Mar 18, 2018

Passover and Easter

March 8 2018, Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday remembers Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, when the people spread palm branches on the ground for the donkey to walk over. This is the time for Christians to think about the upcoming Passion of Jesus, from Good Friday through Easter Sunday.

On 29 March, Maundy Thursday, Christians remember the Last Supper when Jesus blessed bread and wine and commanded his disciples to remember him whenever they did this. The name ‘maundy’ comes from a Latin term ‘mandatum’ (‘commandment’), signifying Jesus' new commandment to his disciples, as recorded in John 15:17. Can we, as Christians, bless our meal, “remember Him,” and practise what he taught?

Friday, March 30 is the Christian Good Friday, when Jesus was tortured and crucified. At the time of His death, it is said there was an earthquake and the sky darkened, with thunder and lightening. The veil before the Holy of Holies split. This can be a symbol that the new teaching of forgiveness and love entered mankind’s consciousness, or when new revelations came forth.

The message that is important to me now is that of his mission of forgiveness. His ministry was all about forgiveness. Remember that when Jesus healed, He forgave the person and they were healed. In one of my meditations, Jesus said that when He said “your sins are forgiven, “the person’s actions all the way back in time, with the memory in the causal body, were forgiven - wiped out. That may mean there would be no akashic record of the “sins.” On His cross, Jesus forgave twice. He forgave those who killed Him and he forgave a thief on the cross, who is now known as the Good Thief.

Our challenge is: Can we forgive? Can we spend Good Friday and Holy Saturday identifying and then forgiving; especially those who hurt us deeply. This may take longer than two days, but is a beginning. Then, on Easter Sunday we can be renewed and put on our new clothes. This new garment being a lighter and brighter aura, which has been cleansed from resentment and hurt because we forgave.

A note: forgiveness does not mean the one or situation that hurt us was right. It only means we let it go. We let go of the right for retribution and move forward.

March 31: Passover: This major Jewish festival lasts eight days and commemorates the liberation of the Children of Israel and their Exodus from slavery in Egypt. The Passover is when the Angel of death passed over the homes of those who put the blood from the lamb over their door. This was the last plague on Pharaoh, and those who obeyed Moses or God, were spared from having their firstborn sons killed and were able to flee slavery. To me, the challenge is freedom. The Israelites left slavery, but also a predictable  life in Egypt. They at least had food. In the desert, they faced 40 years of challenges, so their freedom was hard won. In our lives, we can be symbolically enslaved by what is perceived as security, but eventually keeps us from the growth of new challenges. Let us be free.


Please send your comments to maria@maria-grace.com. Thank you.

May your Passover and Easter be blessed and happy.