23 MAR 08 EASTER MANIFESTATION WITH JESUS RESURRECTION
06. April 2008After the successful presentation of the Pageant, the evening was crowned with the manifestation to the Risen Christ. The end of the pageant was the start of this public manifestation in honour of Jesus risen from the dead, proving beyond doubt that he was the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. As a human being He died but as God he triumphed over death.
The statue brought down in Victory Square to the great applause of the crowd present, the Victory Band led by its Musical Director Mro Joseph Galea, arrived playing festive marches. It stayed on going round the Square playing marches with the statue following behind.
23 MAR 08 EASTER PAGEANT
06. April 2008An annual attraction in Xaghra on Easter Sunday afternoon is the Pageant cum Manifestation of the Risen Christ. This has always been a success and received very favourably. In the beginning it was a presentation of episodes form the life of the Lord. In recent years that still formed the main spirit of the plot but in time it started taking on subjects afflicting modern society; this year it dealt with abortion.
“Halluni Nghix … Fikom” – “Let Me Live … in You” was this year’s title meaning both the unborn baby’s cry for life and Jesus’ call to all not to abort Him from our lives through sinning. Script by Carmel Bajada, who also directed the presentation, the pageant was held on Victory Square.
The first scenes from the Bible show Mary with Jesus as a toddler, Joseph looking after them. The angel calls Joseph during his sleep telling him to flee to Egypt with Mary and her son to save Jesus from the wrath of Herod.
The scene changes to today’s Herod with the killing of the unborn child through abortion. The young unmarried pregnant girl opting for abortion is represented by a lady with a baby asking Herod’s soldier to kill her son. Meantime her conscience, represented by an angel, tries to dissuade her from doing it. But by this time the soldier had taken the baby and killed it (abortion completed). After that we witness the trauma the mother goes through after having had her unborn child aborted.
This scene is followed by a mother running with her toddler to protect her son from death on Herod’s orders. The soldier arrives and snatches the child and runs away with it to kill him leaving the mother grieving and sobbing. Jesus followed by Peter arrives on the scene, praising and blessing the mother who wanted her son to live. Turning on the other woman He showed her the gravity of her action but forgave her telling her to go and not sin again.
We have the Bible scene of Jesus carrying the Cross and then being crucified. Mary Magdalene is represented by the lady who aborted her unborn child. The devil appears calling on the forces of darkness and evil to rise against the true Light as the Redemption of Man was going to lose him souls. Finally Jesus is taken down from the Cross and moved to the tomb from where soon after the statue of the Risen Christ is carried out. Manifestation followed afterwards.
This year’s pageant had a very strong message against abortion and the producer, Mr. Carmel Bajada, deserves a lot of praise how he tackled the subject. At the front end of the parvis, a tomb with rocks made from papier mache was constructed but unfortunately it had to be protected by planks because of the strong wind which was blowing at the time.
23 MAR 08 CHILDREN GET THEIR PARISH FIGOLLA
04. April 2008Easter Sunday morning mass at 11.00 was attended by many young people and children. After Mass ended the children did not take much time to be out on the parvis where members of the Eucharistic Communities were waiting with basket loads of figolli for the Archpriest to present to the young generation.
They greeted Mgr Refalo more zealously than usual and lined up to receive their share of expertly cooked and multicoloured figolli.
22 MAR 2008 EASTER SATURDAY AGAPE
03. April 2008After the Service, Mgr Archpriest Carmelo Refalo went out on the church parvis on a cold night to mix with his parishioners and exchange with them warm Easter greetings during Agape.
With the parents of the youngest member of the Community, Thea, baptized an hour earlier during the religious celebration held in her mother’s arms, the Archpriest cut a delicious cake made for the occasion giving the signal for the social celebration, Agape, to start.
Members from the Eucharistic Communities prepared sandwiches and cake served with hot drinks. Young Nathania Camilleri went round with a basket entertaining the crowd with the traditional “qassatat ta’ l-Ghid”. They went down extremely well with the guests and Nathania was not given a chance to tire herself as in no time she was relieved of the load which her mother Rose had expertly prepared at home during the day.
These “qassatat ta’ l-Ghid” are said to be made only in the village of Xaghra and only at Easter time. These are small cheese pastries filled with grated sheep’s cheeselets (gbejniet nexfin) mixed with beaten eggs and ground black pepper. The top is left open so that when they are baked in the oven the filling overflows and comes out symbolizing the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb.
The parvis was full of people of all ages and different nationalities – ‘Gozitan’, Maltese, British, American, Australian, Indian. They enjoyed mixing, talking and drinking hot chocolate, coffee or tea keeping the members of the Eucharistic Communities quite busy. The altar boys were there too satisfied that their program for Easter was completed in full. In due course it was time to part and all went their way pleased taking with them a wonderful experience especially those attending for the first time.
22 MAR 2008 HOLY SATURDAY EASTER VIGIL PART 2
01. April 2008After singing of the Gloria, Mass carried on. Joseph Said read the Lessons and Mgr Eucharist Sultana read the extract from the Gospel followed by the homily by Mgr Archpriest. After the Homily, six men carried three drums filled with fresh water to be blessed by Mgr. Archpriest Carmelo Refalo. A big metal bowl at the foot of the Pascal Candle was filled with water and the three drums were then placed on one side in front of the Presbytery. In line with the ritual, Mgr Refalo dipped the bottom end of the Pascal Candle in the water for three times thereby sanctifying the water. He then sprinkled the congregation with the newly blessed water.
Meantime, Noel and Maria Sabina Sultana were waiting with their two month old baby girl and her godparents Mario Sultana and Mrs. Mary Zammit to have therr daughter baptized (see Baptism page on this site). This was carried out by the Archpriest and baby Thea, Marita and Anna was greeted as the newest member of the Church community to the applause of all present while the Archpriest held her high for all to see. And she looked really like enjoying it with a big smile on her little face!
The Third part of the liturgy started with the Prayers of the Faithful read by five young people. This was followed by Mass Offerings. Among those presenting them to the Archpriest were two couples, Attard, from Sydney Australia and Mr. Sultana from New York in the United States of America.
Again as usual on this occasion, no corner in the Basilica was empty as the nave and both aisles were full of the faithful. Two large monitors in both aisles helped the congregation follow the proceedings.
22 MAR 08 HOLY SATURDAY EASTER VIGIL PART 1
01. April 2008Jesus dead and laid to rest, the Catholic World awaits His Resurrection, the most Solemn Day in the Liturgy, the mother of all feasts. Therefore, on the night of Holy Saturday, the faithful gather in the Churches and stand vigil waiting and watching the Lord rise again from the dead thus triumphing over death.
On the parvis in front of the Basilica’s main door, on an evening with a light breeze, John Attard lit the New Fire. At 20:30 Archpriest Mgr Carmelo Refalo accompanied by the Chapter and Clergy and two Indian Jesuit Fathers approached the fire and initiated the liturgy with the kindling of the Paschal Candle (Il-Blandun). The New Fire was blessed and the Pascal Candle lit from the New Fire bringing New Light to Life. After praying “May the Light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and mind”, he placed four marks forming a cross at the top of the Paschal Candle with the Alpha and the Omega , the first and last letters of the Greek Alphabet. Between the arms, four numbers denoted the year – 2008. Meantime all the faithful were waiting in darkness and silence inside the Basilica symbolizing the darkness inside the tomb where Jesus lay after being buried after His passion and death.
The Archpriest then carried the Pascal Candle inside the Basilica. The congregation with candles in hand started lighting them from the Pascal Candle and those next to them. This light in the Basilica symbolized Christ rising with the light spreading to the world and coming into the midst of His people. Soon the church was candle lit. When the procession reached the High Altar and prayers were said, the candles were put out and a few electric lights switched on so that the congregation could follow the readings. Seven of the laity read seven Lessons from the Scripture each one followed by Psalm singing by different singers.
The climax was reached when, after the seventh Reading, Mgr. Archpriest intoned the Gloria, announcing the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His victory over death. Bells in hand and those in the bell towers broke out their two day long silence as the artistic statue of the Risen Christ solemnly made its way up onto the High Altar from behind to applause from the congregation. The Voci Angeliche Choir directed by Ms. Grace Vella accompanied on the organ by its Musical Director, Mr. Ronald Camilleri, sang the Gloria while the Basilica came back glowing fully lit up.
Concelebrating with the Archpriest were ten other priests among them Mgr Eucharist Sultana, Archpriest Emeritus of Xaghra and the two Jesuit Fathers from India. Mrs. Grace Camilleri and Mr. Louis Bajada animated the service.
