Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma reminded the faithful that Easter was the most joyous occasion in the Church’s liturgical calendar.
“Jesus Christ is truly risen from the dead! Alleluia! Let us rejoice and be glad!” Palma said.
Before closing his homily, Palma asked the parishioners to pray for the beatification of Archbishop Teofilo Camomot, a native of Carcar, Cebu.
Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), also asked for prayers that the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress will push through in Cebu.
“We should rejoice and be glad because ‘Christ’s Resurrection—and the Risen Christ Himself—is the principle and source of our future resurrection.’ We shall not die. We shall rise on the last day.”
The Cebu prelate urged Catholics to live out their faith, to sin no more, and, if they falter, to seek absolution through the sacrament of reconciliation.
“Our future resurrection depends on our life of faith today, For ‘those who have done good will rise and live, and those who have done evil will rise and will be condemned,’” Palma said, quoting from the Gospel of John.
“Our rejoicing and gladness today must therefore be paired with a renewed and gladsome struggle to live our faith in thoughts, words, and deeds every day,” he said.
“And if ever we sin, let us return to God through the sacrament of penance, so that we may continuously experience and foretaste of our future resurrection by rising from the grave of sin to a new life of grace,” he added.
Camomot beatification
Camomot, who was born on March 3, 1914 in Carcar, Cebu, was ordained as diocesan of the Archdiocese of Cebu in 1941. In 1955, he became auxiliary bishop of Jaro in Iloilo and became Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro in 1958. He died in a vehicular accident in San Fernando town on September 27, 1988 at the age of 74.
Cebu archbishop emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal announced last October 15, 2010 that the Holy See has approved the opening for the cause of beatification and will pave the way for the examination of the life of Archbishop Camomot.
Sugat
At 3 a.m. yesterday the annual “Sugat” presentation was held on a large stage packed with staged lights outside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.
The “Sugat” dawn production is a reenactment of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ . It was attended by about hundreds of people.
The Sugat followed the Easter vigil held in various churches Saturday night.
As the Sugat ends, a very short fireworks display was showcased.
The “Sugat sa Katedral” stage play ended with the procession of images of the risen Christ meeting his mother leading to the Easter Mass celebrated in the cathedral by Palma.
Parishioners renew their baptismal vows, faith in Jesus and belief in the Holy Mother Church. They reject Satan and his works, yesterday during the easter mass./Tweeny M. Malinao and Inquirer