EASTER SUNDAY

Easter Sunday   The Temple of Christ's Body is restored; He is risen, alleluia! Today is the Feast of Feasts! On this, the holiest day of the entire year, and for the entire Octave of Easter, Latin Catholics greet each other with the words of Luke 24:34, "Surrexit Dominus vere, alleluia!" ("The Lord is risen indeed!"). The person so greeted responds, "Et apparuit Simoni, alleluia!" ("And hath appeared unto Simon!"). Catholics may even answer their telephones with this greeting. An old Ukrainian legend relates that, after His Resurrection, Christ threw Satan into a deep pit, chaining him with twelve iron chains. When Satan has chewed through each of the twelve chains, the end of the world will come. All year long, the Evil One gnaws at the iron, getting to the last link in the last chain -- but too late, for it is Easter, and when the people cry "Christ is risen!" all of Satan's efforts are reversed. When the faithful stop saying the Easter acclamation, the end of time has come... Throughout the entire Easter Season, the Angelus prayer that is offered, when possible, at the ringing of the Angelus bells, is replaced by the joyous Regina Coeli, which begins, "Queen of Heaven rejoice, alleluia: For He whom you merited to bear, alleluia, Has risen as He said, alleluia." On this most beautiful of Feasts, the Easter table should be adorned with the best of everything -- the most beautiful china, a pure, white tablecloth, the best possible wine, flowers (especially pussy willow, lilies, and spring bulb flowers), etc., all with the colors white and gold -- symbolizing purity and glory -- and the traditional symbols of Easter predominating. And we should look our best, too; it is common for those who can afford it to buy a new outfit to wear on this day. This custom springs from the idea of "newness" inherent in the entire Season -- the new members of the Church baptized at the Vigil in their new Baptismal albs, the New Law, a new life in Christ. The Paschal Candle representing the Light of Christ (Lumen Christi) is the centerpiece of the table today and, like the Paschal Candle at church, is relit each day (such as at dinner and during family prayer) until the Feast of the Ascension in 40 days when the Light of the World leaves us to ascend to His Father. The candle should be large and white, and should be surrounded with flowers and the symbols of Easter. It can be carved with the Cross and the numbers for the current year as the church's Paschal Candle was yesterday -- first the Cross, then the Greek letters, then the numbers of the current year as in the diagram below. The cuts can be painted to make them stand out (try gold or deep red paint), and 5 grains of incense can be inserted at the ends and center of the Cross to symbolize the 5 Wounds (some people use cloves in place of incense at home, but if you have 5 grains of incense blessed on theFeast of the Epiphany, all the better) . The words to pray when making the cuts: 1     While cutting the vertical branch of the Cross: Christus heri et hódie Christ yesterday and today. While cutting the horizontal branch of the Cross: Princípium et Finis, the Beginning and the End, While cutting the Greek letters: Alpha et Omega. Alpha and Omega. While cutting the millenial figure of the year at the upper left quadrant: Ipsíus sunt témpora His are the times While cutting the second figure of the year in the upper right quadrant: et sæcula. and ages. When cutting the decade figure of the year in the lower left quadrant: Ipsi glória et impérium To Him be glory and dominion When cutting the last figure of the year in the lower right quadrant: per univérsa æternitátis sæcula. Amen. through all ages of eternity. Amen When inserting incense for the First Wound: Per sua sancta vúlnera By His holy When inserting incense for the Second Wound: gloriósa and glorious wounds When inserting incense for the Third Wound: custódiat may He guard When inserting incense for the Fourth Wound: et consérvet nos and preserve us, When inserting incense for the Fifth Wound: Christus Dóminus. Amen. Christ the Lord. Amen. As the candle is lit: Lumen Christi glorióse resurgéntis díssipet ténebras cordis et mentis. May the light of Christ in glory rising again dispel the darkness of heart and mind. It was once believed that the flesh of the peacock never corrupts, so peacocks became the classic symbol of immortality. They are an ancient Christian symbol of the Resurrection, and representations of them are found on the tombs of ancient Christians as an expression of their hope to follow Christ in His defeat of death. Bells are another lovely symbol for the day as they are said to have gone to Rome on Maundy Thursday only to have started returning home at last evening's Easter Vigil to ring joyfully (in France and Belgium, it is these bells, not the Easter bunny, that bring the Easter eggs -- see below). In the United States, the most common symbol of that glorious resurrection for the entire Easter Season is the lily (lilium longiflorum). Jesus loved lilies!:  Luke 12:27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. But I say to you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. The lily represents purity, chastity, innocence, and St. Gabriel's trumpet, and is a symbol of Our Lady and used to depict the purity of the Saints, especially SS. Joseph, Francis, Clare, Anthony of Padua, and Catherine of Siena. In America, it has become, too, a symbol of the Resurrection. Legend says that lilies originated with Eve's tears when the first couple was banished from the Garden of Eden. Other legend says that they sprang up from the ground when drops of blood fell to the foot of the Cross. It is interesting that these two legends exist, because Christ, the New Adam, wipes away the tears of the children of Eve who became the children of Mary when Christ gave her to us, through John, from the Cross. Mary herself is symbolized also by another lily, lilium candidum, or the Madonna Lily (or "Annunciation Lily").2 Butterflies, too, are an apt symbol of the day's meaning. Beginning life as lowly humble caterpillars, they "entomb" themselves in cocoons only to emerge with jewel-colored wings and the ability to soar. What better symbol of the Resurrection -- except maybe for eggs, which had always been symbols of Spring and were items of wonderment to all -- an inanimate object out of which comes life. For Christians, they became the perfect symbol of the tomb Christ conquered, and Jews used (and used) them on their Passover, too, as the Haggadot specifically calls for it as a symbol of rebirth (this is a rabbinical command, not a Scriptural one). 3 Another level of symbolism is that the egg represents birth, the Creation, the elements, and the world itself, with the shell representing the firmament, the vault of the sky where the fiery stars lie; the thin membrane symbolizing air; the white symbolizing the waters; and the yolk representing earth. Painted red, eggs are a demonstration that the salvation and re-birth of the world comes through Christ's Blood and Resurrection. Old legend has it that St. Mary Magdalen went to Rome and met with the Emperor Tiberius to tell him about the Resurrection of Jesus. She held out an egg to him as a symbol of this, and he scoffed, saying that a man could no more rise from the dead than that egg that she held could turn scarlet. The egg turned deep red in her hands, and this is the origin of Easter eggs, and the reason why Mary Magdalen is often portrayed holding a scarlet egg. Because of this legend and all of the egg's symbolism, and because eggs are special because they were once forbidden during Lent, Christians make great use of them on this day, eating them, decorating them, and decorating with them. Red is the classic color to use when dying eggs to be eaten, but other colors are more often used these days (pastels being the most common in the United States). Eggs used only for decorative purposes may have their contents blown out and their shells turned into highly ornamental works of art ("Longshanks" -- King Edward I of England, 1239-1307 -- paid to have 450 eggs decorated with gold leaf to give out to the members of his household). Or the "eggs" may be wooden or ceramic and used to adorn the Easter table. The exquisite pysanky of Eastern Europe, made by subsequent applications of wax and dipping in dyes, are one of Easter's treasures, and the forty-nine ceramic, bejewelled eggs created -- only one or two each year at Eastertime -- for the Russian royal family by master jeweller, Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920), are museum pieces.  Easter eggs that are to be eaten may be blessed by the priest (sometimes on Holy Saturday with the rest of the Easter foods brought to church in a basket, or sometimes after the liturgy today) with the following blessing from the Roman Ritual:   P: Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini   P. Our help is in the Name of the Lord R: Qui fecit caelum et terra. R. Who made Heaven and earth P: Dominus vobiscum. P. The Lord be with you. R: Et cum spiritu tuo. R. And with thy spirit. Subveniat, quaesumus Domine, tuae benedictionis + gratia, huic Ovorum creaturae: ut cibus salubris fiat fidelibus tuis, in tuarum gratiarum actione sumentibus, ob resurrectionem Domini nostri Jesu Christi, qui tecum vivit et regnat in saecula saeculorum. Amen. May the grace of Thy blessing, we beseech Thee, O Lord, + come upon these eggs, that they may become a wholesome food for Thy faithful, who gratefully receive them in honor of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth unto endless ages. Amen.http://www.fisheaters.com/customseastertide2.html

HOLY SATURDAY

http://www.fisheaters.com/customslent15.html

Holy Saturday Christ is in His tomb. Rather, His Body is in the tomb, but when His Soul left His Body, He descended into Hell to "free the captives." "Hell" here refers to the place of the dead in general ("Sheol" in the Hebrew, or "Hades" in the Greek), not to the place of torment with which the word "Hell" is most usually associated with today. The world "Hell" in the loosest, earliest sense includes: the Limbo of the Fathers, the place for those who were righteous by charity and faith in the coming Messias and who died before His Coming   the Limbo of Infants, where, possibly, those who are sent who die without personal guilt but without Baptism after the time of Christ, or who died without charity and faith in the coming Messias before the time of Christ. This would be a place of beautiful, natural happiness, no punishment, and no sensible suffering.   Purgatory, where righteous people go to be cleansed of the temporal effects of their sins    Gehenna, the "Hell of the Lost," the eternal place of punishment for the damned, the place we usually refer to as simply "Hell" today It was to the Limbo of the Fathers that Christ descended, a place of the dead that was emptied through His Passion, Resurrection and Ascension, and no longer exists. By this "Harrowing of Hell," as His Descent is sometimes called, the doors to Heaven were swung open so that those who die in a state of grace may enter in, alleluia! Adam, Eve, Noe, Abraham, Moses, the good thief on the cross -- all the righteous were illuminated by the Presence of Christ in the place of death, making Sheol itself a paradise. They remained there with Him until His Bodily Resurrection when the the "bars of Hell" were broken down and they were later able to enter into Heaven itself with His glorious Ascension. Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began... ..He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him -- He who is both their God and the son of Eve.. "I am your God, who for your sake have become your son... ...I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead." [Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday: PG 43, 440A, 452C; LH, Holy Saturday, OR] Because of this great silence, today there will be no Mass (until the Vigil Mass tonight, which technically is Easter); instead, there is a solemn service. Today is traditionally a day of abstinence in addition to being a day of fasting, until the Vigil Mass, when the Lenten Fast ends. Though this fasting requirement was abolished in the new Code of Canon Law, traditional Catholics follow the traditional practice. In some churches today, priests will bless Easter baskets containing the foods eaten tomorrow (in other places, the baskets will be blessed after the liturgy tomorrow). Baskets bearing Easter bread, Easter eggs, meats, butter, horseradish, and salt are brought to church, blessed, and taken home to await the great feast tomorrow (see the Easter Day page for more information). As said, in the evening -- very late in the evening -- there will be a true Mass, the Vigil Mass that begins Easter -- a most joyous Mass during which Catechumens are baptized into the Church (neither the Creed nor Offertory are said) and the alleluia returns. This is a Mass that must be experienced! It is a very long service, but so beautiful, and when it is finished, Easter is here and the somberness that began on Good Friday is over; candles may be relit at home, music can be restored to the house, etc. The Vigil Mass starts in darkness; the lights of the church are extinguished. Then comes the Blessing of the New Fire and Blessing of the Paschal Candle: outdoors, if possible, the priest, wearing an amice, alb, stole and purple cope, blesses the new fire with Holy Water and prayer. This new fire is a symbol of Christ Who enlightens us. The acolyte will then fill the thurible with some of the coals from the fire, and the priest will fill it with incense and incense the new fire. The priest then carves into the wax of the Paschal candle the following: a Cross, the Alpha and Omega signs, and the year. 5 grains of incense symbolizing the 5 wounds of Christ are fixed into the candle, which is lit from the new fire. These incisions in the wax will follow the pattern below (see the page on Easter Sunday for more information on the Paschal candle itself): When we re-enter the church, we all light our own candles from the Paschal Candle, which is then put in its place in the sanctuary, incensed, and will remain in the church until the Feast of the Ascension. At this point, the deacon will sing the joyous song of praise which is the Proclamation of Easter -- the Exúltet (or "Praeconium"). Note that during the Exúltet, you will hear the words "felix culpa," which mean "happy fault." This refers to the line before it, "O truly needful sin of Adam, which was blotted out by the death of Christ." It means that without Adam's sin, we would've not been sent the Redeemer. Adam and Eve would've lived in an earthly paradise without death -- but also without Heaven and without being able to share in the Divine life on earth. You will also hear repeated the words "This is the night..." Note, too, the beautiful praise of bees: Therefore, on this sacred night, receive, holy Father, the flame of this evening sacrifice, which holy Church presents to Thee by the hands of Thy ministers in the solemn offering of this Candle of wax, the work of bees. Now we know the excellence of this pillar, which the glowing fire enkindles to the glory of God. Which, although divied into parts, suffers no loss from its light being borrowed. For it is nourished by the melting wax, which the mother bee produced for the substance of this precious lamp. After four (very, very) long readings, called the Lessons, which are a basic review of salvation History, any catechumens are baptized, and all the previously baptized renew their Baptismal promises. It begins when we recite the Litany of the Saints, but stop halfway through, after the prayer to "All ye holy Virgins and Widows, All ye holy Saints of God" (you can download this Litany, in Microsoft Word .doc format, in English or in Latin). At this point, the Baptismal waters are blessed, with the Easter Candle being dipped into it three times, and the priest blowing his breath over it three times in the shape of the Cross. This breathing over the waters recalls the Spirit over the waters at Creation, and the Spirit (wind, breath, "ruach") causing the waters of Noe's flood to subside, and how the Spirit was manifest as a dove over the waters of the Jordan at Christ's Baptism. Then follow the Baptism of the Catechumens and the renewal of the baptismal promises of the already-baptized. We renew those promises by answering the questions (as a group) posed in the Renunciation of Satan and in the Profession of Faith in the Baptismal Rite. The Pater is recited, followed by a prayer that God keeps us in Christ. This is followed by a sprinkling of the congregation with the baptismal waters, and then finishing the Litany of All Saints. After this, the end of Lent is signalled: the Gloria and alleluia return -- and when they do, the statues are unveiled, the church lit up, the bells, said to have flown to Rome on Maundy Thursday, now have begun to finish their flight home and peal wildly... It is a truly glorious moment! The building of great fires, the lighting of candles, and other means of illumination are the greatest symbol of Christ after the Vigil. If possible, relight the candles you have burning before icons on your family altar with fire from the New Fire, and keep the flame alive all year until next Good Friday. If you can't make it to the Vigil Mass, praying around bonfires is the next best thing. This poem by the poet Prudentius (b. 348) sums up the Christian attitude toward light as a symbol of Christ on this night and on Easter Sunday: Inventor rutilis Eternal God, O Lord of Light, Who hast created day and night: The sun has set, and shadows deep Now over land and waters creep; But darkness must not reign today: Grant us the light of Christ, we pray.

GOOD FRIDAY

http://www.fisheaters.com/customslent14.html

Good Friday

Good Friday1 (also called "Great Friday" or "Holy Friday") is the most somber day of the entire year. A silence pervades, socializing is kept to a minimum, things are done quietly; it is a day of mourning; it is a funeral. The Temple of the Body of Christ is destroyed, capping the the penitential seasons begun on Septuagesima Sunday and becoming more intense throughout Lent. Traditional Catholics wear black, cover their mirrors, extinguish candles and any lamps burning before icons, keep amusements and distractions down, and go about the day in great solemnity. Jesus was put on the Cross at the very end of the third hour (the time between 9 and noon), and almost the sixth hour. He died at the ninth hour: Mark 15:25, 33 And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him... And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour. Because Jesus was on the Cross between the hours of Noon and 3:00 PM, these three hours today are considered the most sacred of all. A devotion called "Tre Ore" or "Three Hours' Agony" might be held at this time; if not, you can do it yourself by meditating on His Passion -- reading the Gospel narratives of the Passion, making the Stations of the Cross by yourself, praying the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, praying the Litany of the Passion, etc. Draw the curtains, take the phone off the hook, turn off televisions and radios, quiet your environment and yourself, and meditate on what Christ has done for you. At 3:00, "The Hour" He died, the atmosphere should be as if you are standing next to the deathbed of your father who died a moment ago. Catholics also focus their attention on Mary this day and tomorrow (Holy Saturday), empathizing with the pain she endured as Our Lady of Sorrows. In another break in the tradition of veiling statues since Passion Sunday, they might dress the image of Our Lady in a black dress or veil, placing flowers of mourning before it in her honor. Though a somber atmosphere will last until the Easter Vigil, after "The Hour" (3:00 PM) passes, it eases a bit, and life can go back to a "somber normal." The phone can put back on the hook, etc., but candles and other symbols of Christ shouldn't be used, music shouldn't be played, raucous games should be eliminated, etc., while Christ is "in His Tomb" -- i.e., until after Vigil of Holy Saturday when Eastertide officially begins. No true Mass is offered today (or tomorrow until the Vigil tomorrow evening); instead a liturgy called the "Mass of the Presanctified" is offered , which is not a true Mass because no consecration takes place. Instead, we consume Hosts consecrated at yesterday's Mass. Vestment colors will be black, and the liturgy consists of lessons, prayer, St. John's version of the Passion, and ends with a long series of prayers for various intentions: the Church, the Pope, the faithful, those engaged in public affairs, catechumens, the needs of the faithful, unity, the conversion of the Jews, the conversion of infidels. These intentions are called the Great Intercessions, and we kneel after each. Then the Cross will be unveiled and and elevated to be adored by our kneeling three times before it at the words "Venite, adorémus" (come, let us adore). We kneel thrice because He was mocked thrice: in the high priest's courtyard, in Pilate's house, and on Mt. Calvary. Then the priest lays the Cross on a cushion and covers it with a white veil to symbolize the Entombment. He takes off his shoes, like Moses before God, and kneels three times as the choir chants. He and his acolytes kneel and kiss the Cross. The Cross is held up for us, and we file past - - men first, then women -- to kneel and kiss the Cross while the choir sings the Improperia (the Reproaches) of Christ, in which Our Lord reminds of us all He has done for us and our ingratitude towards Him. Note the use of the singular "thee" in these Reproaches. Our Lord is speaking to you. The first three of the twelve Reproaches are: O My people, wha have I done to thee? Or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer Me. Because I led thee out of the land of Egypt, thou hast prepared a Cross for thy Savior. Because I led thee out through the desert forty years: and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good, thou has prepared a Cross for thy Savior. What more ought I to have done for thee, that I have not done? I planted thee, ineed, My most beautiful vineyard: and thou has become exceeding bitter to Me: for in My thirst thou gavest Me vinegar to drinkL and with a lance thou hast pierced the side of thy Savior. A second choir responds to each of those Reproaches with a trisagion in Greek and Latin. You might recognize its English translation if you've ever prayed the Divine Mercy chaplet: O holy God! O holy God! O holy strong One! O holy strong One! O holy immortal One, have mercy on us. O holy immortal One, have mercy on us! The remaining nine Reproaches are answered with the response " O my people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I afflicted thee? Answer me." ("Popule meus, quid feci tibi? aut in quo constristavi te? responde mihi."). The words evoke awe in reminding us of our ancient Israelite heritage -- and evoke humility in recalling how our ancestors failed repeatedly: For thy sake I scourged Egypt with its first-born: and thou didst deliver Me up to be scourged. I led thee out of Egypt having drowned Pharao in the Red Sea: and thou to the chief priests didst deliver Me. I opened the sea before thee: and thou with a spear didst open My side. I went before thee in a pillar of cloud: and thou didst lead Me to the judgment hall of Pilate. I fed thee with manna in the desert; and thou didst beat Me with blows and scourges. I gave thee the water of salvation from the rock to drink: and thou didst give Me gall and vinegar. For thy sake I struck the kings of the Chanaanites: and thou didst strike My head with a reed. I gave thee a royal scepter: and thou didst give My head a crown of thorns. I exalted thee with great strength: and thou didst hang Me on the gibbet of the Cross. After the Reproaches, we receive Communion, receiving Hosts consecrated at yesterday's Mass. It is customary for churches to offer the Way of the Cross devotion on this day, especially around 3:00, the hour of His death. And, again, there may be a tenebrae service (consisting of the Matins and Lauds for Holy Saturday). Our Lord was laid in the tomb owned by St. Joseph of Arimethea, at a site over which stands now the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, first built on the spot by St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. In Jesus's time, the tomb was outside the city; by the time St. Helena was told of it, it was inside the city walls because Hadrian expanded the city's perimeter -- and had built a pagan temple over the site. The basilica built by St. Helena was destroyed by Caliph al-Hakim in A.D. 1009, and was later re-built over time. 2  The exact spot where "the New Adam" was crucified is marked inside the Basilica, and is said to stand over the place where the first Adam was buried. Matthew tells us what happened when Our Lord's Soul left His Body: Matthew 27:51 And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent. Tradition tells us that among those rocks which were rent were those beneath the Cross, and that His Blood dripped down into the crevices (visible today) and reached the spot where the first Adam was interred. The Blood of the New Adam covers the sins of the first Adam! 3 A chapel to the first Adam sits under the area marked as the place Our Lord died. We know the names of the thieves between whom Jesus was cruficied from the apocryphal "Acts of Pilate" (or "Gospel of Nicodemus"), attributed to St. Nicodemus, the member of the Sanhedrin who, along with St. Joseph of Arimethea, entombed Jesus (John 19:39). Book IX:5 reads Then Pilate commanded the veil to be drawn before the judgement-seat whereon he sat, and saith unto Jesus: Thy nation hath convicted Thee as being a king: therefore have I decreed that Thou shouldest first be scourged according to the law of the pious emperors, and thereafter hanged upon the Cross in the garden wherein Thou wast taken: and let Dysmas and Gestas the two malefactors be crucified with Thee. Dismas is considered a Saint -- the patron of prisoners -- and his memorial is on 25 March, the date believed to be the date of the Crucifixion. You'll note that the date is the same as the Feast of the Annunciation, when St. Gabriel visited Mary to tell her she was to have a son; it is ancient tradition that the Prophets died on the same day they were conceived. Legend has it that when the Holy Family went on their "flight to Egypt" to escape Herod's wrath, they were accosted by thieves, among whom were Dismas and Gestas. Dismas felt that there was something different about this Family, and ordered his comrades to leave them alone. His act of natural virtue was repaid by the supernatural gift of faith he received when being crucified next to Our Lord. This pious tale is recounted in the Arabic Infancy Gospel, an apocryphal book likely dated to the 4th c., and originally in Syriac. In it, the thieves' names are given as Titus and Dumachus: And turning away from this place, they came to a desert; and hearing that it was infested by robbers, Joseph and the Lady Mary resolved to cross this region by night. But as they go along, behold, they see two robbers lying in the way, and along with them a great number of robbers, who were their associates, sleeping. Now those two robbers, into whose hands they had fallen, were Titus and Dumachus. Titus therefore said to Dumachus: I beseech thee to let these persons go freely, and so that our comrades may not see them. And as Dumachus refused, Titus said to him again: Take to thyself forty drachmas from me, and hold this as a pledge. At the same time he held out to him the belt which he had about his waist, to keep him from opening his mouth or speaking. And the Lady Mary, seeing that the robber had done them a kindness, said to him: The Lord God will sustain thee by His right hand, and will grant thee remission of thy sins. And the Lord Jesus answered, and said to His mother: Thirty years hence, O my mother, the Jews will crucify me at Jerusalem, and these two robbers will be raised upon the cross along with me, Titus on my right hand and Dumachus on my left; and after that day Titus shall go before me into Paradise. And she said: God keep this from thee, my son. And they went thence towards a city of idols, which, as they came near it, was changed into sand-hills. See also: the footnotes of the Mary Gardens page for information about and pictures of the flowers that the women used for Jesus's funeral, and the page on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross for information about the True Cross.

MAUNDY THURSDAY

http://www.fisheaters.com/customslent13.html

Maundy Thursday

This day, Maundy Thursday (also "Holy Thursday" or "Shire Thursday"1) commemorates Christ's Last Supper and the initiation of the Eucharist. Its name of "Maundy" comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "command." This stems from Christ's words in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give unto you." It is the first of the three days known as the "Triduum," and after the Vigil tonight, and until the Vigil of Easter, a more profoundly somber attitude prevails (most especially during the hours between Noon and 3:00 PM on Good Friday). Raucous amusements should be set aside... The Last Supper took place in "the upper room" of the house believed to have been owned by John Mark and his mother, Mary (Acts 12:12). This room, also the site of the Pentecost, is known as the "Coenaculum" or the "Cenacle" and is referred to as "Holy and glorious Sion, mother of all churches" in St. James' Liturgy. At the site of this place -- our first Christian church -- a basilica was built in the 4th century. It was destroyed by Muslims and later re-built by the Crusaders. Underneath the place is the tomb of David. After the Supper, He went outside the Old City of Jerusalem, crossed the Kidron Valley, and came to the Garden of Gethsemani, a place whose name means "Olive Press," and where olives still grow today. There He suffered in three ineffable ways: He knew exactly what would befall Him physically and mentally -- every stroke, every thorn in the crown He would wear, every labored breath He would try to take while hanging on the Cross, the pain in each glance at His mother; He knew that He was taking on all the sins of the world -- all the sins that had ever been or ever will be committed; and, finally, He knew that, for some people, this Sacrifice would not be fruitful because they would reject Him. Here He was let down by His Apostles when they fell asleep instead of keeping watch, here is where He was further betrayed by Judas with a kiss, and where He was siezed by "a great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief Priests and the ancients of the people" and taken before Caiphas, the high priest, where he was accused of blasphemy, beaten, spat upon, and prepared to be taken to Pontius Pilate tomorrow morning. As for today's liturgies, in the morning, the local Bishop will offer a special Chrism Mass during which blesses the oils used in Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Unction, and the consecration of Altars and churches. At the evening Mass, after the bells ring during the Gloria, they are rung no more until the Easter Vigil (a wooden clapper called a "crotalus" is used insead). Parents explain this to their children by saying that the all the bells fly to Rome after the Gloria of the Mass on Maundy Thursday to visit the Popes. Children are told that the bells sleep on the roof of St. Peter's Basilica, and, bringing Easter eggs with them, start their flight home at the Gloria at the Easter Vigil, when when they peal wildly. Then comes the Washing of the Feet after the homily, a rite performed by Christ upon His disciples to prepare them for the priesthood and the marriage banquet they will offer, and which is rooted in the Old Testament practice of foot-washing in preparation for the marital embrace (II Kings 11:8-11, Canticles 5:3) and in the ritual ablutions performed by the High Priest of the Old Covenant (contrast Leviticus 16:23-24 with John 13:3-5). The priest girds himself with a cloth and washes the feet of 12 men he's chosen to represent the Apostles for the ceremony. The rest of the Mass after the Washing of the Feet has a special form, unlike all other Masses. After the Mass, the priest takes off his chasuble and vests in a white cope. He returns to the Altar, incenses the Sacred Hosts in the ciborium, and, preceded by the Crucifer and torchbearers, carries the Ciborium to the "Altar of Repose," also called the "Holy Sepulchre," where it will remain "entombed" until the Mass of the Presanctified on Good Friday. Then there follows the Stripping of the Altars, during which everything is removed as Antiphons and Psalms are recited. All the glorious symbols of Christ's Presence are removed to give us the sense of His entering most fully into His Passion. Christ enters the Garden of Gethsemani; His arrest is imminent. Fortescue's "Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described" tells us: "From now till Saturday no lamps in the church are lit. No bells are rung. Holy Water should be removed from all stoups and thrown into the sacrarium. A small quantity is kept for blessing the fire on Holy Saturday or for a sick call." The joyful signs of His Presence won't return until Easter begins with the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday evening. And, of course, tomorrow's Matins and Lauds may be read as part of the "tenebrae service" (see Spy Wednesday).  Customs As to customs, many families have a practice of visiting the tabernacles of three or seven nearby churches after the Mass on this day as a sort of "mini-pilgrimage" (any nearby Catholic churches will do). Some families visit the churches directly after the evening Mass; others go home and wake up in the middle of the night to make the visits (though since churches are rarely open all night these days, this would be hard to do). The spirit of the visits to the churches is keeping vigil in the Garden of Gethsemani while Jesus prayed before His arrest. Matthew 26:36 "Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemani; and he said to his disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray." In Germany, Maundy Thursday is known as "Green Thursday" (Grundonnerstag), and the traditional foods are green vegetables and green salad, especially a spinach salad. In Latin countries, Jordan almonds ("confetti") are eaten today and also throughout Eastertide. Back when Kings and Queens of England were Catholic, they, too, would wash the feet of 12 subjects, seeing the footwashing rite also as an example of service and humility. They would also give money to the poor on this day, a practice is said to have begun with St. Augustine of Canterbury in A.D. 597, and performed by Kings since Edward II. Now the footwashing isn't done (it was given up in the 18th c.), but a special coin called "Maundy Money" is minted and given to the selected elderly of a representative town.  On this day, one may gain a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, by reciting the Tantum Ergo (Down in Adoration Falling). Footnotes: 1 The name "Shire Thursday" is explained in "Festival" printed by Wynkyn de Worde in 1511: "Yf a man aske why Shere Thursday is called so, ye may saye that in Holy Churche it is called (Cena Domini) our Lordes Souper daye; for that day he souped with this Discyples openly; and after souper he gave them his flesshe and his blode to ete and drynke. It is also in Englysshe called Sher Thursdaye, for in olde faders dayes the people wold that daye sher there heedes, and clyppe theyr berdes, and poll theyr heedes, and so make them honest ayenst Ester Day."

A Place For My Sewing Machine

 I have a great Breakfast Nook that is almost always overrun with laundry as you can see in these pictures.  This weekend I was finally able to clean this mess up and carve out a corner for my sewing.

 I love this little view from my "Sewing Niche"!

I took this old shower curtain and converted it into kitchen towels as my very first project. I figured this was as simple as you could get while learning to work a new machine!

TALK TUESDAY: TOO MUCH TALKING!

Hubby and I look forward to each symphony season. I believe we have purchased season tickets at least three times. The last two seasons I have been reluctant to renew due to the rudeness of the other ticket holders. One wonders if it is a sign of the times when people cannot enjoy a concert without hearing/seeing:



1. Humming during the concert

2. Talking during the concert

3. Loud gum chewing during the concert

4. Excessive public displays of affection.

5. Using electronic devices during concert

6. Coughing almost incessantly… if you are sick- stay home!

7. Talking during the concert.

8. Laughing during the concert

9. Clapping in between movements instead of after the completion of the piece.




When did common courtesy become so uncommon?

"Things My Wife Says"

My husband tells me I say really off the wall things quite often. I told him he should do a blog like that guy did with his father... and then I was like, "Heck, I will make it a segment on MY blog! You can write the posts or I will write them for you!"  As you can see, there is love between us....

So, last night we were sitting (or setting if you are southern) on the couch and he started whispering to me some nonsense. I have no clue what he said but my response was, "That doesn't even sound like the voices in my head so I know it is you." 

I'm pretty funny.

Friday's Favorites: A Little Organization !

As usual I was running around with my head cut off and just didn't think I was going to get anywhere with my house cleaning. Well, we all know I love a challenge... let's just call this the "30 Minute Make-Over"!

The Daunting Kitchen

Here is what I was able to accomplish in 30 minutes!

I even organized a drawer!

      
It is amazing how much you can conquer in such a short amount of time!

Then I continued into a spare bedroom that I use for dressing. What a mess!

So glad I tackled this project!

Thoughtful Thursday: Kermit Gosnell on Trial for Abortion "House of Horrors"

in Bob CaseyKermit GosnellTom Ridge

Today is the second day in the trial of Kermit Gosnell, the infamous Philadelphia abortionist charged with murdering seven newborn babies and one young woman in a botched abortion due to overdose of anesthesia. Gosnell killed the babies with scissors after they had been born – and he wasn’t the only one.



Adrienne Moton, a former employee of Gosnell, testified for the prosecution. CBS Philadelphia reported her testimony:



"Adrienne Moton broke down several times as she recounted her work at the clinic.



Untrained, she says, she was doing ultrasounds and administering anesthesia within months. And eventually, she has admitted, she snipped the necks of ‘a good ten’ fetuses.”



Kermit Gosnell’s “house of horrors,” otherwise known as the Philadelphia Women's Medical Society, has been well documented, but Gosnell’s defense attorney, Jack McMahon, says that the prosecution is racially motivated.



"This is a targeted, elitist and racist prosecution of a doctor who's done nothing but give (back) to the poor and the people of West Philadelphia…It's a prosecutorial lynching of Dr. Kermit Gosnell."



McMahon’s defense of Gosnell is an outrage. Worlds away from a benevolent community doctor, prosecutors say that police found $250,000 when they raided Gosnell’s home – and for those who can stomach it, the 281-page Grand Jury report lays out just how Gosnell “gave back” to the women of West Philadelphia:



The premises were dirty and unsanitary. Gosnell routinely relied on unlicensed and untrained staff to treat patients, conduct medical tests, and administer medications without supervision. Even more alarmingly, Gosnell instructed unlicensed workers to sedate patients with dangerous drugs in his absence... In addition, he regularly performed abortions beyond the 24-week limit prescribed by law. As a result, viable babies were born. Gosnell killed them by plunging scissors into their spinal cords. He taught his staff to do the same.



This trial begs the question: where was the Pennsylvania Department of Health? According to the Grand Jury report, Gosnell’s clinic had not been inspected for more than 17 years.



After 1993…the Pennsylvania Department of Health abruptly decided, for political reasons, to stop inspecting abortion clinics at all. The politics in question were not anti-abortion, but pro. With the change of administration from Governor Casey to Governor Ridge, officials concluded that inspections would be “putting a barrier up to women” seeking abortions. (pg. 12)



When Governor Bob Casey, a Democrat and a longtime pro-life champion, was replaced by Gov. Tom Ridge, a pro-choice Republican, Kermit Gosnell was given free rein.



Now, we know what a “truce” on abortion looks like.



http://www.sba-list.org/suzy-b-blog/kermit-gosnell-trial-abortion-house-horrors

Wheelin' Wednesday

I got in on the CVS deal for soda from last week. Purchase 5 cases of a Coke product and earn $5.00 in Extra Care Bucks.  This is a much better deal then my brainless spending at the vending machine.

Yay for me?

Saint Joseph!



Happy Feast Day to all the Josephs in the world!

Musically Manic Monday

Work: Business is picking up so overtime might be in my future!

Garden: Air conditioner landscape project continues and I think I might be able to work on it this week.

Church: Will be helping with decorating the Altar of Repose for Maundy Thursday (two weeks).

Home: I did some heavy duty cleaning on the first floor and now I want to tackle upstairs.

Budget: Scheduled to finish the tax returns this weekend. 

Cleaning: See above.

Pro Life: Scheduled for this week.

Dinner Making: Regular

Health: I was able to walk a few times last week and I hope to do so this week.

Music: I am really starting to become more confident in the choral music.

What's going on in your world?

Is The New Pope True to the Faith?

Here is the new pope celebrating a religion that rejected Christ as the Messiah... and crucified Him. Did we forget?

A mockery of the Mass....did we forget that this is the Unbloody Sacrifice of Calvary?

We must pray very hard for the pontiff... he has known nothing but Vatican II since his ordination. I pray that he is inspired by the Holy Ghost and will rid the Church of modernism.

Fancy Camera

I don't want to get all fancy or anything, but this is my new camera! What? How did she pay for this? Did she go off of budget AGAIN! Well, I did, but not for this! 
Hubby and I attended my employer's annual party and I won this! This camera can be mounted on a person's bicycle or you can use it underwater!  I am thinking I could use this in some way at the abortion clinic, but I will have to let you know how that will turn out after I test it. Below is a description of the product from the company's website:

The HERO3: White Edition boasts the same high performance specs as the Original HD HERO camera it replaces, yet it has built-in Wi-Fi, new UI and is 30% smaller and 25% lighter. The HERO3: White Edition is wearable and gear mountable, waterproof to 197' (60m), and is capable of capturing 1080p 30 fps and 720p 60 fps video plus 5MP photos at a rate of 3 photos per second.

Too Much For This Gal.....

Anyone who reads my blog knows I keep pretty busy with all sorts of activities. For those who need a break down (just another excuse for a list):

1. I work full time with a 45-60 minute commute one way.
2. My husband and I run our church bookstore.
3. I am involved in Pro-life work.
4. I sing in a choral group.
5. I try to attend any additional Masses or devotions at my church.
6. I am a wife and have a home to keep!
7. I handle our finances.
8. Hubby and I handle our yard work.

Along with that I have my little hobbies of:

My blogs
Knitting/sewing and anything in this area
Reading


With all this going on- something is going to suffer and it happened earlier this month. First Friday came around and I just couldn't stay past Mass and left before Holy Hour had begun. The next day, I went to the abortion clinic to cover for 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and then came home to "clean". Well.... that didn't quite happen. I know I wiped down one bathroom, made lunch, and then decided to work on a random sewing project (more about that later). Hubby and I dressed and headed to First Saturday Mass and were then supposed to attend a symphony concert. Goodness, I just couldn't do it!

What suffers?
Well, I might be involved in all of these activities, but how many am I doing well? That's where I am stuck. I love all of these activities, but my full attention isn't always given.  You can see in the picture above that huge pile of laundry... that was only part of it! Just imagine the entire house in this way!  I was thinking of taking some time off from work so I can work on house, yard, and finance projects. My last two vacations have been centered around family visits, but maybe I need to take care of my little family. Is that bad to think like that?

Are you feeling overwhelmed right now? Would you tell me a story?

In case you need a positive to this- I managed to clean behind the washing machine, dryer, and stove! Woo hoo!

Koolabura and BLUEFLY.COM

I can't remember if I have ever posted about these, but I know I have talked about them. I picked these two pairs from Bluefly.com as part of my Christmas gift in 2012 from Hubby. The interest for these came when I purchased a version at a discounted price from Target the year before. Using these in the cold mornings outside the abortion clinic really helped me keep warm and I thought it would be a good idea to pick up a couple of more pairs.

Uggs seem to be the popular brand, but they are high priced and are made in China. Koolarbura is another brand from Australia and they make the product in the same country/continent!   Couple that with the discount website Bluefly.com and you have a great combination! I can't quite remember what we paid for the black pair ( I want to say $139.00 with a retail of $350.00), but the camel color pair cost $43.20 which is a huge discount from the retail price of $150.00.


Bluefly.com varies prices so you do need to "watch" the website and grab when the price looks good. So far, my four purchases from them have been great buys with no regret!

But You Don't Even Sew!!!

She has a fancy girl smile.

What shall I name her?

Well! We all have to start at some point! Yes, I know how to sew a stitch here and there, but now it is time to get down to the nitty gritty. Actually, the time was many years ago, but I am a late bloomer and my right foot is smaller that my left which doesn't even pertain to this post.... Don't even tell me you didn't smile!

My mantilla/veil lady has gone missing in action which leaves me with the challenge of sewing! I knew I had to start sometime and the day has come. The reviews on this sewing machine were all very positive and I was able to purchase on Amazon.com with a price below Walmart.


I am reading the manual right now, but please stay tuned for upcoming projects!

Musically Manic Monday

Work: We have some new products that we are promoting and I continue to train.

Garden: Air conditioner landscape project continues.

Church: Signed up to help drive a family to and from Mass.

Home: Still deciding on the bathroom renovations and my house needs to be cleaned!

Budget: Scheduled to finish the tax returns next weekend.

Cleaning: I am a mess!

Pro Life: I should be able to go out to the clinic sometime on Wednesday.

Dinner Making: Regular

Health: I am going to try and walk during my lunch breaks this week-weather permitting.

Music: We have a triple practice this week.

What's going on in your world?