EASTER SUNDAY MASS AT STO. ROSARIO PARISH, SAPANG PALAY, SAN JOSE DEL MONTE CITY, BULACAN

Fr. Abe kneeling in front of the Altar during the start of the celebration.

In the morning of Easter Sunday I had 3 Masses: the first was in the Chapel St. Martin de Porres, then at the Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua and the third is in the Parish of Sto. Rosario, the pictures of which are presented here.

Once reaching the Altar the celebrant was met by altar servers carrying Incense.

This Easter Mass was very beautiful not only because of the Greatest Feast we were celebrating but also because the people of our Parish participated in the Liturgy in large number than the previous years. I can also attest that there are more people who went to confessions this year than the preceeding years.

The celebrant incensing the Altar of Sacrifice

The common pitfall among Filipinos during the Holy Week is that during the Good Friday people are attending the stations of the Cross by thousands until the entombment of the Santo Intierro but when the Easter Vigil comes the churches are almost empty. Good for us because our parishioners completed the PASCHAL TRIDUUM of the Lord's Supper [Holy Thursday], Adoration of the Holy Cross of the Lord [Good Friday] and Celebration of the Lord's Resurrection [Saturday Evening Vigil to Sunday].

The celebrant incensing the Easter Candle which is a sacramental representation of the Risen Christ as the Light of the World.

I was deliriously happy because being the Parish Preacher during the entire Paschal Triduum it seemed that our faithful followed my practical suggestions for the Solemn Feasts of the Holy Week. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD, NOW AND FOREVER. ALLELUIA!

The celebrant incensing the center of the Sanctuary.

The celebrant incensing the sacred image of the Risen Christ and His consoled Mother.

The Altar Servers brought the Sacramentary to the priest to start the Mass with the Sign of the Cross.

The Opening Prayer

The Celebrant putting Incense for the Gospel Proclamation

The celebrant singing the Easter Sequence: VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES prior to the reading of the Gospel

Venerating the Book of the Gospel with Incense

The celebrant reading the Gospel

The celebrant lifts the Book of the Gospel to kiss

The celebrant looking at the people preparing their gifts for the Offertory

Sprinkling the people with Holy Water during the Renewal of Baptism

Singing the Preface for Easter Sunday

During the Singing of the Sanctus

The Knights of the Altar positioning themselves to honor the Risen Lord in the Eucharistic Sacrifice After the tiring three Masses and the long and solemn Mass in the parish, the celebrant was very very tired and hungry. After distributing holy communion he returned to his seat while waiting for the Lay Ministers to finish their line. Then instinctively he knelt in front of the Altar, leaning on the celebrant's chair and utterred prayers of Thanksgiving to the Risen Lord. He consecrated himself to the Divine Master, his Family, the Somascan Order, his mission, his parish, the Defensores Fidei Foundation and his Apologetic Apostolates.