Reposted from 2012-04-01

In many but not all countries, readers of TLIG may be confronted with issues around the fact that Easter and Holy Week do not coincide yet again this year for the Eastern and Western churches. Perhaps some readers are in a TLIG prayer group which is ecumenical, having members from both churches in the group. So how do we deal with the two Easters? Do we observe the one Easter and ignore the other based on our denomination? Do we observe both Easters, both Holy weeks and both Good Fridays? I do not know if we even are allowed to do this.

Every person has to listen to his/her own conscience, but I have come up with an idea I want to share that may benefit a few readers. Regardless of what denomination one is from and follows the calendar for … on the other Holy week … one can treat the Good Friday as a special day of prayer and fasting for unity and the mission of True life in God. This way, we do not let the 2 dates pass us unnoticed, and the unhealed division in the Body of Christ is addressed in our prayer lives.

We could also pray the entire Rosary on our first or second Good Friday with the intention for Unity. We can call together an extra prayer group meeting on the second Good Friday; we can make an extra effort in prayer, meditating on the Holy Scriptures or the messages. We could make a special effort to go to Eucharistic adoration on the other Good Friday. In some way each of us can address in prayer and fasting, the division Jesus speaks about so much in True Life in God, and pray as well for the clergy in the churches as Jesus requests us to do:

“My Heart grieves continuously to watch those in My House who lack sincerity and who do not work in My Spirit for the unification of the dates of Easter; I ask you to pray for them that My Father may give them a change of mind so that once their eyes are opened by My Holy Spirit, they will repent and recognise their error which prevented them from seeing the Truth; pray for them that this spirit of pride in them, keeping them separated from the Truth, leaves them and brings them back to their senses; pray for them so that I may be able to say: « by their love, all men now will know that they are truly My disciples; » but today still, Satan and his demons keep them chained in their lack of love, for love is the distinctive sign of faith; how could they say to one another: ‘I have preached the Good News throughout the world; I have laboured to bring the Church into one and now all there is to come is the crown of righteousness which the Lord, my God, reserved for me from all eternity …’ when to this very day they are failing in their duty? » (November 27, 1996)

We can also treat this second Easter as a special time to focus on Jesus and his cross, and love Him by doing in whatever way we can what is extra. Extra prayers, extra adoration, extra acts of kindness and charity. We can try to be more with Jesus on our second Good Friday AND NOT LET IT PASS US UNNOTICED.

…every Easter season I must drink from the cup of your division since this cup is forced on Me; but you too, daughter, will drink from it; you shall share with Me what is bitter – given by human hand; the more time passes for them to unite the dates of Easter, the more severe will be their sentence this generation will receive; (May 31, 1994)

We can also pay attention and make a special effort to pray for the Father’s wrath to be diminished with the prayer we were given on November 28th, 2009:

« I was asked by our Lord to give this message I received today (24th anniversary of TLIG) to everyone so that it is translated. This is not all the message, it’s much longer, but I was asked to give just this prayer to translate as well and distribute.

Address Me Vassula in this way:

Tender Father, lash not Your wrath on this generation, lest they perish altogether;
Lash not on Your flock distress and anguish,
for the waters will run dry and nature will wither;
all will succumb at Your wrath leaving no trace behind them;
The heat of Your Breath will put aflame the earth turning it into a waste!
From the horizon a star will be seen;
The night will be ravaged and ashes
will fall as snow in winter,
covering Your people like ghosts;
Take Mercy on us, God,
and do not assess us harshly;
Remember the hearts that rejoice
in You and You in them!
Remember Your faithful and
let not Your Hand fall on us with force,
But, rather in Your Mercy lift us
and place Your precepts in every heart.
Amen

In True life in God, we are aware of what Jesus is saying in our days and that carries an extra responsibility. The messages can be searched, and in many messages, we can find prayer intentions Jesus would like us to have. Let us read and meditate these messages this year over our « other » Good Friday and during the « other » Holy Week. By clicking SEARCH on the homepage we can enter a variety of terms like « Unity », « dates », « Easter », « division » and will find many messages and prayers to meditate upon.

Finally, we must remember to do everything with Love: not begrudgingly, not as a burden, but with love. I believe all of us would be astounded to see the effects our division has on Our Lord. If we could see it more clearly we would be overwhelmed with regret that we did not try harder to pray for unity and for the Father’s wrath to be diminished.

Volunteer e-news editor