Blessings of Easter
While, world-wide, the Christian church holds Easter as the greatest feast on the calendar, countries differ in their mode of celebrating that feast. Having spent fifteen years in Romania I have had the happy experience of being here before, during and after the Easter season. A strict fast is observed during the forty days before the feast but from the dawn of Easter day, joy is truly
expressed and honour and gratitude to Christ is demonstrated by thousands in festivals of light and worship.
I have been impressed by the generosity of the people, rich and poor, in all this special time, everyone sharing and giving to those in need. We couldn't miss this moment to show our love to many needy individuals and families. It was a joy and a privilege for us to bring a drop of Easter light to different families, abandoned children and elderly people and to every child in one orphanage.
Every elderly person who is in one of our programmes had the surprise to get a special traditional Easter meal and a little gift but most importantly they relished the comfort of really feeling they belonged to a family. This was a real joy!
We were impressed by the enthusiasm and joy of every child in the orphanage on receiving a colourful box of biscuits and chocolates. Even if they are regarded as retarded (we don't agree with this) they didn't forget to wish us Happy Easter and Christos a inviat. This means a lot for us. But the happiest moment of this Easter was in Budimex hospital where, again, had been organised an Easter party full of joy - music - and many surprises. The highlight of this party was to see a "crocodile" of the sick children dancing
down the hall behind the band! This joy, in a place of suffering is
an unforgettable scene.
By tradition, Easter is a feast when every family, even the most...
While, world-wide, the Christian church holds Easter as the greatest feast on the calendar, countries differ in their mode of celebrating that feast. Having spent fifteen years in Romania I have had the happy experience of being here before, during and after the Easter season. A strict fast is observed during the forty days before the feast but from the dawn of Easter day, joy is truly
expressed and honour and gratitude to Christ is demonstrated by thousands in festivals of light and worship.
I have been impressed by the generosity of the people, rich and poor, in all this special time, everyone sharing and giving to those in need. We couldn't miss this moment to show our love to many needy individuals and families. It was a joy and a privilege for us to bring a drop of Easter light to different families, abandoned children and elderly people and to every child in one orphanage.
Every elderly person who is in one of our programmes had the surprise to get a special traditional Easter meal and a little gift but most importantly they relished the comfort of really feeling they belonged to a family. This was a real joy!
We were impressed by the enthusiasm and joy of every child in the orphanage on receiving a colourful box of biscuits and chocolates. Even if they are regarded as retarded (we don't agree with this) they didn't forget to wish us Happy Easter and Christos a inviat. This means a lot for us. But the happiest moment of this Easter was in Budimex hospital where, again, had been organised an Easter party full of joy - music - and many surprises. The highlight of this party was to see a "crocodile" of the sick children dancing
down the hall behind the band! This joy, in a place of suffering is
an unforgettable scene.
By tradition, Easter is a feast when every family, even the most...
...destitute, should have a happy moment therefore we visited some
such families and not with empty hands! The result - big satisfaction
for them and tears of joy for us.
such families and not with empty hands! The result - big satisfaction
for them and tears of joy for us.
"Nazareth" is already a place of joy it is a house where our five boys are well educated in different schools, and also taught by the parents to respect the values of Christianity.
When we visited them they had just returned from the Easter services in the church. Full of enthusiasm they recounted to us what they had done in church. Once again we realised that, in Nazareth, is a real family with "mammy" and "daddy" and beautiful children who now can hope for their future.
Easter this year was again a time of blessings for many children,
elderly people or families in need but also a time of joy and blessings for us being able to bring the light of that beautiful feast into so many dark corners.