Commentary on Good Friday in English

INTRODUCTION

Praise be to Jesus both now and forever, Amen. I am delighted to welcome you all to this evening’s celebration of the Lord’s Passion; the second of the three days of the Easter Triduum. Today we commemorate and reflect on the mystery of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and its place in the divine plan of salvation. What we are celebrating today is of capital significance in the life of the church. I invite you therefore to journey with me on a historical path towards its origin.

BRIEF HISTORY OF GOOD FRIDAY

From the earliest times this has been a day of mourning, due to the painful crucifixion and agonizing death of our Lord. Many of the names given to it in the course of history draw attention to this mournful aspect. The official, name of Good Friday was attached to this celebration 1955 because it is the “Friday of the Passion and Death of the Lord”. Before then it was “Friday of Preparation for the Pasch”. In the 3^rd century, Good Friday was known as the Pasch of the Crucifixion. However, St. Ambrose called it “Day of Bitterness”.

Commentary on Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil Celebration (2) in Igbo Language

Umunnem na Christi, ana-asi n’ezuo etu esi eri udele amiba ngiga. Odimma diri nnukwu mkpa n’anyi nile no ebea ibido emume abali Satode di aso nunwa maka na onye anoghi egbe eliri ozu na-esi n’ukwu avo ya. Ndi uka Katolic nwere nnukwu ugwu na nsopuru puru iche ebe emume abalia di maka na-ewezuga mbilite n’onwu Jesu Kristi, okwukwe ndi Katolic abaghi uru.

Nnoko anyi n’abalia ga-eweta otutu ihe n’isi njedebe.

- Satode di aso na-eweta emume Lent n’isi njedebe

- Ona-eweta izuuka di aso n’isi njedebe

- Ona-eweta emume Triduum n’isi njedebe;

- Satode di aso nakwa eweta n’ime obi anyi anuri mbilite n’onwu nke Dinwenu anyi bu Jesu Kristi.

Holy Thursday Commentary in Igbo Language

Ndi b’anyi otito diri nu Jeso Kristi…

Umunne m na umunna m, ndi nze na ozo, ndi ichie, ndi eze, ndi gburu agu na ndi n’egbughi, umuaka, umuagboghobia, umuikorobia, ndi nne na ndi nna anyi nnoo-nu-oh!

Onye anwuna ma ibe ya efuna; onye mara nke ochiri ya zaba; onye mara nke ana etu ya, ya zaa.

Na atufughi oge, n’ihi na o na-abu ekwe kuo ama agbaa. Oge nri ehihie ruo, onye usa apuo oriri. O bu nani uzo di mma ka ana eje ugboro abuo. Maka ndi uche ha echetaghi, ndi biara na ndi uzo biara, tata bu TOOZIDEEH di aso, Ubochi Dinwenu Jeso Kristi guzobere Sakramenti nke Yukaristia di Aso na Sakramenti nke odaasi di aso, bu nke eji echi ndi Ukochukwu. N’ubochi taa kwa ka ogosiputara ihunaya n’ebe umu azu ya no site na isa ha ukwu.

Commentary on Palm/Passion Sunday in Igbo Language

Ndi b’anyi, ekele m unu.

Ekwe kuo ama agbaa. Ezuo ka aha eri eze mgbada atotuo ngiga. A nam asi onye obula n’ime unu nnoo n’nnukwu emume nka tata.

Emume anyi tata abughi egwu achi utaba n’aka agba, ma obu egwu nkita. O bu nnukwu emume puru iche nke ndi otu Kristi. N’ikwu ya na mgbawa eze, uka na-eme ncheta obuba Kristi ji mmeri wee baa na Jerusalem.

Ugbua, O di mkpa na anyi ga ege nti nke oma, wee ghota ihe nriba ama digasi n’emume anyi tata. Maka n’onye anoghi ebe eliri ozu n’esi n’ukwu abu ya. Tinyekwara na oburu n’atughi aro wee gaba nta, e gbuo anu enweghi aha.

Commentary on Palm/Passion Sunday Celebration in English (Abridged Version)

May the name of the Lord be praised both now and forever. 

I welcome each and every one of us to today’s celebration. Today is a red letter day as far as Christianity is concerned. We are being launched today into the terrains of the holiest of all the weeks; the week of our salvation. The singular spectacular nature of this week is evident in the various synonyms with which it is addressed. These include Greater week, Holy week, Paschal week, Passion week, Authentic week etc. St John Chrysostom described this week as a very special week because in it, our Lord Jesus Christ broke the greatest jinx- the jinx of death and doom; jinx of our servitude to sin. Coming to today’s celebration, it may interest us to know that today is Palm Sunday. This celebration dates back to 4^th century. It may also interest us to know that this same 4^th century witnessed the radical recognition of Christianity as a legal religion by Emperor Constantine. Then, the early Christians go up to Mount Olive in files, singing and from there, they go up to Jerusalem with the Bishop. With these, they re-enact the event that took place in the days of Christ.