A weekend to remember...

Holy weekhas come and now gone....
but it has been a memorable ones for the two of us....
It has never been so special for me and Chin before but
this year...
it truly is a special week for us...
So many things have happened but so little time to write about
it...
The moment that Chin has been anticipating for a nearly a year
is finally here...at last...and well...
we both feel warm and glowing about it....
hahahaha....
I'll just describe it under its proper subtitle...

Holy Thursday/Maundy Thursday
9/04/09
i have not attended mass for holy thursday for so long...
but this year we made it a point to attend...
it is part of the RCIA programme for the catechumens...
Chin has a place booked for him but i have to fight my way in for
a good seat...
We arrived early on Thursday so i got a good seat up front near
where the catechumens sat...
It was a solemn service...remembering the last supper
and the night before Jesus was betrayed...
Chin for the first time experienced Holy Thursday service...
and i guess it touched him...
It did touch me...

Good Friday (The Lord's Passion)
10/04/09
It rained heavily just like last year...just before the service...
We were a bit late...arriving about half an hour
before...
soaking wet because of the rain...
Church was full by that time....i couldn't find a good seat
but Chin got his seat...
I squeezed in between a family and they were kind
enough to make room for me...
Good Friday service has always been a solemn service...
the altar was stripped bare of all cloth...
the cross was covered with purple cloth...
There was the veneration of the cross where
everyone went to kiss the cross at the end of the service...
then, there was the procession of the blessed sacrament to the
place of reposition....(i think)...
After the service...we decided to stay for the Tenebrae..
It was the first time ever for us to witness this...
so i changed place to sit at the front row to have
a good look...

Tenebrae service
Tenebrae is a latin word for 'shadow' or 'darkness'and the purpose
of the service is to recreate the emotional aspects of the passion story...
It is to reenact the betraya, abandonment and agony of the events...

A wooden cross was placed in front of the altar and
on the altar, there was 7 candles, the middle one
being the biggest candle..
around the cross there were bowls with nails and beside
the bowls were hammers...
The church was in darkness, illuminated only by the candles...
and the service started with the reading
from the bible...followed by a period of silence...
Then, the priest went to extinguish the candle after
each session of meditation and prayer...
After all the 6 candles were extinguished,
the priest went up to the cross and drove a nail into it...
It is an act of confession...
each nail symbolises our sinful act that put Christ on the cross...
Then, the congregation were invited to put a nail into the cross...
Chin and i went up to drive a nail into the cross too...
Finally...the last candle was extinguished and
the congregation departed silently...
It was really a new experience for us...and having the chance
to watch close up...
it was really a memorable and touching experience...

Easter vigil
11/04/09
This is the night that we had been waiting for...
Chin is so excited...
he would finally be part of the church now...
living a life guided by Christ and God...

we arrived early and Chin went in to get a good seat for me...
he got the seat next to his row...
so i could come out easily to take photos of his
baptism...
He looked dashing in his white silk shirt and black pants...
and i think the most good looking one in the
crowd of catechumens...hehehe..
The service started with the service of the light...
and after that the Easter Vigil mass...
The priest brought the Easter candle in and everyone lit
a candle from the Easter candle...
It was a sigh really...
the church illuminated by candles...
Then, it was the baptism...
The catechumens were called to the altar....
with their sponsor....Chin's sponsor is
Anderson, Helen's husband....
The holy water was blessed...the catechumens were asked
some questions by the priest and they had
to answer 'I do'
Then, the baptism....
Chin walked up to the fountain of holy water and
the priest poured the holy water on his
forehead...
It was a moment to behold...
It was the happiest moment in his life...
as he described it...'I was instantly awaken...
like the holy spirit entered me...'
Then, right after, it was his confirmation...their forehead
were anointed with the oil...
Oh...at the end of it...tears welled in my eyes
as he came down from the altar...
with the others...and he hugged me...
His first Easter....the beginning of all
other Easter celebration in his life...
Then, it was his first holy communion...where we ate the
bread of life...

Everybody was so excited after the mass...
wishing each other Happy Easter...
Along the journey of RCIA...
we have gotten to know some people who are
very helpful...and kind...
and these are the people who have helped Chin to understand and
reflect upon his journey in search of the light...
This is the Easter celebration that we will
never forget...

HAPPY FIRST EASTER TO YOU CHIN...
The name you have chosen when you were young
is now truly your own name...
and not just a name that you can change when you grow tired of...
I guess i should say...
HAPPY FIRST EASTER TO YOU DESMOND...