"In Holy Week, we participate in the most sublime drama of religious history" (Fr. Pius Parsch)
Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. This is the week that changed the course of history when Our Lord, Jesus Christ, suffered, died, and rose again for us. This Thursday is Holy Thursday, the commemoration of the Lord's Supper—when He gave us the gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist.
The Triduum ceased being holy days of obligation a few hundred years ago in the 17th/18th century due to the Reformation and secularism which required people to work these days. But the fact that they are not presently Holy Days of Obligation does not mean we should let these most sacred days pass by. In fact, in previous eras, all commerce and governments would close to allow the faithful all of Holy Week and all of Easter Week off. We need to recover these traditions.
Here are my Top 10 Suggestions for A Catholic Holy Week:
Attend Mass each day, especially on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Read the Mass propers each day this week, even the traditional readings for Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, and Holy Wednesday.
Offer a daily Rosary for the souls that have died this Lent and for the conversion of sinners.
Take part in visiting Seven Churches Visitation, a traditional devotion where you visit seven churches on the evening of Holy Thursday to pray before the altars of repose at each church.
Go to Confession to ensure that you are in the state of grace for these holy days.
It is a requirement to fast on Good Friday, but if your health allows, fast also during the day on Holy Saturday and at night on Holy Thursday. Lent was traditionally 40 days of fasting and 46 days of abstinence. Good Friday also was, in former times, a day of the strictest fasting, and the faithful were encouraged to eat nothing at all on Good Friday, if possible. See: Fasting Rules
I just watched a 9 minute news segment by ABC News about an upcoming book "The Jesus Dynasty" by James D. Tabor. This is the first time that I have heard about this new book. Dr. Tabor's book centers around two lies - there was no virgin birth and Jesus Christ did not rise again from the dead. He also claims that Jesus had a half-brother James who became the king of Jesus's new dynasty after the crucifixion.
This is preposterous! This book joins the growing list of "Christian" books attacking the truth of Our Lord. With the DaVinci Code's success, we see a growing number of people repeating lies against Our Savior that have circulated since the first century solely to gain wealth. Dr. Tabor believes that the Resurrection did not take place but rather that Jesus's body was moved. How sad that this lie has been believed for centuries as the Gospels states clearly:
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. They assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.' And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy (him) and keep you out of trouble." The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present [day] (Matthew 28:11-15).
Thankfully, Catholic Culture just published a short article precisely on how such theories to disprove the Resurrection are ridiculous. Here is part of the article:
It is, of course, inconceivable that the stone could have been moved without waking the “sleeping” guards, and even more inconceivable that the grave robbers would take the trouble to unwrap the body and set the head-covering neatly aside before getting safely away. But the logical fallacy of this accusation against the disciples is more outrageous still. As St. Augustine noted, if the guards were awake, how could the theft have succeeded? And if the guards were asleep, how could they identify the disciples as thieves?
My advice: Again, don't waste your time on such blasphemy. The Gospels are the true stories - not what some 21st Century archeologist wants to believe.
Well, I knew today's Mass would be very different with it being Palm Sunday, but I wasn't expected for today. At my parish we started with a simple entrance, where everyone remained in their seats and didn't process in. I prefer the solemn procession where all process into the Church waving Palm branches.
Following this, the lector accidentally read the wrong Gospel account of the Passion for a few minutes. My priest realized this after a few minutes and gave her the correct reading. No one went to the correct Communion line - it was just a mess.
I realized Saturday night how close we truly are to Holy Saturday - it's one week away. This truly special day is the day when most people enter the Catholic faith. For me, two years ago, I experienced this firsthand - it was literally the best day of my life.
I wanted to welcome all of those new Catholics from our St. Blog's community. Could you please let me know of bloggers that will be entering the Church at the Easter Vigil this coming Saturday. I wanted to officially welcome them and create a short paragraph for each of them. I have also asked Owen at Luminous Miseries II to design a special logo for all of you new Catholics welcoming you into the Church. I will post it in a few days if everything goes well. Please feel free to display it on your blogs then.
Today is the Second Sunday of Passiontide (Palm Sunday), the day we commemorate Christ's triumphant ride into Jerusalem. All of this is alluded to in the prophecy of Zacharias 9:9-10 :
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: BEHOLD THY KING will come to thee, the just and saviour: he is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will destroy the chariot out of Ephraim, and the horse out of Jerusalem, and the bow for war shall be broken: and he shall speak peace to the Gentiles, and his power shall be from sea to sea, and from the rivers even to the end of the earth.
The people welcomed and worshipped Our Lord and Master as rode triumphantly into Jerusalem. But, in just one week the people of Jerusalem and the elders would be the ones who would call out: "Crucify Him."
The Gospel account is as follows:
And having said these things, he went before, going up to Jerusalem. And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethania, unto the mount called Olivet, he sent two of his disciples, Saying: Go into the town which is over against you, at your entering into which you shall find the colt of an ass tied, on which no man ever hath sitten: loose him, and bring him hither.
And if any man shall ask you: Why do you loose him? you shall say thus unto him: Because the Lord hath need of his service. And they that were sent, went their way, and found the colt standing, as he had said unto them. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said to them: Why loose you the colt? But they said: Because the Lord hath need of him. And they brought him to Jesus. And casting their garments on the colt, they set Jesus thereon.
And as he went, they spread their clothes underneath in the way. And when he was now coming near the descent of mount Olivet, the whole multitude of his disciples began with joy to praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works they had seen, Saying: Blessed be the king who cometh in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven, and glory on high! And some of the Pharisees, from amongst the multitude, said to him: Master, rebuke thy disciples. To whom he said: I say to you, that if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.
And when he drew near, seeing the city, he wept over it, saying: If thou also hadst known, and that in this thy day, the things that are to thy peace; but now they are hidden from thy eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, and thy enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and straiten thee on every side, And beat thee flat to the ground, and thy children who are in thee: and they shall not leave in thee a stone upon a stone: because thou hast not known the time of thy visitation (Luke 19:28-44)
So many prophesies were fulfilled on this Sunday of His Passion. In the Annunciation, Gabriel said to Mary: "The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of David, His father; and He shall reign in the house of Jacob forever." That day is now at hand.
How beautiful is the love of Our Lord! Not only did He die, but He willingly suffered all the humiliation, pain, beatings, mocking, and anxiety leading up to His death. Today we celebrate His triumphant ride into Jerusalem, where He will complete the Paschal Mystery. But, we are ever mindful that it is because of our sinfulness that the Lamb of God was forced to ride on an ass to the city of His Crucifixion.
For Christ came to die but became victorious over death. He came to suffer but rose again in splendor. We too must follow Him. We must embrace every suffering and pain in our lives. Not only must we accept these sufferings, but we most forgive our attackers. If love is not carved upon our hearts then how can we ever hope to enter Heaven? Jesus Christ was condemned by these men and women who first welcomed Him, and it is only by His forgiveness that we, like them, can hope to enter Heaven. When I pray about Heaven to Our God I do not say "Lord, permit me to enter your Kingdom." I say, "Master, permit me to sit in the farthest corner of your Kingdom that your light still might shine upon me for I am unworthy of anything greater."
We cannot completely understand what must have been the most profound joy for some as He rode in the city. Those following Jesus were even chanting: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the Kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!" This song is sung at every Catholic Mass as we remember the Kingship of the Lord.
For on this day those that were wise saw what the prophets and faithful would have died to witness - our salvation was to be won. For Christ, the Victor over death, was saving His people - the people of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. The entire New Testament leads up to this triumphant day - Christ is saving His people. Our God had come to set us free and institute the New Covenant. How great a day this must have been.
Today at Mass we will hear the Gospel account of the Passion of Our Lord. And we will also receive the Blessed Palms. The Blessing of the Palms, traditionally done with several prayers, is one of the three principal blessings in the Church's Year (the others being Candles on Candlemas and ashes on Ash Wednesday). Palms were not just used in this instance of Jesus' triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. The early martyrs are depicted in art with palms - symbolic of their own triumph over death.
O Almighty and everlasting God, Who didst cause our Savior to take upon Him our flesh and to undergo the cross, for an example of humility to be imitated by mankind: mercifully grant that we may deserve to possess not only the lesson of His patience but also the fellowship of His Resurrection. Through the same our Lord.
Today's Stational Church is at the Basilica of St. John before the Latin Gate
The Station on this eve of Palm Sunday is of a comparatively late origin—formerly, the Pope spent a part of the day distributing alms to the poor, and rested in preparation for Holy Week.
St. John's before the Latin Gate was chosen as a stational church. Near the place where the Appian Way branches off, forming the Latin Way to the left, it was built on the spot where St. John was, by order of Domitian, plunged into a cauldron of boiling oil. St. John, who with Mary shared the privilege of standing near the Cross, also joined his sacrifice to that of Christ when he gladly accepted martyrdom in the boiling oil.May St. John teach us the spirit of active, soulful participation in the very mysteries in which he did partake in with great faith, reverence and love. The mystery of the Lord's Table, the mystery of the Lord's Cross and the mystery of the Lord's Triumph.
Let us pray: May the people prosper, who are devoted to Thee by the affection of pious devotion, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that instructed by the holy rites, they may be made more pleasing to Thy majesty, and more, may they abound in excellent gifts. Through Christ, Our Lord.Amen.
For more information on the miracle here that saved the life of St. John, please see Lives of the Saints and scroll down. For more information, the Liturgy of the Hours today, and the source of the above photo, see this link.
Today is an extremely busy day for me, so I will not be posting until this afternoon at the earliest. I have a few important things to do today, so I would appreciate all of your prayers.
I wanted to share these words of inspiration for today:
Blessed Mother Teresa: "Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing."
For love of us unutterable, Jesus Christ died. He died with nails piercing his hands and feet. He died with a crown of thorns on His Sacred Head. He died after He was mocked, beaten, and bruised. His Body bled and He suffered all of this pain for you. And not just that, but if you were the only person that had ever lived, He would have died for you just the same.
Please join me this Friday in the Stations of the Cross as we remember the Lord's love. You can pray them online.
Prayer:
Behold, O kind and most sweet Jesus, I cast myself on my knees in Your sight, and with the most fervent desire of my soul, I pray and beg You to impress upon my heat lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm desire of amendment, while with deep affection and grief of soul I ponder within myself and mentally contemplate Your five most precious Wounds; having before my eyes that which David spoke in prophecy: "They pierced My hands and My feet; they have numbered all My bones."
We beginning journeying toward the end of Lent and today's station is at the Basilica of St. Stephen on Mt. Ceolius
This Lenten Station takes us back to a sacred area, which still preserves its aura of mystery. This area was sacred to the pagans, who had, on the nearby Palatine Hill, the black rock of the Magna Mater and who had there the sacred land, on which the "profane" outsiders were forbidden to set foot. It was sacred also to the Christians, who even today venerate it as the place, which gave martyrdom and glory to saints.
St. Stephen on Mt. Ceolius, or St. Stephen Rotondo as the Romans call it because of its circular plan, is among the most ancient of the round churches with its altar in the center and thus visible from all sides. It was built between 400 and 450 and was consecrated by Pope Simplicius.St. Stephen was the first martyr—or witness—of Christ. While dying, he beheld the Savior at the right hand of the Father in Heaven.
Thus, it was fitting to assemble in this basilica at this holy time, consecrated to the memory of the Savior's Passion, which prepares us to celebrate His triumph at Easter.
Let us pray: Pour forth Thy grace into our hearts, we beseech Thee, O Lord, that we who refrain from sin by self-denial, may be rather afflicted in time than condemned to eternal punishment. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Today's Stational Church is the Church of St. Apollinaris
There are actually two stational churches indicated for today. The first Lenten Station was established by Pope Gregory II (715-731) in the Church of St. Apollinaris and the second established by Pope Pius IX (1846-1878) with apostolic privilege in the Church of St. Mary the New in the Roman Forum as a closing for a Holy Year of Redemption.
A week from today we shall begin the Pascal Mysteries. The truer the sorrow for our sins and the greater the realization of the need of God's grace, the more fruitful will be the efficacy of these Pascal Mysteries.
Let us pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the dignity of human nature wounded by excess, may be reformed by the practice of self-denial. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
O good and dearest Jesus, I kneel before your face. With all my heart I ask you to place in my heart more faith, hope and charity. Give me a true sorrow for my sins and a strong will to do better With great sorrow and grief I look upon your five wounds and think about them. Before my eyes are the words that the prophet David said of you, O good Jesus: "They have pierced my hands and feet They have numbered all my bones."
Prayer Source: Holy Lent by Eileen O'Callaghan, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1975
I opened up my email this afternoon and found this quite amusing joke.
God is sitting in heaven when a scientist prays to Him, "God, we don't need you anymore.
Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing. In other words, we can now do what you did in the "beginning."!
"Oh, is that so? Tell me..." replies God. "Well," says the scientist, "We can take dirt and form it into the likeness of you and breathe life into it, thus creating man. "God answered; "Well, that's interesting...show Me." So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil.
"No, no, no...interrupted God; "Get your own dirt."
Today is Thursday, April 6, 2006. Let's try something new today. As Lent begins to near its end, we will soon remember Christ's death on the cross on Good Friday. Let's begin reflecting on our Lent and, if necessary, begin incorporating extra penance this week. Remember, we don't perform penance to earn salvation, but rather to show God that extra love for Him - who loved us so much that He allowed nails to be driven into His Hands and feet. He allowed a crown of thorns to pierce His Precious Head, and He allowed himself to be beaten with a rod. He allowed a Cross to burden him and wound his shoulder. Christ allowed himself to have his skin ripped apart in the scourging. He allowed Himself to die. The King of Glory came not to be honored but to die - to be condemned by sinners and to die on a tree. All of this was done out of pure love that we, His executioners, may one day be pardoned.
Today's scripture meditation:
"But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you" (1 Peter 3:15)
I also had to include some words of Blessed Mother Teresa:
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world."
This is my last reminder about this devotion for this year. If you have not participated yet, I strongly encourage you to do so.
The devotion of having a special patron saint for the year chose you is still ongoing! This isn't built on superstition or the like. Rather, a friend of mine over the Internet has a tin of 1500 saint names. I relay each name/screenname to her that askes for a saint, and she pulls a saint name for each person. The connections for some have fit to the tee and others have had to dive deeper into a relationship with their saint.
Above all, saints are alive in Heaven and continue to intercede for us. This is a part of our faith as stated in the Nicene and Apostle's Creeds. Their intercession is a wonderful part of our faith
If you'd like a special saint, just ask and it shouldn't be more than a few days. This is a great tradition and if you have not participated yet, it's a great addition to our lenten purpose of getting back to Christ.
Here is a comment below that is from the person that is drawing the saints:
Let me just say that it is NEVER too late to request a patron saint for the year! Believe me, they are just sitting back and waiting for you to request them! For those that are wondering how to build a deeper relationship with their saints, I would recommend "googling" their saint and getting as much information as possible ... for so many, the connections will be obvious and almost frightening! For others, the connections will not seem to be there at all ... but don't fret and don't give up hope! Pray, meditate and talk to your saint and ask them why they chose you. Believe me, you will find out! Probably when you least expect it. Take a good, hard look at your life and compare things in your saint's life with your own. Maybe your saint is telling you something about how you are living your life. Perhaps your saint is a patron saint for some difficulty or cross in your life. Perhaps your saint's feast day is an important day in your life. Maybe your saint bore their cross in a way that will make your cross easier for you. Who knows and who will know better than you? And when you find out ... let us know. God bless and have fun finding out what your heavenly intercessor is all about!
Today's Stational Church is at the Church of St. Marcellus
A patient sufferer, condemned by his enemies to work in a horse-stable, the good shepherd, Pope Marcellus, is our leader today to the King of Martyrs, Christ, our Good Shepherd.Why must a human being suffer, physically, spiritually, or both? This has always been and ever will be, the great problem—indeed a problem and a riddle for the worldly individual, but not for the follower of Christ, who finds the answer at the foot of the Cross.
For the Christ-loving soul, there is no suffering for suffering sake, there is suffering only for Easter sake, with its peace and strength and never fading victory.The mystery of the Cross is the great answer, a solution, which the carnal-minded man will never find. St. Marcellus found it, and having found it, suffered gladly as a true athlete of Christ. "I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou has upheld me and has not made my enemies to rejoice over me."
Let us pray: Sanctify this fast, O God, and mercifully enlightening the hearts of Thy faithful, do Thou hear favorable those to whom Thou grant the grace of devotion. Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
"Anyone is capable of going to Heaven. Heaven is our home. Dying is not the end, it is just the beginning. Death is a continuation of life. This is the meaning of eternal life; it is where our soul goes to God, to be in the presence of God, to see God, to speak to God, to continue loving Him with greater love. We only surrender our body in death - our heart and our soul live forever."
The Philippine Foundation for Breast Cancer is now the 8th Medical Association claiming a high risk of breast cancer because of abortion. Not only does abortion murder an innocent child, but it hurts the mother too.
"[W]e acknowledge the abortion and breast cancer link based on the physiologic changes in the breast lobules of a woman who chose to deliberately interrupt her pregnancy (induced abortion) and the risk for breast cancer this will pose to that woman," Dr. Santos wrote.
Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life, And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters. I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion, Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death by the Resurrection of Your Son. I am ready to do my part in ending abortion. Today I commit myself Never to be silent, Never to be passive, Never to be forgetful of the unborn. I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement, And never to stop defending life Until all my brothers and sisters are protected, And our nation once again becomes A nation with liberty and justice Not just for some, but for all, Through Christ our Lord. Amen!
This passage of scripture came from last Sunday's Mass readings, but how appropriate they are as we journey closer to Lent. We must remember that we too must follow the Lord - we must serve Him.
But Jesus answered them, saying: The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24 Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, 25 Itself remaineth alone. But if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal. 26 If any man minister to me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my minister be. If any man minister to me, him will my Father honour. John 12:23-26
Last year John Paul ll left this world for the next, but Pope Benedict XVI has continued to preach the truth of the pro-life movement. This not only includes the sinfulness of abortion but also embryonic stem cell research, in-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, artificial contraception, gay marriage, and euthanasia to name only a few.
Pope Benedict XVI said, "Every human life as such deserves to be always defended
and promoted," Benedict observed. "Life is exalted while it is enjoyable, but there is a tendency to stop respecting it when it is sick or experiences some kind of disability."
An April 2005 Quinnipiac poll found that most American Catholics agreed with John Paul ll's condemnation of abortion. The poll also found that two-thirds of Catholics oppose abortion in all or most cases. Eighty percent said that the pope's position should also remain the same.
Let us pray that two-thirds will become three-thirds one day because abortion is an intrinsic evil, something that is never acceptable in any situation.
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Matthew is a Third Order Dominican from Chicago and an expert on Catholicism, with an emphasis on Traditional Fasting. He has written for "A Catholic Life" since 2005. Matthew is a Certified Catechist and is a speaker available to address your next parish or Catholic conference gathering. Matthew spends his leisure time traveling, teaching, writing, and enjoying Catholic culture. He is also a writer for "Catholic Family News" and "The Fatima Center." Please contact Matthew directly regarding advertising requests for A Catholic Life or in regard to speaking engagements.
