Feast of Corpus Christi also called Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the festival of the Catholic Church in honor of the real presence of the body (corpus) Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. It's celebrated with due preparation and for the right purpose. It's really a very pious and enchanting feast. People are thrilled and deeply rooted in the very mode of celebration of the feast. It unites and enlightens them with knowledge and fiat in the Holy Eucharist.
Feast of Corpus Christi also called Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, the festival of the Catholic Church in the honor of the real presence of the body (corpus) Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The feast falls between late May, and the middle of June, on the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday (60 days after Easter). It is one of the principal feasts of the church which is celebrated in a very grand manner to pay respect and honor to the body and blood of Christ. The procession became the feast’s most prominent feature.
Therefore on the feast of Corpus Christi, the faithful gathers in the church and take part in the holy mass with total devotion. And they reflect upon the word of God which focuses on the theme of Christ’s Manifestation.
During the feast, there are three stations set and in the three different places around the church, with the gorgeous decoration with beautifully arranged the fragrant flowers, stages are set. The procession progresses after the mass with the candles and flowers which are carried by the altar boys and girls. The priest holds the monstrance and marches towards the procession and people adore Jesus by singing hymns and silent prayers. On every stage, the priest reads the Gospel and breaks the Word of God. He challenges their faith with examples in different life settings. Usually, the readings are from the gospel passages on the “Discourse on the Eucharist” and the “Installation of Eucharist.” Then the same followed in other places too.
Finally all gather back to the church and sing “Tantum Ergo” and get the final blessings. Then the feast ends with the note of gratefulness to God. The people were happy and felt one with Jesus by the greatest respect shown through this celebration.
"Hosanna! Blessed is he comes in the name of the Lord!”(Mark.11:9 ) Palm Sunday, also called Passion Sunday, in the Christian tradition, the first day of holy week and the Sunday before Easter. It is commemorating Jesus Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
It is associated in catholic churches with the blessings and procession of palms and says Hosanna. On this day anticipating the sufferings of Christ, as faithful we give farewell to Christ as King by singing Hosanna with Palm leaves. As it is a religious ritual, we are in a position to make it unique experience. As usual, we gather at Gonzaga College premises which is arranged earlier. The parish priest begins the ceremony with the opening prayer which comprises blessings of palm leaves.
To lead the choir and procession the technical support is undertaken by the Parish Council which is systematically arranged in a Vehicle. All together we sing “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. The psalms represent peace and victory. In fact, it reminds Jesus though divine he is going to suffer like a human by carrying the cross.
Then the people enter the church by inviting the priest who embodies Jesus. Then the liturgy continues with the extensive reading which indicates the passion of Christ. Really the faithful will be so touched and prepares them to journey with Jesus while he suffers. The meaningful ceremony prepares the people to turn their heart towards God to lead a life which pleases Him.
To accomplish the great rite, the Holy mass ends with the concluding prayer and blessings.
Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, this is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
Monday Thursday is the Thursday before Easter. Christian commemorates the day as the day of The Last Supper which Jesus shared with his 12 apostles and washed feet of his disciples in order to demonstrate the importance of humility and serving others, also he commanded them to do the same for each other. Finally, the established ceremony is known as Eucharist.
The ceremony takes place in our parish with different procedures. The parish Priest chooses the people of different cadre for each time. Especially, Elders, Sisters, heads of families, Women, Youth, and the people who are considered as least in society.
The priest before the sermon makes the chosen twelve to be seated on the benches and starts washing their feet and kisses them. At the end shares the bread with each other as the symbol of the last supper.
Futher, the most significant event comes here. The twelve whose feet are washed would invite one of their family members and in front of whole gathering he/she will start washing his/her feet and kisses the same.
The priest washes the feet of the elders of the parish. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet during his final meal before his arrest, as a mark of humility. He meant the gesture as one that encouraged his disciples to serve others, in a spirit of servanthood. The act symbolizes the service and charity of Christ, who came ‘not to be served, but to serve’
Jesus taught us to love others as we love ourselves and he has done the same. This act stresses the importance of humility of service. It is also the symbol of baptism. Then at the end of mass the consecrated Host will be shifted from tabernacle to the beautifully decorated place at the corner of the church.
As it is a period of special prayers started from the Parish Priest, nuns, and the Faithful people show their respect and adore Jesus with the given time the prayer service will be conducted with deep silence and relevant Bible text. Just as the disciples were invited to stay up with that Lord during his agony in the garden before his betrayal, each Anbiam sits an hour up to twelve in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
Good Friday is to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy week and considered as part of the Pascal tritium on Friday that comes before Easter Sunday. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, and Good Friday.
This solemn day is observed by fasting by all the faithful in our Parish. As there is no holy mass celebrated on that day in the church. Instead, the Parishioners perform the way of the cross which starts from the end of Kathampallam and moves towards Church. The way of the cross usually organized by the faithful and religious as well but compared to the other Fridays in Lent, this particular day brings some message applicable to the society. Here the Parish Priest leads the people forefront and the cross which is carried by an individual with devotion for which he prepares himself with penance for almost 40 days.
The people reflect and mourn on the passion of Christ feel one with his pain and agony. After the way of the cross, the Parish Priest gives a significant message and organizes the Blood Donation Camp which symbolically says that we give life to the people who struggle like Jesus.
On this day the altar is left empty. No Mass offer in the church. Then in the evening the ceremony of the cross is followed and the word of God guides us to mirror the passion of Christ and at the end, Holy Communion will be distributed to all. Total silence is maintained in the church and the families as well which signifies the mourning of the death of Christ.
It’s the most glorious time of the religious year and these Easter blessings wishes recognize that.
Easter is special at so many levels. It is the day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is one of the most important bedrock of the faith. It is also the time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for everyone.
It has become a day when family and friends come together and the bonds grow stronger.
Easter reminds us of God’s never-ending love for us. Let us all together praise and worship God for his endless blessings. Have a blessed Easter.
Some of the Easter Water, the blessing of which takes place during the ceremonies at the church on Holy Saturday, should be brought home and regarded as a symbol of the family's renewal in Christ. There should be another family procession on Easter during which all of the rooms and members of the family, including any servants and friends, are blessed.
The tradition of blessing during Lent and Easter is very ancient and represents one of the most important moments of the liturgical year, not only for the faithful receiving it, but also for the priests giving it.
The blessing is a way to address God’s favor, His benevolence, or a Grace upon people. Easter blessings were important to strengthen the connections within the Christian community. It is a moment of communion and dialog between the faithful and the priests who go to their homes to give the Easter Blessing.
Hence the parish priest visits house to house in the following week of Easter or close to the most solemn feast of Easter. When the priest enters the house, he greets the people with the formula: ‘Peace be unto this home and unto all that dwell herein.’ He invokes the Lord’s Blessing on a house and says: ‘May God’s blessing descend upon this house, ‘With the holy water which is sprinkled on the house of the people.
The liturgical ritual usually implies the priest sprinkles those who wish to receive the blessing with blessed water. The sprinkling with blessed water recalls the Christening, the rebirth that God allowed us to set us free from the original sin.
The blessing itself is a prayer, a praise to God since it comes from Him and goes back to Him, in a continuous circle of love. The priest, in fact, gives the blessing invoking Jesus’ name. It involves not only people but also objects, places, the countryside, animals, and even working tools. That is because all that is related to life and men sustenance is worthy of God’s love, and needs His benevolence and protection throughout their life.
The priest reads or recites short passages of the Gospel, involving the members of the family in a moment of prayer and makes the house become the house of prayer and he not only strengthen people’s faith and spirituality, but also the place they live in, invoking Jesus’ strength and help, who was able to defeat death and resurrected, destroying all evil. They ask for a blessing to give new energy to face difficulties during a hard time that involves members of the family. People living in a house are inspired to keep together and faithful to the Lord, to the Virgin Mary, and to the Saints.
The blessing will have the desired effect. Easter Blessing recalls the need to recognize the importance of the family which is united in the love of the Lord. It is a very important moment and which allows families to consolidate their relationship with the Church and the moment of communion. The sprinkling of holy water upon their home reminds the precious and strong gift that they received makes them feel once again as a part of something big, strong, and invincible: the Church.
Its a remarkable feast in the calendar of our village where it is celebrated as the cultural and family feast. The day is counted as important as Christmas in our village. It is the family feast and the day to honor elders and appreciate the youngsters. It is to carry the torch of faith and continue the same tradition of the Catholic faith to the descendants of the people.
Traditionally the solemnity falls on 6th January Sunday and it is the day we typically call, “Three Kings Day,” more formally known as The Epiphany. Epiphany is derived from the Greek word epiphaneia, meaning “manifestation”.
In the Church, the Christmas season actually begins the day after Christmas on On the twelfth day of Christmas, we conclude this wonderful time of year by celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany. In celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord, we celebrate the revelation that Jesus was born as the Son of God.
It is part and parcel of our rich culture and custom to make the day more significant with the remarkable celebration. It’s a time of rejuvenation for many of us especially we make the day something exceptional with the ancestral celebration. It is a chance for a new beginning and to discover new things and make our own revelations with the communal meal.
So the Basic Christian Community divided into six groups gathered at a particular house in the parish. They start the celebration with the Prayer service and Holy Rosary. The parish priest leads the service with the opening prayer and intercession and final blessing. The gathering means to build unity and mutual up-building by eating together with the mixed meal with every taste viz., sweet, sour, bitter, hot, saline, etc., shared to all. It is the elders will sit around the banana leaf all the foods prepared are poured and now the elders will mix them and give to the younger ones to the youngest child.
Men and women will come together and receive the mixed Pongal and enjoy the same. Sharing food among the families will integrate the community. Further, there is a rich tradition that it is the day when the families which are hating each other with enmity will forgive one another and get reunited again. It is the day when no one shall refuse to participate in the family meal. Oh! What an evening! The most awaited festival!
Since it is a bonding ritual, It embarks on the journey of love, understanding and acceptance to lead a fruitful catholic life and exemplary to the neighboring villages too. The mixed meal comprises vegetables, seeds, fruits and it contains a combination of carbs, fat, and protein which symbolize the life as a whole and it is made up of happiness, suffering, pain, and pleasure with the taste of food mixed bitter, sweet, sour, and so on. Having varieties of food signifies the psychological impact on strategies of life.
The community meal is the best practice that is appreciated by the newcomers to the village. As this practice is centered on food, and the sharing time with the people who come together really touches the heart of each one for the open conversation. it reminds us the "Table Fellowship" a practice envisaged by Jesus in the New Kingdom of God!
This social gathering makes the event momentous. And it is the main social ritual through which we create community networks. The people like eating together because it gives them the way to create social bonds show that they care about one another, affirm hierarchies and update each other with the planned events of the houses.
If we happen to ask the people why do they follow such customs even in this modern era, everyone one echo es with one voice that it is the custom followed by our ancestors and we too are indebted to them to teach and practice the same till the end of our life. It is important to know the significance and meaning behind the communal meal which is commemorated, with great fervor and gaiety.
In the very end, everyone disperses with cherished mood to their houses. So, it is one of the most auspicious days for the villagers of Kathampallam.
