The bells of Easter....

Come and live Holy Week and Easter with us at the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre. Come and experience that love of God for each one of us.

MAUNDY THURSDAY:
On this day there is only one unique mass. During that mass we relive the celebration of the Last Supper when our Lord Jesus Christ, just before his Passion washed the feet of his disciples and gave us the Eucharist, the sign of his love for us.

"Jesus, knowing that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father, having loved those who were in the world, loved them to the end" Jn 13,1

On this day the mass is very solemn and very beautiful. It is not an ordinary mass. The priest takes some water, takes off his priestly vestments and washes the feet of 12 men (see our photo).
Yes, our Lord is there amongst us. At the end of this mass, the priest leaves the choir of the Basilica with the Blessed Sacrament and he goes to the altar of repose. It is our Lord who goes to the Mount of Olives to enter into his agonie.

We can stay close to Him during this night to pray as Jesus invites us; "Why are you asleep? Get up and pray, not to be put to the test" Lk 22,46

The choir is emptied of all its splendor. It will stay dark and empty and the bells will no longer ring....

The altar of repose. GOOD FRIDAY :
On this day we will accompany our Lord along the Stations of the Cross. There is no mass today. In the evening we will meditate upon the Passion of our Lord and we will venerate the Cross. The liturgy is solemn and serious. It is the mystery of our salvation. The bells stay silent....

                

On EASTER SATURDAY, a deep silence covers the earth. Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, the Word made flesh is buried in the tomb.
The Unique Word of God falls silent.....


But we know through our faith that He will rise from the dead, and that through his Resurrection He will give us eternal life.

That is why, in the evening of Easter Saturday, we celebrate the Easter Vigil. We light the new fire and the new Easter Candle, and we listen to the important Bible texts which tell us of the love of God for mankind. We bless the new water, and we witness the new life which begins for the adults who are baptised during the celebration.

All is new on this night, for the Love of God for us is eternally NEW!!!

The Risen Christ, Easter morning, brings us new life, and we can see this new life on the faces of those who are newly baptised. And bells of the Basilica sing with us the joy which fills our hearts.

ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!