So What Shall We Do during These Forty Days of Lent? [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

RSVBible/EWTN ^ | St. Matthew and Catholic Orthodox Caucus

[Salvation]

So What Shall We Do during These Forty Days of Lent? [Catholic/Orthodox Caucus]

 

The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for the celebration of the Resurrection and to strengthen ourselves in our beliefs for dealing with a hostile world. We accomplish that through prayer and penitence, almsgiving and self-denial/fasting.

 

In light of this purpose of Lent, SOME Catholic and Orthodox posters will absent themselves from FreeRepublic completely during Lent's forty days. 

 

(They will just silently disappear!)

 

Great Lent for Orthodox begins on March 7th.  Lent for Catholics begins on March 9th

 

The Lord's instructions for Lent from the Gospel of Matthew 6:1-18 (RSV)

 

Matthew 6
1	"Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2	"Thus, when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3	But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4	so that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5	"And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6	But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7	"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8	Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9	Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10	Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
11	Give us this day our daily bread;
12	And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors;
13	And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.
14	For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you;
15	but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16	"And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17	But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
18	that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

 

 

[Salvation]

Lenten Scrapbook
Teaching our children to prepare for Lent spiritually. Points to consider: charity, purity of intentions, Biblical devotions, private prayers, scrapbooks, Sacrament of Penance, almsgiving and fasting.

Directions
Historically speaking, Lent developed from the strict discipline imposed upon the catechumens during the final stages of their Christian initiation. After three years of probation, they completed their preparation and received baptism at the Easter Vigil. It became customary for the faithful to join the catechumens in their pre-baptism fast and to attend their instructions as a refresher course. The clergy welcomed this opportunity of presenting anew fundamental Christian doctrine and ethics to all attending catechumen classes. In this way Lent became a corporate effort of the whole Church.

From Pope to humblest catechumen Christians lived Lent in a mortified spirit, with fervent and more frequent prayers than at other seasons—for all were seeking to be found genuine members of Christ’s Body at the Easter Vigil Communion. Such too should be our season of spiritual renewal.

Before Christ’s fast of forty days was associated with the season, Lent had been in existence as a time of preparing candidates for baptism, so the texture of the Lenten Masses indicates, and as a time for the renewal of faith.

The fast was strict. In addition to abstinence from food, those early Christians, admonished by preachers such as St. Leo the Great, were just as strictly urged to practice mutual forbearance and forgiveness; to intensify private prayer; to give alms generously; to attend Biblical and doctrinal instruction. These requirements still hold and we too must relate them to our fasting.

We can inculcate the virtues of forbearance and forgiveness in children during Lent, reminding them of the words of Blosius, a Benedictine mystic: “The best form of mortification is to accept with all our hearts, in spite of our repugnance, all that God sends or permits, good and evil, joy and suffering.” Encourage children to take on their small sufferings and their joys in union with Jesus whose footsteps we try to follow more closely during Lent.

Charity. Perhaps there is a grandparent for the children to serve as they would serve Christ. Dom Marmion tells us: “Jesus identifies himself so much with us that, in us, he is sick and feeble, and even clad in our miseries. And when, in the strength of our faith, we come before God in the Name of Jesus, it is his Beloved Son whom he sees in us, poor, weak and miserable (such as he was in his passion).” Charles Peguy in God Speaks has him say:

Charity is that big, beautiful log fire That you light in your hearth So that my children the poor may come and warm themselves Before it on winter evenings.
Purity of intentions. In explaining “give-ups” for Lent, children can be taught to do each action out of pure love of God. I explain that the more an act costs, the greater it is and the more meritorious. The greater, too, is the reward in Easter blessings and in “treasure laid up in heaven.”
Biblical devotions, private prayers, scrapbooks. As St. Leo admonishes, we must also give Biblical and doctrinal instruction to our children. It is our duty to teach them. We will be judged accordingly. (Our Lord won’t ask whether I was the best den mother in town.)

A “scrapbook of Lent” makes a suitable project for little children (they may, of course, add to it during the year). Old calendars are a source of pictures—a call on grandmother, aunts or godmothers will usually produce a sufficient supply. Holy cards also do nicely, even though they are small. Catholic stores are another source—but it’s better to save the pennies for alms.

The first part of the Lenten scrapbook may include scenes from the parables and the Old Testament, illustrating the day’s missal readings; examples here would be Moses, David, Solomon, Daniel, Jonah. Passion scenes from the Gospels could make up the last part of the scrapbook. A picture of Christ’s resurrection must not be overlooked.

Sacrament of penance. A sincere, thoughtful, earnest meeting with Christ in the sacrament of penance is the season’s finest penitential work, both for adults and children. In this encounter of penance “the judgment with which God the Father judged Christ on the Cross is being renewed then and there over one’s sins. By the sentence of judgment which our Blessed Lord took upon himself, a judgment of mercy is now being efficaciously applied” (Liturgy and Spirituality by Dom Gabriel Brasso, O.S.B.).

Almsgiving. Sacred writers insist that almsgiving is as good as penance for sin. Fasting, they observe, is better than prayer, but almsgiving is better than both, for almsgiving relieves the burden of sin.

Every Catholic should have a poor person, a poor child, or a poor family for whom he cares, whom he visits, talks to, comforts, and whom on occasion he gladdens with some special gift. Everyone can do this, even children and teenagers.

Aside from money dropped into poor boxes or children’s offerings to the Bishop’s Relief Fund, almsgiving as a Lenten mortification too often is not taken very seriously.

Children will find it easier to take a portion of Sunday dinner to that old little woman barely keeping body and soul together, to save for an Easter suit for a boy in a protectorate, to use Lenten sacrifice money to buy shoes for one child of a deserted mother of seven, than they find giving money to “the poor” nebulously. “For almsgiving delivers from death, and it will purge away every sin” (Tobias 12:9).

Those in need in your parish may not be widely known. But your parish priest or St. Vincent de Paul Society will gladly provide you with the names of families who need your help, either in your home parish, in a nearby parish, or through a more distant charitable program.

Almsgiving is part of the universal law of charity; everyone is bound to give according to his means. This with prayer and fasting constitutes the traditional basic and binding requirement of Lenten penance. There will be a strict equation between our present generosity and our Easter joy.

Fasting. Children need to have pointed out to them Jesus, their Brother, innocence itself, is fasting with them for forty days and forty nights. He is in our midst and travels Lent with us as our help and inspiration. The external things that a child sacrifices will depend upon his age and ability.

From toddler to teenager, there is food to be eaten though children are not fond of it, desserts to be omitted except on Sundays, and special treats to be gone without for the love of Jesus.

The poet T. A. Daly has these lines for grown-ups:

The fare in Lent should be austere No cakes and ale, no kraut and beer; No fatted goose with heavy wines, That Croesus fancies when he dines— They’re all taboo this time o’ year.

Activity Source: Holy Lent by Eileen O’Callaghan, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1975

[Salvation]

Examination of Conscience

Here is a helpful examination of conscience, based on the Ten Commandments. Perform a brief examination every night, but go through a more thorough examination before confessing your sins to the priest.

Directions

The Commandments of God

1. Have I doubted in matters of faith? murmured against God because of adversity? despaired of His mercy? Have I believed in or consulted fortune tellers? Have I taken part in non-Catholic worship?

   Have I recommended myself regularly to God? Neglected my morning or evening prayers? Omitted my religious obligations because of human respect? Presumed upon God's mercy in committing sin?

   Have I read books or papers opposed to the Church and her teachings? Did I make use of superstitious practices; such as believing in dreams, and charms, and the like? Have I spoken irreverently of persons (priests or religious), places (e.g, the Church), or things (the sacred vessels) which especially represent God?

2. Have I used the name of God or the saints with irreverence? Have I sworn (which means calling upon God to witness the truth of what I say) without a good reason, or falsely? Have I cursed (the calling down of some evil on a person, place, or thing)? Blasphemed (used insulting language to express contempt for God), the saints, or holy things?

3. Did I miss Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation? Have I done unnecessary servile work or been responsible for others doing it on these days?

4. Have I been obedient to my parents and lawful superiors? Have I shown disrespect toward their God-given authority? Have I deceived them? Have I been a good citizen by voting? Have I shown respect toward aged parents?

   Have I used my authority over inferiors properly? As a parent, by good example in the home and by sending the children to a Catholic school? As a person in public office, by promoting the common welfare? As an employer, by being considerate of the employees?

5. Have I been the occasion of another's sin through my bad example in word or deed? Have I been guilty of fighting, anger, hatred, revenge, or drunkenness? Did I refuse to speak to others? to forgive them? Did I use provoking language?

6. and 9. Did I take pleasure in impure thoughts or desires? Say impure things? Listen to impure conversations? Did I touch others or let others touch me in an impure manner? Commit an impure act alone or with others? Want to look at impure things or pictures? Go to bad places? movies that were bad? Read bad books? Go with impure companions? Teach others to commit sins of impurity?

7. and 10. Have I stolen anything? If so, of what value, and did I return the stolen goods? Have I been unjust in buying or selling? Have I damaged the property of others? accepted or kept stolen goods? paid my just debts as soon as possible? Has my daily work merited its pay check? Have I desired to steal anything or to damage my neighbor's property?

8. Did I tell lies? Have I been guilty of rash judgment (believing something harmful to another's character without sufficient reason)? detraction (without a good reason, making known the hidden faults of another)? calumny (by lying, injuring the good name of another)?

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The Precepts of the Church

• Have I confessed my sins once a year? If not, how long is it since my last worthy confession? Have I received Holy Communion during Easter time?
• Have I fasted according to my ability when obliged to do so by the Church?

• Have I abstained from flesh-meat on the appointed days?

• Have I contributed as well as I can to the support of the Church?

• Have I attempted to contract marriage without the presence of a priest?

• If there anything else of which my conscience feels guilty?

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Sins Against the Holy Spirit

1. Presuming to gain salvation without meriting it.

2. Despair of salvation.

3. Resisting truths which have been made known to us.

4. Envy of another's spiritual good.

5. Stubbornness in sin.

6. Final obstinacy in one's sins.

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Seven Deadly Sins

1. Pride: An unrestrained appreciation of our own worth.

2. Avarice or Greed: An immoderate desire for earthly goods.

3. Lust: A hankering after impure pleasures.

4. Anger: An inordinate desire for revenge.

5. Gluttony: An unrestrained use of food and drink.

6. Envy: Sorrow over the good fortune of our neighbor.

7. Sloth: Laziness to do right, or carelessness to do right and to practice virtue because of the trouble attached to it.

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Sins Crying to Heaven for Vengeance

• Wilful murder
• Sodomy
• Oppression of the poor
• Cheating laborers of their just wages

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Nine Ways of Aiding Another in Sin

1. Counseling or advising another to sin.

2. Commanding another to sin.

3. Provoking another to sin.

4. Consenting to another's sin.

5. Showing another how to sin.

6. Praising another's sin.

7. Concealing, remaining silent about, doing nothing to prevent another's sin.

8. Taking part in, or enjoying the results of another's sin.

9. Defending another's sin.

Activity Source: Our Christian Home by Rev. Joseph A. Fischer, Seraphic Press, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1954

[Salvation]

Pretzels for God: Lent and the Pretzel

Incorporating pretzels into our Lenten program is a wonderful and appropriate devotion. The pretzel being symbolic of prayer and penance is a small but powerful instrument in bringing families to God. This activity includes the history and the significance of pretzels, and a short family ceremony of the pretzel.

Please see Catholic Icing for an excellent recipe and pretzel card.

Directions

Lent is a period of fasting, self-denial and prayer, in imitation of our Lord's fasting, forty days and forty nights, and in preparation for the feast of Easter. It comprises forty days, not including Sundays, from Ash Wednesday to the end of Holy Saturday. The term "penance" should be made clear to children. It means a "change of heart," a victory over sin and a striving for holiness. The sacrifices of fasting and self-denial are only means and signs of this spiritual penance.

A traditional means of reminding the family that it is the holy season of Lent is the Lenten foods which are served only this time of the year. Thus parents and children realize, even at their meals, that prayer and penance should be practiced during these days.

The pretzel has a deep spiritual meaning for Lent. In fact, it was the ancient Christian Lenten bread as far back as the fourth century. In the old Roman Empire, the faithful kept a very strict fast all through Lent: no milk, no butter, no cheese, no eggs, no cream and no meat. They made small breads of water, flour and salt, to remind themselves that Lent was a time of prayer. They shaped these breads in the form of crossed arms for in those days they crossed their arms over the breast while praying. Therefore they called the breads "little arms" (bracellae). From this Latin word, the Germanic people later coined the term "pretzel."

Thus the pretzel is the most appropriate food symbol in Lent. It still shows the form of arms crossed in prayer, reminding us that Lent is a time of prayer. It consists only of water and flour, thus proclaiming Lent as a time of fasting. The earliest picture and description of a pretzel (from the fifth century) may be found in the manuscript-codex No. 3867, Vatican Library.

That many people eat pretzels today all through the year, that they take them together with beer in taverns and restaurants, is only an accidental habit. In many places of Europe, pretzels are served only from Ash Wednesday to Easter, thus keeping the ancient symbolism alive.

There seems to be no reason why our Christian families should not return to this beautiful custom of our ancient Roman fellow- Christian, especially since we still have these breads everywhere. The children will be delighted and greatly impressed when they hear the true story of the pretzel

From The Year of the Lord in the Christian Home by Rev. Francis X. Weiser, S.J. (Collegeville, Minnesota, The Liturgical Press, ©1964) p. 89, pp. 93-94.

Ceremony of the Pretzel

1. On Ash Wednesday, father or mother may explain the origin of the holy pretzel, so that the children will understand its significance.

2. The pretzel might be served on each plate for each evening meal until Easter.

3. Added to the grace before meals, is the following "pretzel prayer":

PRAYER

We beg you, O Lord, to bless these breads which are to remind us that Lent is a sacred season of penance and prayer. For this very reason, the early Christians started the custom of making these breads in the form of arms crossed in prayer. Thus they kept the holy purpose of Lent alive in their hearts from day to day, and increased in their souls the love of Christ, even unto death, if necessary.

Grant us, we pray, that we too, may be reminded by the daily sight of these pretzels to observe the holy season of Lent with true devotion and great spiritual fruit. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

--With ecclesiastical approbation.

Activity Source: Pretzels for God by Unknown, Pretzels for God, St. Francis Xavier Church, 4715 N. Central, Phoenix, AZ 85012

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Whole Wheat Bread

Just as a mother has an excellent opportunity to point up a feast day with special foods, so in Lent she can teach the discipline of fasting by her lack of fancy cooking. If a healthy penitential attitude is to grow with our children, it should be fed with their daily Lenten bread.

For generations the human body has profited by the self-restraint of certain prescribed fasts. Giving up sweets never hurt any child; undoubtedly, it did their teeth a lot of good. If a young person once gets the thrill of being master of his desires, if he can take it or leave it, if he can deny himself in order to give to another, he has learned the lessons of Lent. But the mother can set the stage, or shall we say the table, so that this struggle with self can be fought bravely.

Through sacrifice, Christians are made and Lent is a good time to begin. The Lenten menu becomes very simple and basic. It is built on bread, vegetables and eggs. Let us first speak of bread. It is a platitude to describe white bread as the staff of life. Consider the very start of life itself. Obstetricians instruct their patients to eat only whole wheat bread. But where is the mother-to-be to find such a thing? She won't find it at the corner grocery. There may be a health food store in a town of 100,000 which bakes a whole grain loaf at 23 cents, but that is not for the majority nor for the poor. The only other thing to do is to find a reputable miller who grinds whole wheat flour and try your hand at baking. We do not bake whole wheat bread because we like to be primitives or quaint. We know whole wheat bread tastes better and is better for health and growth The work entailed will benefit our bodies and souls as well.

The word lady means "loaf giver," and as a giver of loaves she shows her love. The story of wheat and its renewal into real, honest, life-sustaining bread is an example of one of the most beautiful liturgical symbols. It is a work project in which all members of the family can share. All can rise to higher things along with the loaf during the Lenten season.

At any rate, this Lent try baking whole wheat bread for your family. Begin it as a penitential act, if you must, an act which may take you away from your bridge game. I'll be willing to wager that your family won't let you stop. Then in the morning when all your fast allows is dry bread, see how rich and good your own bake will taste. Your bread will be a staff of life to lean upon and not a cracked and crooked crutch.

The recipe which we have found practically foolproof makes six good sized loaves. We bake this quantity, then wrap the excess and place it in the freezer. There the bread is kept as fresh as when it was first baked.

DIRECTIONS

Scald and cool milk. Add salt, molasses and fat. Stir in eight cups of flour and beat until smooth. (If you have an electric mixer, let it beat the dough until it is stiff.)

Dissolve yeast in water for 10 minutes. Add yeast and remaining flour to the first dough. Knead and let rise until double in bulk. Knead again, shape into six loaves and put into 5 by 9 inch bread pans. Let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven up to 400° and bake for 45 minutes or until brown.

Recipe Source: Cooking for Christ by Florence Berger, National Catholic Rural Life Conference, 4625 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310, 1949, 1999

[Salvation]

Fasting and Mortification We must fulfill the minimum requirements of the Church for fasting and abstinence. But there are other forms of abstaining and fasting. We must remember that when we do "give up" something, it should be completely, not saved for later. The money we save from not buying a cup of coffee should be given as a donation to charity. The time we don't watch TV should be spent doing spiritual reading, or family time. Below are some examples of other forms of fasting or abstaining: Refrain from complaining, gossiping, grumbling or losing one's temper. Abstain from favorite drinks, desserts or foods. Eat less at meals, or eat fewer snacks between meals; Fast extra days in Lent besides Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Eat without complaining. Make simple meals, that are less appealing to the sense of taste.

[Salvation]

Prayers

Ideally, the members of the family may participate in daily Mass. If this is not possible, the readings from the Mass should be read and meditated upon daily. This could be done as a family, perhaps at the dinner meal. The Mass is the prayer of the Church, and the highest form of prayer. It also unites us with the whole Church in public prayer.

• A strong emphasis should be made in receiving the sacraments of the Eucharist and Penance frequently. For an examination of conscience and for help in receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation see An Examination of Conscience and An Examination of Conscience for Laymen.
• Another prayer of the Church is the Divine Office, or Liturgy of the Hours. Praying the Divine Office unites our prayers with the Liturgy of the universal Church.
• The Stations of the Cross are special during Lent, because they meditate on the Passion of Christ. Usually the Stations are offered at the parish church on Fridays in Lent. They can also be prayed together as a family.

[diamond6]

Those are excellent.

[Salvation]

They all come from Catholic Culture. Here's the next one with my little addition in brackets:

Almsgiving Almsgiving is tied closely with fasting. Whatever we give up, the money we save should go to the needy. It should be given away to the missions, the Church, or a worthy charity. In a family with small children it helps to make this a visual practice by, for example, having a jar or box in the center of the table as a reminder and measure of progress. It is also considered "almsgiving" to give one's time and goods to those who are in need, i.e., donating time for a soup kitchen, giving clothes to charity, visiting the shut-ins, driving those without transportation and other similar practices. The tsunami in Indonesia [or the earthquake in Japen] provide us with a good opportunities to donate money saved from our self-denial to those who have lost what little they had.

[Salvation]

Sorry, I spoke too soon. I see those came from lightman.

[Salvation]

Good Works

Good works deal with two kinds of actions: perfection of our daily duties and perfection of charity toward others.

Our daily duties include our job as a spouse, as a parent, as a child, as a worker or student. We need to strive to do our best in these capacities, even if that means being more patient, more cheerful, more efficient, more charitable, less critical, less gossiping, or less backbiting. We need to make the most of the time we are given each day; we should not waste time. This is the positive area of our Lenten program. We should work on virtues, like obedience, charity, humility, chastity and perseverance.

We should examine ourselves regarding our daily duty at work, at home and how we use the personal time that we have. Many of us postpone or procrastinate personal jobs, prayer and reading for some other time. But NOW is the time to make the best of our daily duty.

See Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy

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Education During Lent (and throughout the year) we need spiritual enlightenment. We can find this through spiritual reading, both individually and as a family. This is a prerequisite to a continued growth in the spiritual life. Maria Von Trapp suggests three categories in our Lenten reading program: Something for the mind. We should do some research, study the papal encyclicals, read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, delve into Church history, study Catholic philosophy. Something for the soul. This should be deeper spiritual reading that gives a program, guidance, and spiritual direction, and could include writings of the saints like St. Teresa of Avila, St. Therérèse of Lisieux or St. Francis de Sales. Something for the heart. We need inspiration. The best way is to read biographies of Christ, Mary, saints or people who put their spiritual life into action. Bishop Fulton Sheen's Life of Christ is excellent Lenten reading. Scripture is an excellent source for all these categories. The Church strongly encourages study and meditative reading of the Bible.

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Self-Denial
This is the area that tests our will-power. We have the opportunity to give up innocent pleasures without complaining: radio, TV, internet, personal time or leisure, secular reading. We can choose one area in Lent and try to persevere throughout the 40 days. This is not just a test of wills—the main intention is purification, and making reparation for the offenses against the Mystical Body of Christ. So even if these actions are done in private or secret, they help us grow in our spiritual life, and benefit the whole Church. The following are some concrete suggestions:

• Reduce or eliminate time surfing the Internet or playing video games.
• Curb forms of entertainment like TV, dining out, movies, expensive meals.
• Give up smoking, caffeine, beer and liquor.

[Salvation]

Holy Week

The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, is continued through Good Friday with the celebration of the Passion of the Lord and Holy Saturday, reaches its summit in the Easter Vigil, and concludes with Vespers of Easter Sunday.

This time is called "the triduum of the crucified, buried and risen"; it is also called the "Easter Triduum" because during it is celebrated the Paschal Mystery, that is, the passing of the Lord from this world to his Father. The Church by the celebration of this mystery, through liturgical signs and sacramentals, is united to Christ her Spouse in intimate communion. — Paschales Solemnitatis

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Paschalis Sollemnitatis (The Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts)

  by Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

Index

I. Lenten Season
II. Holy Week
III. The Easter Triduum in General
IV. Holy Thursday Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper
V. Good Friday
VI. Holy Saturday
VII. Easter Sunday of the Lord's Resurrection
VIII. Easter Time
Endnotes

 

Read all of this by clicking on the links.

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Worth a link and a read.

Pope Benedict on the Triduum

Experiencing the Central Events of Redemption

by Pope Benedict XVI

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Holy Triduum

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Holy Week, which for Christians is the most important week of the year, gives us the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the central events of the Redemption, to relive the Paschal Mystery, the great Mystery of faith. As of tomorrow afternoon, with the Mass in Coena Domini, the solemn liturgical rites will help us to meditate more vividly on the Passion, death and Resurrection of the Lord in the days of the Holy Triduum of Easter, the cornerstone of the entire liturgical year. May divine grace open our hearts to an understanding of the invaluable gift of salvation, obtained for us by Christ's sacrifice. We find this immense gift wonderfully described in a famous hymn contained in the Letter to the Philippians (cf. 2: 6-11), upon which we have meditated several times during Lent. The Apostle concisely and effectively retraces the mystery of the history of salvation, mentioning the arrogance of Adam who, although he was not God, wanted to be like God. And he compares the arrogance of the first man, which we all tend to feel in our being, with the humility of the true Son of God who, in becoming man does not hesitate to take upon himself all human weaknesses, save sin, and going even as far as the depths of death. This descent to the ultimate depths of the Passion and death is followed by his exaltation, the true glory, the glory of love which went to the very end.
And it is therefore right as St Paul says that "at Jesus' name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth and under the earth, and every tongue profess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (ibid., 2: 10-11). With these words, St Paul refers to a prophecy of Isaiah in which God says: I am God... to me every knee shall bend in Heaven and on earth (cf. Is 45: 23). This, Paul says, applies to Jesus Christ. He truly is, in his humility, in the true greatness of his love, the Lord of the world and before him every knee bends.

How marvellous and at the same time surprising this mystery is! We can never sufficiently meditate on this reality. In spite of being God, Jesus does not want to make his divine prerogative an exclusive possession; he does not want to use his being as God, his glorious dignity and his power, as an instrument of triumph and a sign of remoteness from us. On the contrary, "he empties himself", taking on the wretched and weak human condition. In this regard Paul uses a rather evocative Greek verb to indicate the kénosis, this humbling of Jesus'. In Christ the divine form (morphé) was hidden beneath the human form, that is, beneath our reality marked by suffering, by poverty, by our human limitations and by death. His radical, true sharing in our nature, a sharing in all things save sin, led him to that boundary which is the sign of our finiteness, death. However, all this was not the fruit of an obscure mechanism or blind fatality: rather, it was his own free choice, through generous adherence to the Father's saving plan. And the death he went to meet, Paul adds, was that of crucifixion, the most humiliating and degrading death imaginable. The Lord of the universe did all this out of love for us: out of love he chose "to empty himself" and make himself our brother; out of love he shared our condition, that of every man and every woman. Theodoret of Cyrus, a great witness of the Oriental tradition, wrote on this subject: "being God and God by nature and having equality with God he did not consider this something great, as do those who have received some honour greater than that which they deserve but, concealing his merits, he chose the most profound humility and took the form of a human being" (Commentary on the Epistle to the Philippians, 2: 6-7).

The prelude to the Easter Triduum which will begin tomorrow as I said with the evocative afternoon rites of Holy Thursday, is the solemn Chrism Mass, which the Bishop celebrates with his priests in the morning, and during which the priestly promises pronounced on the day of Ordination are renewed. This is a gesture of great value, an especially favourable opportunity in which priests reaffirm their personal fidelity to Christ who has chosen them as his ministers. This priestly encounter acquires, in addition, a special importance because it is, as it were, a preparation for the Year for Priests, which I established on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of the Holy Curé d'Ars and which will begin next 19 June. Again, during the Chrism Mass the oil of the sick and that of the catechumens will be blessed and the Chrism consecrated. These are rites that symbolically signify the fullness of Christ's Priesthood and the ecclesial communion that must inspire the Christian people gathered for the Eucharistic sacrifice and enlivened in unity by the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In the afternoon Mass, called in Coena Domini, the Church commemorates the institution of the Eucharist, the ministerial priesthood and the new Commandment of love that Jesus entrusted to his disciples. St Paul offers one of the oldest accounts of what happened in the Upper Room, on the vigil of the Lord's Passion. "The Lord Jesus", he writes at the beginning of the 50s, on the basis of a text he received from the Lord's own environment, "on the night in which he was betrayed took bread, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me'. In the same way, after the supper, he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me'" (1 Cor 11: 23-25). These words, laden with mystery, clearly show Christ's will: under the species of the Bread and the Wine, he makes himself present with his body given and his Blood poured out. This is the sacrifice of the new and everlasting covenant offered to all, without distinction of race or culture. It is from this sacramental rite, which he presents to the Church as the supreme evidence of his love, that Jesus makes ministers of his disciples and all those who will continue the ministry through the centuries. Thus, Holy Thursday constitutes a renewed invitation to give thanks to God for the supreme gift of the Eucharist, to receive with devotion and to adore with living faith. For this reason the Church encourages the faithful to keep vigil in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament after the celebration of Holy Mass, recalling the sorrowful hour that Jesus spent in solitude and prayer at Gethsemane, before being arrested and then sentenced to death.

And so we come to Good Friday, the day of the Passion and the Crucifixion of the Lord. Every year, standing in silence before Jesus hanging on the wood of the Cross, we feel how full of love the words were that he spoke on the previous evening during the Last Supper. "This is my blood, of the covenant, which is poured out for many" (Mk 14: 24). Jesus wanted to offer his life in sacrifice for the remission of humanity's sins. As it does before the Eucharist, as well as before the Passion and death of Jesus on the Cross, the mystery eludes reason. We are placed before something which, humanly, may appear senseless: a God who is not only made Man, with all the needs of man, who not only suffers to save man, taking upon himself the whole tragedy of humanity, but also dies for man.

Christ's death recalls the accumulated sorrow and evils that weigh upon humanity of every age: the crushing weight of our death, the hatred and violence that still today stain the earth with blood. The Passion of the Lord continues in the suffering of human beings. As Blaise Pascal has rightly written: "Jesus will be in agony even to the end of the world. We must not sleep during that time" (Pensées, 553). If Good Friday is a day full of sorrow, it is therefore at the same time a particularly propitious day to reawaken our faith, to consolidate our hope and courage so that each one of us may carry our cross with humility, trust and abandonment in God, certain of his support and his victory. The liturgy of this day sings: O Crux, ave, spes unica Hail, O Cross, our only hope!

This hope is nourished in the great silence of Holy Saturday, in expectation of the Resurrection of Jesus. On this day the Churches are unadorned and no particular liturgical rites are scheduled. The Church keeps vigil in prayer like Mary and with Mary, sharing her same sentiments of sorrow and of trust in God. It is rightly recommended that a prayerful atmosphere be preserved throughout the day, favourable for meditation and reconciliation; the faithful are encouraged to receive the sacrament of Penance, to be able to take part in the Easter festivities truly renewed.

The recollection and silence of Holy Saturday will usher us into the night of the solemn Easter Vigil, "mother of all vigils", when the hymn of joy in Christ's Resurrection will burst forth in all the churches and communities. Once again the victory of light over darkness, of life over death will be proclaimed and the Church will rejoice in the encounter with her Lord. Thus we shall enter into the atmosphere of Easter.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us prepare to live the Holy Triduum intensely, in order to share ever more deeply in the Mystery of Christ. We are accompanied in this itinerary by the Blessed Virgin who silently followed her Son Jesus to Calvary, taking part with deep sorrow in his sacrifice and thus cooperating in the mystery of the Redemption and becoming Mother of all believers (cf. Jn 19: 25-27). Together with her we shall enter the Upper Room, we shall remain at the foot of the Cross, we shall watch in spirit beside the dead Christ, waiting with hope for the dawn of the radiant day of the Resurrection. In view of this, I express to you all from this moment my most cordial good wishes for a happy and holy Easter, together with your families, parishes and communities.

---

To English-speaking pilgrims:

I am pleased to greet the English-speaking pilgrims present at today’s Audience. May your visit to Rome during this Holy Week fill you with the peace, hope and joy of Christ Jesus!

Greeting to those affected by the earthquake in the Italian town of L'Aquila:

I wish to renew my spiritual closeness to the beloved community of L'Aquila and the other towns harshly struck by the violent seismic phenomenon in the past days which has taken such a heavy toll of victims and so many injured, as well as causing immense material damage. The concern with which the Authorities, the police force, volunteers and other workers are rescuing these brothers and sisters of ours shows how important solidarity is in overcoming such painful trials together. Once again I wish to say to those beloved peoples that the Pope shares their suffering and their worries. Dear friends, I hope to come and visit you as soon as possible. Know that the Pope is praying for you all, imploring the Lord's mercy for the deceased, and for their relatives and the survivors, the maternal comfort of Mary and the support of Christian hope.

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Spiritual Reading for the Sacred Triduum and Easter

  By Dr. Jeff Mirus | April 10, 2006 1:10 PM

In addition to the excellent Liturgical Year resources we make available at this time of year, our users may benefit from some of the spiritual reading available in the Document Library. The following list begins with this year's message for Lent from Pope Benedict, and then lists appropriate spiritual reading for Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter.

Lent in General

Benedict XVI, Christ Made Himself Poor for You (Message for Lent 2008)

Benedict XVI, They Shall Look on Him Whom They Have Pierced (Message for Lent 2007)

Benedict XVI, Jesus at the Sight of the Crowds Was Moved with Pity (Message for Lent 2006)

Holy Thursday

John Paul II, Letter for Holy Thursday 2001 (March 25, 2001)

John Paul II, Last Supper Sets Mystery of Love Before Us (April 18, 2001)

Melito of Sardis, Office of Readings for Thursday of Holy Week (2nd century)

Good Friday

John Paul II, The Cross Is Victory and Salvation (April 7, 1999)

St. Cyril of Jersualem, On the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (4th century)

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, The Divine Romance: The Pulpit Of The Cross (1943)

Holy Saturday

An Ancient Homily, The Lord Descends into Hell (Office of Readings for Holy Saturday)

John Paul II, The Passover of Christ Brings Hope (April 7, 1999)

Vigil and Easter Sunday

John Paul II, Homily for the Easter Vigil (April 14, 2001)

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Awake, and Christ Shall Give You Light! (March 30, 2005)

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, The Divine Romance: Dying And Behold We Live (1943)

Jerome Gassner, The Exsultet (March 23, 1947)

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Tenebræ

The public singing of part of the Divine Office, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings of Holy Week, anticipating Matins and Lauds of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. A custom that went back centuries, it acquired the name because of the mourning ritual surrounding the ceremony, which included a triangular stand with fifteen candles. These were put out one by one until, after the last candle was extinguished, a prayer was said in darkness, one candle was lighted, and the assembly dispersed in silence. — Fr. John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary

Directions

The Matins and Lauds of the Divine Office sung during the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday) are known as the Tenebrae services (“tenebrae” meaning “shadows”), which is basically a funeral service for Our Lord.

During the Matins on Good Friday, one by one, the candles are extinguished in the Church, leaving the congregation in total darkness, and in a silence that is punctuated by the strepitus (a loud clatter intended to evoke the earthquake that was said to happen at the moment of death) meant to evoke the convulsion of nature at the death of Christ. It has also been described as the sound of the tomb door closing.

As the Traditional Tenebrae services are intimidating for smaller parishes (approximately 2 hours of singing), Monsignor Martin B. Hellriegel, created a modified Tenebrae Service for parishes. He maintains the entire structure of the service, but shortens the readings and psalms. In his Tenebrae services (approximately 45 minutes long), the Psalms are chanted in English according to simple Gregorian melodies and tones, yet some of the Latin and simple Greek Chants are provided (i.e. Christus Factus Est). See sample pages below.

Monsignor Martin B. Hellriegel (1890-1981) an Apostolic Protonotary, was one of the giants of the 20th century Liturgical Movement that Pope Pius X inspired. A native of Heppenheim, Germany, his most productive years were spent in America, where he was chaplain to the Most Precious Blood Sisters in O’Fallon, Missouri, then pastor of Holy Cross parish in St. Louis. Monsignor Hellrigel was influential in promoting liturgical reforms that Pope Pius XII had urged in Mediator Dei, his 1947 encyclical on the liturgy—in particular the restoration of the Easter Vigil and the participation of the congregation in the chants of the Mass.

During the Triduum, the Matins and Lauds readings come from the following day’s readings each night because the hours of Matins and Lauds were pushed back so that the public might better participate during these special three days (i.e., the Matins and Lauds readings heard at Spy Wednesday’s tenebrae service are those for Maundy Thursday, the readings for Maundy Thursday’s tenebrae “Cercis siliquastrum” service are from Good Friday, and Good Friday’s readings are from Holy Saturday’s Divine Office).

Legend says that the tree upon which Judas hanged himself was the “Cercis siliquastrum”—a tree that is now known as the “Judas Tree.” It is a beautiful tree, native to the Mediterranean region, with brilliant deep pink flowers in the spring—flowers that are said to have blushed in shame after Judas’s suicide.

[Salvation]

Most of these posts have been from Catholic Culture, however, this one is from Fisheaters:

How to make palm Crosses to tuck behind
picture frames and hang on your wall

Palm Cross Drawings Copyright 2000 S. A. Keith of www.christiancrafters.com

	Take a palm that is about 2 feet long and 1/2" wide (if it tapers at the top, this is good!). Hold the palm upright, so the tapered end points toward the ceiling.
	Then bend the top end down and toward you so that the bend is about 5 or 6 inches from the bottom of the palm.
	About a third of the way from the bend you just made, twist the section you've pulled down to the right, forming a right angle.
	About an inch and a half away from the "stem" of the cross, bend this arm of the palm back behind the palm so that it is now facing to your left. Make the bend at a good length to form the right arm of the Cross.
	Folding that same section at a point that equals the length on the right side, bend it on the left side and bring the end forward over what is now the front of the cross.
	From the very center of the Cross, fold that arm up and to the upper right (in a "northeast" direction) so that it can wrap around where the upright post of the Cross and the right arm intersect.
	Fold this down and to the left behind the Cross...
	...and then fold it toward the right so that it is parallel and under the transverse arms of the Cross.
	Bring it up behind the Cross again, this time folding it up toward the "northwest" direction.
	Tuck the tapered end into the transverse section you made in step 7...
	...and pull through.
	Turn the Cross over; this side will be the front. Trim the tapered end if necessary, remembering that the palm is a sacramental and any part you trim away should be kept and respected as a sacramental! Use that piece for burning during storms.

 

[Salvation]

Catholic Culture

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week in the Home

Holy Week is the climax of the Lenten period, so our home activities should reflect an intensification in our works of Lent. These are suggestions for Monday through Wednesday of Holy Week, including spring cleaning, more prayer, preparing clothes for Easter, and prayer suggestions for the family meal.

Directions

Spring housecleaning is an ancient tradition, going back to the customs of the Jewish families in preparation for the Pasch. Perhaps we have cleaned the closets previously, looking for clothes to give away. And probably the modern homes with vacuum cleaners and air conditioning eliminate the need for the thorough cleanings of older times. But a special cleaning of the home in the first three days of Holy Week is still desirable in order that the home may likewise be in shining readiness for the glorious Resurrection.

Starting on Monday and for the rest of Holy Week the meals of the family should be simpler, though without being less nutritious Or filling. To sacrifice dessert or a more expensive cut of meat will help the family members become more aware of the austerity of this week.

During this week, too, the family members will try to find extra time for prayer in the home and for an intensification of all of their works of Lent.

The home activities of Holy Week are not all somber. We are aware that Easter is coming, and we have to be prepared for the joyous event. Buying or making new clothes and readying those already owned is a proper pre-Easter tradition. One's motives, unfortunately, can be purely secular, a desire to provide a style show. But regardless of abuses, the preparation of Easter garments (and one should include at least some little new item for each person in the family) is capable of being viewed in a genuinely religious way. Perhaps, too, it will happen that the last bit of Lenten self-denial the family practices is to resist wearing their new things until Easter!

The special prayer either before or after the evening meal is a selection from Psalm 21 in which we see through the eyes of David the picture of Christ suffering for us on the Cross.

For Monday of Holy Week Psalm 21:1-12

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, far from my prayer, from the words of my cry? O my God, I cry out by day, and you answer not; by night, and there is no relief for me. Yet you are enthroned in the holy place, O glory of Israel! In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried, and they escaped; in you they trusted, and they were not put to shame. But I am a worm, not a man; the scorn of men, despised by the people. All who see me scoff at me; they mock me with parted lips, they wag their heads: "He relied on the Lord; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, if he loves him." You have been my guide since I was first formed, my security at my mother's breast. To you I was committed at birth, from my mother's womb you are my God. Be not far from me, for I am in distress; be near, for I have no one to help me.

Tuesday of Holy Week Psalm 21:13-22

Many bullocks surround me; the strong bulls of Basan encircle me. They open their mouths against me like ravening and roaring lions. I am like water poured out; all my bones are racked. My heart has become like wax melting away within my bosom. My throat is dried up like baked clay, my tongue cleaves to my jaws; to the dust of death you have brought me down. Indeed, many dogs surround me, a pack of evildoers closes in upon me; They have pierced my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones. They look on and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots. But you, O Lord, be not far from me; O my help, hasten to aid me. Rescue my soul from the sword, my loneliness from the grip of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth; from the horns of the wild bulls, my wretched life.

Wednesday of Holy Week Psalm 21:23-32

I will proclaim your name to my brethren: in the midst of the assembly I will praise you; "You who fear the Lord, praise him; all you descendants of Jacob, give glory to him; revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not spurned nor disdained the wretched man in his misery Nor did he turn his face away from him, but when he cried out to him, he heard him." So by your gift will I utter praise in the vast assembly; I will fulfill my vows before those who fear him. The lowly shall eat their fill; they who seek the Lord shall praise him: "May your hearts be ever merry!" All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; All the families of the nations shall bow down before him. For dominion is the Lord's and he rules the nations. To him alone shall bow down all who sleep in the earth; Before him shall bend all who go down into the dust. And to him my soul shall live; my descendants shall serve him. Let the coming generation be told of the Lord that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born the justice he has shown.

Activity Source: Lent and Holy Week in the Home by Emerson and Arlene Hynes, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1977

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Tenebrae [Liturgy]
Tenebrae
Tenebrae
Tenebræ [Holy Week Service]