Today is Holy Thursday, known as Maundy Thursday, from the Latin "mandatum" meaning commandment. We give special attention on this day for the word Jesus gives the Apostles at the Last Supper in the Gospel acclamation, "I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 13:34). On this day the Lenten season ends and the Paschal Triduum begins. For more about this day please click on the image. Peace be with you!
Palm Sunday is an event which marks the prophetic return of the Messiah; the One who would return to gather the twelve tribes of Israel; the One who would gather his people and be their king. This entrance into Jerusalem is Jesus, King of Israel, King of Kings, entering into our lives, and is as real today as it was that Sunday, riding on a colt. For a beautiful reflection on the biblical significance of Palm Sunday from our friends at Catholic Imagery, please click on the image. Peace be with you!
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the reliving of the final seven days of Jesus' earthly ministry. On this day the Church recalls the triumphal entrance of the Messiah into Jerusalem in order to accomplish the Pascal Mystery: His Passion, death, burial, and Resurrection for the salvation of all mankind. Jesus rode into the city on a colt as the crowd laid their cloaks and palm branches on the road before him, shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest!" (Mt 21:1-11; Mk 11:1-11; Ps 118:25-26). For more about this day, which begins the holiest week of the year for Christians, please click on the image. Peace be with you!
Through the cleansing waters of baptism Jesus heals our sinful nature and clothes us with his own Divine life, bringing us into the Kingdom of God. It is by imitating Our Lord in his Baptism that a person becomes a Christian, the first sacrament of initiation into the Church. The feast of the Baptism of the Lord marks the end of the Christmas season on the new liturgical calendar. For more about this day, please click on the image. Peace be with you!
The Solemnity of the Epiphany is celebrated either on January 6 or, according to the decision of the episcopal conference, on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. From our friends at Catholic News Agency: The Epiphany of Our Lord is the Christian feast observed on Jan. 6th each year. The word “epiphany” comes from the Greek epiphainen, a verb that means "to shine upon," "to manifest," or “to make known.” Thus, the feast of the Epiphany celebrates the many ways that Christ has made Himself known to the world, mainly the three events that manifested the mission and divinity of Christ: the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12), the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:9-11), and the miracle at Cana (John 2:1-11). The visit of the Magi is emphasized on Epiphany Day, and Christ's baptism is celebrated the first Sunday that follows. For more about this day, please click on the image. Peace be with you!
