and rehearse, then we should use those other places.
Sigh. Miscommunication really begets miscommunications.
Hey, I am not taking any side here.  It's hard to be NEUTRAL, I know, but I'm not being a balimbing either.  I really pray for peace and UNITY.  Both sides have points, so...
Oh well...
I'm on a Sabbatical because my parents believe that I was becoming too involved.  The so-called aggrieved party did not do anything bad to me, so hindi na dapat ako makisawsaw.  I think that's the reason why my parents practice detachment.  Why couldn't I just be like them?  Why????  
So I am just taking a breather, for my health and sanity.  :-)
Anyways, I better practice Sacred Silence now.
Thanks for your time.