Miri Christians mark Good Friday, Easter with church services
MIRI: Christians are observing Good Friday today to commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
They will hold Good Friday services at cathedrals and churches and also several other services, as part of Easter Triduum, which begins with Holy Thursday and ends with Easter Sunday to mark the resurrection of the Lord.
Miri Diocese Roman Catholic Church Bishop Richard Ng said the Good Friday services will be held in stages in the afternoon in different languages — Mandarin, Iban, Bahasa Malaysia and English, at the St Joseph Cathedral, Carmelite Chapel, Church of Mater Dei, St. Anthony and the Holy Spirit Chapel in Permyjaya.
Right Reverend Solomon Cheong, the Anglican Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Kuching ( Sarawak and Brunei) and the Vicar of St Columba’s Parish said they expect some 1,500 people to attend the three Good Friday services in the morning at St. Columba Church. In the afternoon, there will be three services on the Station of the Cross, while during the Easter Sunday Services, there will be creative art dance performances.
As part of the Easter celebration on Sunday after the mass at 11am, we will continue our annual tradition of presenting gifts to all patients at the Miri Hospital. Besides sharing in the joy of the celebration, we also bless them. Rev Simon Ting, District Superintendent of the Miri District Methodist Church (Miri and Limbang Divisions)
Methodists too will observe Good Friday with church services.
“As part of the Easter celebration on Sunday after the mass at 11am, we will continue our annual tradition of presenting gifts to all patients at the Miri Hospital. Besides sharing in the joy of the celebration, we also bless them,” said Rev Simon Ting, District Superintendent of the Miri District Methodist Church ( Miri and Limbang Divisions).
Meanwhile, the Borneo Evangelical Mission ( BEM) of Miri District is inviting all of its church members to attend a mammoth gathering today and on Saturday at Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club.
Two renowned preachers from Indonesia, Pdt Dr Pieter Napitupulu and Pdt Donisius Lambertus Panombam will preside jointly over prayer sessions during the two- day gathering to celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Meanwhile Ng, who is also the Association of Churches, Miri District chairman, added that Christians celebrate Holy Week to mark the most important events in Christianity that is the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
“I pray that as Christians gather to mark these crucial events of their faith, they may continue to stand up for their faith, for all that Jesus stood for in his lifetime — compassion, love, forgiveness, service, humility and especially to reach out to the least, the lost and the marginalised,” he said.
Cheong in his message also prayed for all to renew their commitment to live the life to be like Jesus in resurrection while Ting hoped that everyone will continue to receive abundant blessings from God, especially for continued peace and progress in Malaysia.
One week before Easter Sunday, Catholics celebrated Palm Sunday. Palm leaves were brought together to be blessed.