Celebrating Holy Week in times of the coronavirus

Celebrating Holy Week in a state of alarm

Holy Week is one of the most important Catholic celebrations of the liturgical year. Every year all Christians celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Father Jesus Christ. Every year we commemorate the victory of life over death, the light of Christ overcomes the darkness of death, granting us the hope of eternal life next to our Heavenly Father.

Holy Week is a time of penance, repentance, suffering and pain, but it is also a time of hope and joy. The three liturgical colors of Holy Week (white, red and purple) reflect the feelings that we collectively experience during processions, acts and celebrations.

The color red is the main protagonist in the celebrations linked to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ during Holy Week (Palm Sunday and Good Friday).

On the other hand, the purple color is a symbol of humility, penance and the purpose of amendment that Christians must seek within us to find Jesus.

Finally, the color white represents Easter joy, happiness, purity, life and light. White liturgical vestments are the main protagonists on Easter Sunday. Day in which we celebrate the return to life, the victory of Christ over sin. After suffering innumerable accusations, sufferings, after suffering the Cross, Christ comes back to life for us, for the forgiveness of our sins, to give us the light and hope of eternal life.

This Easter will be different from all the others, this year humanity as a whole will face a challenge like never before, the disease that we all know as the coronavirus. Everything has changed for weeks, all forecasts and plans have had to be revised. Everything has been disrupted by this virus that distances us from our loved ones, which forces us to keep our distance from friends, family and acquaintances.

In these circumstances it is more important than ever to remember the teachings of Our Father Jesus Christ that we commemorate each Holy Week and that are summarized in the liturgical colors red, purple and white. Teachings that all the faithful experience throughout the entire celebration of the Passion and Death of Jesus, but especially during the Easter Vigil, during the celebration of the Resurrection. Moment in which the darkness of death and disease are overcome by the light of Christ. The shadows of despair are overcome by the clarity of hope that our Savior brings us.

The current situation is very complicated, the world as we knew it seems to be falling apart, but the hope of salvation must never disappear. The shadows will disappear and the light will shine again. It has always been that way and it always will be.

It is important that we do not forget that the light will come. Hope must always be present in our lives. For this reason we would like to share with you a poem that a friend has sent us. We do not know who the author is, but his love for Holy Week, for Christ and for the Virgin Mary is evident in each line. You will also appreciate the love for your friends and neighbors, for all those who are on the front lines of the battle against the virus.

We would like you to share the work on your social networks with a double objective. The first is that we believe that it is a composition that will brighten the day of many people. We find it beautiful and full of good feelings. The second is that we would like to meet the author of the work in order to pay him the tribute that, in our opinion, he deserves.

Always remember that "And how is Hope not going to come out If that's what's left?"

Who says there is no Easter this year?!

Who says this year

the Christ of Health does not come out,

if he is dressed in green

blue or white in hospitals?

who says that the nazarenes

they will not do their penance

if they come with their sick

at the emergency doors?

who says that Jesus Fallen

will not go out on Holy Wednesday

if we see our doctors

fallen and exhausted

with humble Cyreneans:

guards, cleaners and health personnel?

And just like in the Borriquita

Christ brought us the Good News

our trucking heroes

spend the nights awake

to bring us all food to our pantry.

and defy the roads

where the virus already flies,

thinking of their families

and in not being quarantined.

And the Virgin of Peace

will wear his white mantle

in so many ADL sisters

what care of our elderly

bringing them the peace of love

with their uniforms also white.

and with tiredness in the look

as when in the Garden I was praying

Christ is also present

in which in any supermarket,

or in a small shop

of those that are in our neighborhoods,

restock the shelves

or are they in the cash registers

to satisfy our hunger

as I did in that miracle,

with the same humility and patience

with which he goes out on Holy Thursday.

And our holy priests

with the Virgin of the Rosary

offer your prayers

for the entrusted people.

And in our Police and Civil Guard,

He is also crucified

giving us all his love

and his tremendous care

so that the plague passes suddenly

and we do not suffer any damage,

that they don't stay at home

and they are in the street watching.

And how is hope not going to come out

if that is what is left?

hope for those

that have businesses closed,

and they look asking for remedies

in their confined houses.

And the Virgin of La Palma

also coming out this year

for the gratitude of the people

then touch the palms in an applause

to those who risk their lives

for us to be healthy.

And to the Virgin of the Conception

we ask this year

that just like she was so pure

So preserve us under your mantle

and this town remains pure

without any contaminated.

And if you think about how many of us

they feel alone and abandoned

you will understand that too

the Captive goes out this year

because locked up in their houses,

without being able to go anywhere,

They feel like Jesus in prison

that goes out without being Holy Tuesday,

and only feel the company

of the Virgin of the Forsaken.

And when I see the people

that without a loved one they have remained

and cry looking at the sky

looking for a holy consolation,

I feel like it's gone too

the slum piety

or the Virgin of Sorrows

with her son on her lap.

And it will also leave at dawn

the Christ of Expiration,

who by dying saved the world

and cleansed him from his sins,

in our cleaning brothers,

so that there is no infection,

pick up our rubbish

in silence and abnegation.

How important are these brothers

who work in the fields

carrying heavy cross

like the Christ of Calvary

demonstrating his strength

exposed to contamination

But they always keep going

as the Lord walks in his path.

that's why don't tell me

that we are left without Easter

that the Lord already said,

that he himself was

in the one who is your neighbor

and your love I needed.

That maybe there will be no processions

of beautiful carved images

but as you can see, Christ goes out into the street

with his mother every morning.

And you will discover the face of the Virgin

when you look at an old lady

what is going on in quarantine

so alone at home,

and when you close your eyes you will see

that that holy granny

is the Virgin of Solitude,

with gray hair.

And the Virgin of Sorrows

although with his mantillas he does not go out

will also be on the street

in our brothers of the

pharmacy

that to ease our pains

the medicines dispatch us.

And although it scares us all

passing through the tomb,

even there is the strength

of the one who is the King of the world,

and take refuge in Bitterness,

that she is a safe harbor,

that in her tears there is sweetness

and after this there will be triumph.

that every day blesses us

Our Father Jesus Nazarene

without going out to the hill or to the square

He continues to take care of our people,

so that we live this Holy Week

with the heart and the feeling.

A different Holy Week,

and when everything is over

we will actually check

that Christ is Risen,

and will bring us with Him the joy

of a recovered town

to dance like Antigua dances

and live better as brothers.

That although there are no processions

in our town in spring

keep smelling the incense

that puts its good people,

because our feeling is not suspended,

because our faith is true,

because it's always Easter.