Réligion of Monday, 30 March 2015

Source: Cameroon Tribune

Passion week preparations gear up in Yaounde

Catholics in Yaounde celebrated Palm Sunday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Victories on Sunday March 29. This allowed the congregants of the Archdiocese of Yaoundé to relive the death of the savior of mankind.

Just as was done in Jerusalem, Christians of the Archdiocese of Yaoundé celebrated the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ with palm leaves in their hands.

The ceremony that took place at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Victories in Yaounde, on the occasion of Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Passion of the son of God who was born to the world as a man. In prayer, the faithful came from many communes to celebrate this day.

Holy Week is already underway and all said they were ready to follow Jesus Christ in his passion to the cross on Good Friday, and then to share in his resurrection on Easter Sunday. "We are moving towards the end of the forty days that we prepared our hearts in prayer to penance and sharing. This is the final stretch of Lent and the time of concentration, "says a faithful.

"It is always with great emotion that I indulge in the passion and remember the suffering of Jesus Christ for us. This is a period to express love to neighbors, "said Serge Fouda, a congregant.

During the Eucharistic celebration, Father Athanase Eteme, principal celebrant, invited the sheep of Christ, like the son of God, to remain prayerful to sustain itself. "When we face difficulties, we must put ourselves in prayer. Obstacles are part of every Christian's life, "he recalled. The prelate enjoined all to revisit the attitudes of six key figures of the passion of Jesus Christ.

Do not imitate Judas Iscariot, the first character in this passion that Jesus had put all his trust and who ended up betraying him for material things, he goes further to call on followers of Christ to remain steadfast in the faith and love of Christ which surpasses all good.

Like Peter, who had denied or the apostles who fled and Pilate had washed his hands in a gesture of indifference, Father Athanase Eteme asked his flock to refuse such attitudes that separate us from the love of the son of God.

But all faithfuls were urged to follow the example of Simon of Cyrene who flew to the rescue of Jesus Christ by helping him carry his cross or the Roman centurion, a man of the guard who recognized the son rights.

Attitudes that every Christian has to imitate so that the name of the Lord be glorified in all times and in all places and in all circumstances.