Tura, April 20: Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Chants ranted the air across churches in Garo Hills as Easter was ushered in on Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ.
For Christians this is the most sacred time of the year and for the Catholic faithful it concludes the annual Lent season- a forty-day period of penance and sacrifice.
Ahead of celebrations was the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday when the catholic faithful gathered in church for the holiest night to prepare for the celebration of the risen lord.
Congregations gathered outside with unlit candles and churches were shrouded in darkness for a brief period as prayers were offered.
“Tonight we keep vigil for our Lord, who passed from death to life,” said Father Levio Sangma, Parish priest of Sacred Heart Shrine in Tura as he struck a match, and the new Easter fire sprang to life. The Paschal candle- symbolizing the light of Christ- was lit from the flames and one by one devotees lit their candles from the towering candle as chants of “Christ our Light” and “Thanks be to God” rant the night air as devotees entered the church with their lit candles and sang hymns to begin Easter celebrations.
The water was blessed for devotees to take back home and several new followers of Christ got baptized on this special and holy event. Renewal of one’s baptismal vows- reiterating one’s soul to Christ, was also done during the service.
Dawn broke on Easter Sunday with a special Sunrise Service at the Tura Baptist Church where a large congregation of the faithful gathered at first light to welcome Easter. The tradition traces back to early Christian practices of holding vigils throughout the night leading to Easter morning.
The special service had Assistant Pastor Dr Growswell M Sangma speak about the immense significance of Easter in the lives of every faithful. Chaired by Deacon Preny M Sangma, special Easter hymns were sung during service at the Tura Baptist Church.
The service is timed to coincide with sunrise, representing the moment Mary Magdalene and others discovered the empty tomb at dawn (John 20:1). The rising sun symbolizes Jesus’ resurrection and victory over death.
