Holy Week Message

"For what is life?
To me it is Christ" (Phil 1:21)

Such were the words of St Paul the Apostle whose 2000th birth we celebrate this year. He has been a renowned figure in the Church for his preaching the Good News of Jesus to many parts of the world. Yet before he became a Christian, he was actually a staunch persecutor of the Church. The Acts of the Apostles would reveal how he tried to destroy the Christian community by dragging believers out of their houses and throwing them in prison (Acts 8:3). On his way to Damascus - to get rid of more Christians - a 360 degree change happened. He followed Christ. To signify his decision, he changed his name; from Saul he chose the name Paul.

His desire to serve Christ and His Church was enormous that it is not surprising why he wrote those powerful words. Personally, the words 'center' and 'pattern' come to mind.

As Christians, we ought to make Jesus the center of our lives. It is Christ or nothing. And as we make the Lord the center of our lives, we cannot avoid to let His life serve as a pattern of our own. How did He deal with sinners and outcasts? He welcomed them. How did He treat women and children (the second class citizens of His time)? He respected them. How did He obey the Father's will? He obeyed it "all the way to death- death on the cross."(Phil 2:8).

Life has never been the same to St Paul ever since he opted to unite himself with Jesus. There is untold happiness and perseverance in our Christian faith and life if we follow St Paul's exhortation.

As we observe Holy Week, we at anluwage.com would like to invite you to join us in the events that we have organized. Together, let us recall and give thanks to God who, according to St Augustine, "loved each one of us as if there were only one of us to love."

In Christ our Life, I remain

Yours faithfully,

Pietro S Albano
Editor-in-Chief