#posting this just in time for good thursday/friday/ holy saturday and easter sunday. just to be a dick about it❤️

[anyataylorjoys]

EXCISION (2012) dir. Richard Bates Jr.

#filmedit #movieedit #excision #excision 2012 #horroredit #horrorgifs #horrorfilmgifs #horror movies #cinematicsource #fyeahmovies #userfilm #filmgifs #usersavana #tusercourtney #userrobin #tusermiles #gifs* #atheism #movies for freaks n weirdos #posting this just in time for good thursday/friday/ holy saturday and easter sunday. just to be a dick about it❤️

[betweenandbeloved]

Holy Week as a Pastor-in-Training

I missed a real opportunity to do a post like this last year on internship (can’t imagine what had me so busy, it being my first real Holy Week and all...), so anyway, I decided to make up for it now. This year I was blessed to worship with Grace Lutheran Church in Wyndmoor for their Holly Week on Zoom.

Holy Week prep started the week before. I had plenty of emails back and forth with the Minister of Music at the church about the worship order and hymns, and sermon prep starts as early as it can, usually the Monday before if I have the time.

Holy Week Eve 3/27/2021: I had a great day at home with my parents making Palm Crosses, listening to Jesus Christ Superstar, and enjoying a yummy dinner, but after getting back to my apartment around 9:30pm I had to finish my sermon and shift into church-gear. Sometime around 11pm while on the phone debriefing sermon-prep with my wonderful partner Jon (if you don’t know, he’s a pastor so Saturday night is sermon night in our world), I decided I wanted to rearrange my entire office in order to have the most perfect Zoom background for Holy Week. Why is it that I only think to clean or move furniture at hours when one should be asleep?

Palm Sunday 3/28/2021: First service down! I enjoyed a lovely Post-Liturgical Nap and spent the afternoon crocheting and playing Pathfinder online with Jon and his brothers (Sunday night tradition).

Enjoy this lovely photo of my rearranged mess of an office and me (in a liturgically appropriate purple skirt) with my fancy zoom background set up.

Monday of Holy Week 3/29/2021: Nothing exciting happened today. I went to work in the Archives and then spent a considerable amount of time doing sermon prep for Thursday. Also, lots more crocheting.

Tuesday of Holy Week 3/30/2021: Transitioning out of the Holy Week prep and into school mode was HARD. I spent all of class crocheting to try and keep focused. Truly, wearing two hats is not easy. Thankfully this is the only class for the week. 

Wednesday of Holy Week 3/31/2021: It was a very full day of work in the Archives, then I finished my second crochet project of the week and ended the night with Zoomba (Zumba on Zoom - Jon gets credit for the name).

Maundy Thursday 4/1/2021:  The highlight of the day was shopping for Easter flowers, but then it was right back to sermon prep. Someone once asked “how do you know when your sermon is ready to preach?” My response? About two minutes after I’ve finished preaching it. At some point you have to just take a leap of faith and let the Holy Spirit take the reins.

Updated Good Friday Zoom background for the Tenebrae service

Good Friday 4/2/2021: Lot’s of sleeping, cleaning, and Jesus Christ Superstar ending the day with a Tenebrae service and virtual date night with Jon. 

Saturday of Holy Week 4/3/2021: I took a much needed break to spend the day at home with my parents and my sister. It was good to rest and relax for once. I ended the night by finishing my sermon and redecorating my office for worship.

Easter Sunday worship background!

Easter Sunday 4/4/2021: Alleluia Christ is Risen! The reward for surviving Holy Week was an incredible day with my family, all of us together for the first time in nearly 500 days. 

This was definitely a Holy Week to remember. I can’t wait to get into my first call and do this all again next year! 

#pastor in training #seminary life #holy week #pastorintraining

[vincentvangodot]

I made a tweet thread about the Triduum earlier, and then some of the points I made were touched on in the sermon this evening, so I’ve been emboldened to crosspost it.

If you've met me in the past year and don't know how I get in Lent and specifically over the Triduum, good luck. I don't post THAT much religion here, generally, but this is the most important weekend of the year.

It occurs to me that G-d and wrestling are the things I care most about, and the most important weekends for both of them are in the same month this year, but that's weirdly close to sacrilege. It's just a thought.

But the Triduum (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday) is vital for a deeper understanding of what Easter means, because without that culmination, Lent is just dreary. We have to focus on the journey, not only the destination.

(Keeping this in a thread for now so you can ignore it.) If we go from Lent to Easter, we run the risk of focusing on ourselves to the exclusion of G-d. Even donating what we save from cutting back can be self-centered, w/o the context of the last days.

Thursday teaches us to serve each other as we are served in turn, and also that G-d is someone WITH us, not merely above. G-d shares Their body with us, G-d washes our feet. G-d walks with us singing. Important for both theology and social reform, tbh. Care as you are cared for.

Thursday and Friday teach us that G-d has suffered as we have, in betrayal and injury and humiliations and state retaliation. G-d knows our experiences as G-d, of course, but it feels helpful to know They know them as human too. We're not alone, and Jesus calls us to His side.

(Noteworthy that Judas wasn't the only betrayal. Peter denied Him, Matthew ran in the Garden, no one was with Him at His trial. Judas' crime is seen as worst of all, but no one stayed with Him, and that's not better. My Judas thoughts are a whole other thread.)

I'm in the process of reading a book on the Crucifixion, so I have more to say about that than will fit in tweets and will simply refrain. I WILL say that, without attention paid to the Triduum, Lent can feel like a journey towards the Cross, and that isn't true.

The Cross is not the goal. It's a means to an end, but it's not the destination. We travel THROUGH the Cross, TO the Resurrection. The point is that G-d moved past death and brought us with Them. Jesus being killed is not the end, it's weird how that gets forgotten sometimes.

There's a lot of guilt abt humans being the ones who killed Jesus, and a LOT of antisemitism abt WHICH humans killed Him (Romans, it was the Romans, I have no time for that shit), but G-d used our actions for Their glory, so imo that guilt is misplaced. Focus on the goal.

This is why Holy Saturday is important. It's not just a blank day. It's the day when we don't know what happens. We travel through Thursday's agony, Friday's death, and Saturday's uncertainty to get to Sunday's triumph. The uncertainty is important.

Also important: the agony, death, and uncertainty are all love. Love for His disciples, love for His torturers, love for those left behind. This is done for love of us, and so that we know how to love each other. Not guilt, not damnation. All love.

But the uncertainty is vital - the waiting, the rest. Time between Cross and Resurrection to reflect. His followers weren't certain He'd return. We know He did, but we live our lives waiting for Him, and this one day makes that the focus. We wait, and pray. We trust.

And then, Easter. Countless books about Easter. I can't say anything new. But the Triduum is important so we don't rush from vagueness to joy. We follow Jesus' journey so we can appreciate His return. We can't understand it, but we at least have a context.

#seb's religion tag #reminder that i tag posts that so you can block them if you want

[unworthy-stars]

Embracing Greece Week 9

Hello everybody and happy Easter! Today is a special season for the Greek nation as well as the Orthodox Christian community since it was Easter Sunday and we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Thus no one could miss posting about the local traditions and speaking about general customs.

This week we are talking about Greek Easter

As I mentioned before, the other day was the Orthodox Easter (8th April 2018). It is a movable date, just like the Catholic/Protestant Easter and it is always at the end of the Holy Week.

To begin with, traditionally in the Orthodox Church and the Greek community, the Easter is a much more meaningful date than Christmas. In result, it is celebrated more intensively and friskily than 25th December. The reason behind this change isn't just because of the different churches but also because of the meaning of Easter. In Greece, the resurrection of Christ has a meaning of hope and victory since Jesus won over Death and Devil and could go through all tortures to finally take it all. What an allegory.

Of course and it needs a great psychological preparation. So since Clean Monday (an also movable date) until Easter Sunday (48 days) all devoted Christians fast, do not eat any meat, just to be emotionally connected to Jesus. Of course and dates vary between churches and it includes dates such as the Lazarus Saturday.

But all Greek traditions exist in the last week of fasting, the Holy Week (Palm Sunday until Holy Saturday). To summarise everything, I have decided to list everything~

Palm Sunday (Κυριακή των ΒαΪων): Decoration of Churches with Palm Leaves. Local traditions in several areas occur (further use of the leaves) Holy Monday (Μεγάλη Δευτέρα): Dedicated to Joseph, son of Jacob. The Christians go to church to listen to hymns. Holy Tuesday (Μεγάλη Τρίτη): Dedicated to the Troparion of Kassiani (Τροπάριο της Κασσιανής) Spy Wednesday (Μεγάλη Τετάρτη): Dedicated to sinful women that followed Jesus. The day Judas agreed to betray Jesus Maundy Thursday (Μεγάλη Πέμπτη): The Last Supper takes place. Christians paint eggs red and bake biscuits. Girls decorate the epitaph (Επιτάφιος)  Good Friday (Μεγάλη Παρασκευή): Jesus is crucified. Strict fasting (drinking is prohibited). Deposition of the Cross and the representation of Christ’s tomb is carried. Important local churches might gather to a central point. Holy Saturday (Μεγάλο Σάββατο): Jesus’ journey in the afterlife. Last day of fasting. Easter Sunday (Κυριακή του Πάσχα): Jesus is resurrected, Big feast.

All you need to know is the fun details below! Do not worry about any Christianity-related points which require Bible extracts. The fun has just begun!

~Everyone knows it is Easter time on Palm Sunday. Greeks don’t do much themselves, but it is the only date they are allowed to start fasting (in case they didn’t the previous 40 days due to health/age reasons).

~Only a few really care about Holy Monday- Holy Wednesday. They are working dates for everyone so the holidays haven’t even started.

~On Maundy Tuesday we have the painting eggs tradition! We paint eggs red to symbolize a myriad of things that no one really knows! The truth is red is an important colour for Christianity as it symbolises the blood of Jesus and His Royalty. It could be connected to other Biblical events including Virgin Mary and Maria Magdalena. 

(Here is the process of painting eggs. Photos taken by me, process done by my mother)

~Traditionally girls would decorate the Epitaph (Επιτάφιος) but now it is done by professional florists just so it looks presentable.

~There is a special tradition concerning godparents and their godchild. Every Easter, they have to present the child with a λαμπάδα (lampada- candle) and a gift, as well as a big chocolate egg. This special decorated candle will be lit on Holy Saturday night.

(Here is mine this year. Photo taken by me~)

These candles come in all shapes and colours with every imaginable motifs, patterns and decorative pieces.

(Here are a few handmade chocolate eggs taken from this site)

~During the Holy Saturday night everyone gathers up at the church with their λαμπάδα and wait for it to be precisely midnight and be given the Holy Light, by the priests. As soon as the light is given to everyone, inside and outside the church, the priests and all Christians sing the same song said in the scripts:

Χριστὸς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν   Christ is risen from the dead θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας    having beaten Death by death καὶ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι        and to those in the graves ζωὴν χαρισάμενος               having given the gift of life.

I took a video of the church I went to, but unfortunately due to the bells ringing the quality wasn’t good enough to be posted! Here you can have a better sample of how the night looks like and how the song is pronounced! I repeat that the video isn’t mine.

(Triggers: Christianity, loud noises?)

~ After the ritual mentioned above families gather up at home and usually burn a bit the entrance of their house, always entering by their right food for luck! Do not worry, no accidents are made and no one burns their door! Since everyone values their properties this tradition has started to fade away but a whole bunch of people still keep up with it!

What matters most about what happens after though...Did you forget already? It is past midnight! It is Sunday! Fasting has ended!

As soon as the Christians return home, they eat a traditional dish called μαγειρίτσα (mageiritsa) which mostly consists of different internals of lamb (συκωταριά), onions, wine, olive oil and lettuce in a soup form!

(Here is the μαγειρίτσα we ate~)

Of course and people don’t enjoy such tastes at the moment so we have a normal feast along with the traditional dish! This is the time we crack the eggs we had painted on Holy Thursday!

How to crack the Eggs: Top 10 Anime Battles

Step 1. Choose your Egg

Step 2. Find an opponent. You track them down by seeing them holding an untouched red egg.

Step 3. Give them the death glare.

Step 4. Hold your egg with the pointy edge facing to the ceiling. Your opponent is about to attack, you have to be patient.

Step 5. They attacked. Has your fighter cracked? Or did your opponent’s hit return back? Either way, you both have a second chance.

Step 6. It is your time to respond. Hold your egg so its butt (round part) is faced to the floor. Hit, gently, your opponent’s butt.

Step 7. The battle is over. Who won? You decide!

(Here is a slow motion video of the process! It doesn’t belong to me)

~ But the fun doesn’t end here! We are Greeks and the fun never ends!

Later in the day, friends and family gather at houses and start an even bigger feast. In this feast, it is tradition that we roast lamb and yet two other traditional dishes, κοκορέτσι (kokoretsi) and κοντοσούβλι (kontosouvli). Both of them are cooked all over the Balkan peninsula and sometimes Turkey. The first one is made by several internals of the lamb while the second is made by pork.

The feast always includes drinking, dancing and a lot of gossiping.

(This is κοκορέτσι & some sausages made by Grandma Eleftheria)

That was my endless post about Greek Easter! ANY Questions you have, please ask (My Inbox is empty 24/7). ANYTHING you want to learn about Greek culture, please ask. ANYTIME you want, please ask. Please ask!

~Sia

#hetaliafandomdirectory #the-awesome-sia #greek easter

[pope-francis-quotes]

28th March >> (@zenitenglish) Pope Francis’ Address at this mornings General Audience In St. Peter’s Square: On the Easter Triduum: ‘I am in the new life, but I live a corrupt life. And these ‘fake Christians’ will end badly’ (Photo ~ Pope Francis Copyright - Vatican Media) This morning’s General Audience was held at 9:30 in St. Peter’s Square, where the Holy Father Francis met with groups of pilgrims and faithful from Italy and from all over the world. In his address in Italian, the Pope focused his meditation on the Paschal Triduum (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). After summarizing his catechesis in several languages, the Holy Father expressed special greetings to groups of faithful present. The General Audience ended with the singing of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Blessing. * * * The Holy Father’s Catechesis Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! Today I would like to pause to meditate on the Easter Triduum, which begins tomorrow, to deepen a bit what the most important days of the Liturgical Year represent for us believers. I would like to ask you a question: what is the most important feast of our faith: Christmas or Easter? Easter, because it is the feast of our salvation, the feast of God’s love for us, the feast, the celebration of His Death and Resurrection. Therefore, I would like to reflect with you on this feast, on these days, which are paschal days, until the Resurrection of the Lord. These days constitute the celebratory memory of one great mystery: the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The Triduum begins tomorrow, with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and it will end with Vespers of the Sunday of Resurrection. Then Easter Monday comes to celebrate this great feast: one more day. However, this is post-liturgical: it’s the family feast, it’s the feast of society. It marks the fundamental stages of our faith and of our vocation in the world, and all Christians are called to live the three Holy Days – Thursday, Friday, Saturday; and Sunday — of course –, Saturday is the Resurrection — the three Holy Days as, so to speak, the “matrix” of their personal and communal life, of their community life, as the exodus from Egypt was lived by our Jewish brothers. These three days propose again to the Christian people the great events of the salvation wrought by Christ, and so they project it on the horizon of their future destiny and reinforce it in their commitment of witness in history. Reviewing the stages lived in the Triduum, on Easter morning the Song of the Sequence, namely a hymn or a sort of Psalm, makes us hear solemnly the announcement of the Resurrection, and it says thus: “Christ, our hope, is risen and precedes us in Galilee.” This is the great affirmation: Christ is risen. And in many nations of the world, especially in Eastern Europe, people greet one another in these paschal days not with “good morning,” “good evening” but with “Christ is risen,” to affirm the great paschal greeting. “Christ is risen.” The Triduum culminates with these words — “Christ is risen” — of moving exultance. They contain not only an announcement of joy and hope, but also an appeal to responsibility and to the mission. And it doesn’t end with the dove, the eggs, the feasts – even if this is good because it’s the family feast – but it doesn’t end so. The way to the mission begins there, at the announcement: Christ is risen. And this announcement, to which the Triduum leads, preparing us to receive it, is the heart of our faith and of our hope, it’s the core, it’s the announcement, it’s — the word is difficult, but says it all –, it’s the kerygma, which continually evangelizes the Church and that she in turn is sent to evangelize. Saint Paul summarizes the paschal event in this expression: “Christ, our paschal lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7), as lamb. He was immolated. Therefore — he continues — “the old things have passed and everything has become new” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Reborn. And therefore, from the beginning, people were baptized on the day of Easter. Also this Saturday night I will baptize here, in Saint Peter’s, eight adults who are beginning the Christian life. And everything begins because they will be reborn. And, with another synthetic formula Saint Paul explains that Christ “was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). <He is> the only one, the only one that justifies us; Jesus Christ is the only one who makes us be reborn, no one else. And, therefore, nothing must be paid, because justification — making us just — is free. And this is the grandeur of the love of Jesus: he gives His life freely to make us saints, to renew us, to forgive us. And this is precisely the core of this Paschal Triduum. In the Paschal Triduum the memory of this fundamental event becomes a full celebration of gratitude and, at the same time, it renews in the baptized the sense of their new condition, which again the Apostle Paul expresses thus: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, […] and not . . . those that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-3). Look up, look at the horizon, widen the horizons: this is our faith, this is our justification, this is the state of grace! Through Baptism, in fact, we are raised with Jesus and we die to the things and the logic of the world; we are reborn as new creatures: a reality that calls for becoming concrete existence day by day. If a Christian truly lets himself be washed by Christ, if he truly lets himself be stripped by Him of the old man to walk in a new life, although remaining a sinner, — because we are all so — he can no longer be corrupt, Jesus’ justification saves us from corruption; we are sinners but not corrupt; he can no longer live with death in his soul, or even be the cause of death. And here I must say a sad and painful thing … There are fake Christians: those that say “Jesus is risen,” “I’ve been justified by Jesus,” I am in the new life, but I live a corrupt life. And these fake Christians will end badly. A Christians, I repeat, is a sinner — we are all so — I am so — but we have the certainty that when we ask the Lord for forgiveness, He forgives us. The corrupt <Christian> feigns being an honourable person but, in the end, putridness is in his heart. Jesus gives us a new life. A Christian can’t live with death in his soul, or be the cause of death. Let us think — not to go far — we think of home, we think of so-called “mafiosi Christians.” But these have nothing of the Christian: they call themselves Christians, but they bring death in their soul and to others. Let us pray for them, that the Lord may touch their soul. One’s neighbour, especially the littlest and the one suffering most, becomes the concrete face to whom to give the love that Jesus has given us. And the world becomes the place of our new life as risen ones. We have risen with Jesus: standing, and with our head held high, we can share the humiliation of those that still today, as Jesus, are in suffering, in nakedness, in necessity, in loneliness, in death, to become, thanks to Him and with Him, instruments of rescue and of hope, signs of life and of resurrection. In many countries — here in Italy and also in my homeland — there is the custom that, on Easter day, when the bells are heard, mothers, grandmothers bring the children to wash their eyes with water, with the water of life, as a sign to be able to see the things of Jesus, the new things. In this Easter, let us wash our soul, wash the eyes of the soul, to see beautiful things and do beautiful things. And this is wonderful! This is in fact the Resurrection of Jesus after His death, which was the price to save us all. Dear brothers and sisters, let us dispose ourselves to live well this now imminent Holy Triduum — it begins tomorrow –, to be ever more profoundly inserted in the mystery of Christ, dead and risen for us. May the Most Holy Virgin, who followed Jesus in His Passion — She was there, looked, suffered . . . was present and united to Him under His cross, but was not ashamed of her Son, a Mother who was never ashamed of her son! She was there, and received in her Mother’s heart the immense joy of the Resurrection –, accompany us in this spiritual itinerary. May she obtain for us the grace to be interiorly involved in the celebrations of the next days, so that our heart and our life are really transformed. And on leaving you these thoughts, I express to you all my warmest wishes for a happy and holy Easter, together with your communities and your dear ones. And I counsel you, on Easter morning take the children to a tap and make them wash their eyes. It will be a sign of how to see the Risen Jesus. [Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester] In Italian A warm welcome goes to the Italian-speaking faithful. I’m happy to receive the participants in the UNIV International Meeting, 50 years from the start of such a significant event. I exhort all to live the years of university formation as integral preparation for the service of man, witnessing in it the joy and values of the faith. I greet the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians; the parishes, the boy Mayors of the province of Catania; the Scouts of Bronte and of Trani and the student groups, particularly those of Civitavecchia, Teramo and Marzana. A special thought goes to young people, the sick and newlyweds. The Easter Triduum begins tomorrow, fulcrum of the Liturgical Year. Reflect on the price of blood paid by the Lord for salvation. May Good Friday teach you patience in moments of the cross and may Sunday of the Resurrection fill you with the joyful victory wrought by Christ over all that is against life and the good in the world. [Original text: Italian] [ZENIT’s translation by Virginia M. Forrester]

[torixus]

Why We Worship On Sundays And Not Saturdays - Fr. Kelvin Reveals

Popular Nigerian Catholic Priest, Rev.Fr. Kelvin Ugwu has revealed the reason why Catholics and Other Christians worship on Sunday and Not on Saturday.

According to the Catholic Priest, Catholic Church through Emperor Constantine decided to make Sunday the day of worship following the pagan feast they call the feast of the Sun-god.

He pin points Out the Real Theory behind the Sabbath Day and the Bible Notes behind It.

Fr. Kelvin Ugwu is well known for his Daily Talk About Life and the Church.

The message Reads;

As you read this, I would like you to bear this in mind. The reason you see us clarifying and involving ourselves in some of these topics on social Media is not because we are jobless or want to show off, but just so that at least one or two persons who genuinely want to know the truth could get the opportunity of hearing another side that will aid him or her in making an informed decision.

In the Old Testament, we read in Exodus 20:8-10 concerning the Sabbath. It says:

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you,"

The question now is, how come it was shifted from what we now call Saturday to what we now called Sunday?

There are those who are ready to tell you that the reason for the shift is because the Catholic Church through Emperor Constantine decided to make Sunday the day of worship following the pagan feast they call the feast of the Sun-god. They will also tell you that worshipping on Sunday is not biblical, and as such when you worship on Sunday, you worship the pagan god.

hmmmm! Let's take a deep breath! I am making this post so that you can always keep it as reference or to share it with people ready to learn.

Prior to the death and resurrection of Christ. The first day of the week which we now call Sundays does not have much significance until we read in Matthew 28:1 concerning Mary Magdalene.

"Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave."

Then, we were told in all the gospels that Christ rose from the dead on that FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.(Mark 16: 9).

Gradually, the very fact that the resurrection took place that first day of the week, it soon became something very significant for the early Christians. The resurrection was and it is still a big deal, something no one has ever done. And truly, what sets Christians apart from others is simply their believe in the resurrection of Christ. Without it, they have nothing to talk about.

To make it even more dramatic, in Luke 24:14-14 Jesus appeared to two disciples on their way to Emmaus and broke bread with them. That day was the first day of the week, on a Sunday.

As if that is not enough, the disciples started gathering together and Jesus will appear to them on the first day of the week.

John 20:19 says,

"So when it was evening on that day, THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you.""

On that visit of Christ as recorded in John 20:19, do you know that Thomas was not with the disciples on that day? And when he came back and was told, he refused to believe. 

Here is the most astonishing part. Jesus had to wait for the next week, the first day of the week, before he appeared to show himself to Thomas. Why? Something for us to reflect on. Read for yourself.

John 20: 26

"A WEEK LATER his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”"

For some of you who are interested in research, please find time and google "The Didache" also known as "The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nation". Take your time and read it. It was written in the first century and contains an account of how the first Christians saw themselves, what they did during their meetings, the day of the week they were meeting, and what they taught. This will open your eyes to how the early Christians worshipped. The documents is an archeological fact for those that want to doubt its authenticity.

What brought me to mentioning "The Didache" is to show you that though the early disciples still tried keeping the Sabbath, but they still gathered on the first day of the week for the breaking of bread. Even the book of Act 20:7 recorded it.

At some point, St Paul even gave us a clear hint in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 that the first day of the week was the day they usually gather to pray.

Hear Paul as he writes to the Corinthians:

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the FIRST DAY OF EVERY WEEK each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come."

Mark the words: . . . OF EVERY WEEK.

It did not take long, this first day of the week was now referred to as "The day of the Lord" by the early disciples. You can check Revelation 1: 10. Even the Didache I told you about, talked about it.

Do I need to remind you all the importance of the resurrection? Formerly it was just an ordinary first day of the week, but Christ turned it to an Easter. As such, every Sunday became a "small Easter", such that it naturally took over Saturday.

Now, the ogakpatakpata of them all is the Pentecost day. Pentecost is an agricultural feast of the Jews. Pentecost means 50. Today when the word Pentecost is mentioned, our mind will go quickly to the Holy Spirit. That is not what Pentecost meant initially.

Why did God decided to send the holy Spirit on the apostles on the Pentecost day, a day where farmers were supposed to gather in accordance to the Jewish law of Leviticus 23:15-22? To Make it even more shocking, that day was on a Sunday. All Jewish Pentecosts were celebrated on the first day of the week (Sunday). Make the calculation yourself and you will see.

Now here is the summary: Christ rose on the first day of the week. God sent the Holy Spirit on the apostles in which more than 3000 souls were converted, and it was on the first day of the week. Two very important days for all Christians: The birth of the church on Pentecost and the salvation of the world on the day he rose. Both happened on Sundays.

Can you now see why it did not take long for the Sabbath to start losing its significance on the early Christians because they have seen something bigger than the Sabbath. They saw Christ himself, the Holy Trinity. They were no longer held bound by the law. They abandoned some of the practices of the Jews whom do not even believe that Jesus is the saviour not to talk of resurrection from the dead. This is why in the NT, even tithe was not binding and was not talked about among the early Christians.

Friends, to say that it was Constantine that made us to start worshipping on Sundays will amount to a show of ignorance of the scriptures and undermining the power of the resurrection and even worst still, giving Constantine the powers that he does not posses. 

And if they say Sunday is a day of worship of the pagan Sun-god and that the meaning of Sunday came from the Sun-god, then it is important we remind ourselves that the Jews as at that time of Jesus do not have names for the days of the week as we do today. This is why you will often hear them say, the first day of the week, the sixth day, the seventh Etc. This is exactly what played out during the creation story.

Even the word Sabbath is simply a description. Sabbath is from the Hebrew "shabbat" meaning "to rest." This is why even when the bible mentioned 7th day, it will still use the word Sabbath to describe it as the day of rest. "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God." Exodus 20:8.

The days of the week as we have today were all adopted. They are all pagan. Monday is named after the god of the moon. Thursday is for the Norse god known in Modern English as Thor. Friday is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Fríge. Saturday is named after the Roman god Saturn. 

There is this impression from some Pentecostals Christians of today that once anything has a pagan origin it is evil and it is impossible for it to be 'Christianized.' This is the origin of the fight concerning the celebration of Christmas here on social media.

Well, unfortunately, many things came from the pagans, including the papyrus that was used to write the bible in those days. The tradition of offering visitors kolanut in Igbo culture is largely pagan. Even Baptism as we know it today as pouring of water or immersion in rivers did not start with Christians.

What these so called "highly spiritual" Pentecostals fail to see is that the christian faith must be planted in a culture for it to take root. Even St Paul while preaching to the Areopagus in Act 17:16-34 had to use what the Athens have as an altar to the "unknown god", to plant the message of the living and known God into them.

Friends, the point is, once the Christian faith is planted in any culture, it uproots the bad in it and retains the good. This is why once you mention "Sunday" we think about the day of worship in church and not sun-god. This is why 25th December may not be the day Christ was born, but it has taken a Christian dimension pushing aside whatever it was known with before. This is why the cross that was seen as a symbol of shame, once it is mentioned today, it is seen as a symbol of liberation and of glory.

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2sjDJFL

#Church #NEWS

[kasiebingham]

Easter isn’t over....

 And nor should it ever be!

Humanity passions for freedom. Free will. Free speech. Free choice. And, if not most of all, freedom from judgement.

As I reflected on my mindsets, my focus and how each day throughout the Easter Weekend made me feel, I came to realise that my everyday life should be lived with this same awe, surrender and devotion; no matter the date of the calendar.

As I drove to a family event on Good Friday, I listened to an online preservice where to MC’s were commenting, “If today is Good Friday, and Sunday is Resurrection Sunday, what is Saturday?” There was also naive and vague remarks regarding Thursday. I talked to YouTube the same way I attempt to advise NRL players and referees on the television, contributing input as though they could hear me. Their curiosity quickly awoke critical thinking and evaluation of what I’ve been taught over my years, studied and read in my own personal devotions recently. 

So, what do the days of Easter Weekend signify?

Thursday - Through student-led inquiry in the classroom, we briefly learned about Lent. “The last day of Lent is Holy Thursday, which reminds us of when Jesus had the last supper and washed the feet of his disciples.” Watching the ABC Behind the News segment, I watched, with a recently opened-mind and understanding of this act, people sitting lined up and having their feet washed. John 13:7, “Jesus replied, ‘You don’t understand yet the meaning of what I’m doing, but soon it will be clear to you.’” Jesus was replying to Peter who was objecting that his LORD would be on his knees taking a position “beneath” Peter. Elaborating, Dr Brian Simmons explains, “By removing their sandals and washing their feet, Jesus was showing them that he was granting them a new inheritance - his own. The sandal is often used in covenants of inheritance in Hebrew culture. Every defilement would be removed so that they could ‘place the sole of their feet’ upon the new covenant inheritance.” (See also Joshua 1:3, Ruth 4:1-12 and Exodus 3:5.) The day before Jesus’ crucifixion, he removed defilements so that his disciples could walk into the new inheritance in Christ that was about to come!

Friday - Good Friday. The day we reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of our God and Saviour. What is the significance of the sacrifice? The Old Testament Law required that blood would be spilled for the sanctification from their sin - something had to be substituted in place of the person, (Leviticus 4:20-35). The root of the Hebrew word translated “atonement” in the Old Testament is kaphar, which has the idea of “covering,” not total removal. Ron Dudek explains, “Tens of thousands of animals were ceremonially slaughtered by Jewish priests for centuries, the spilling of their blood vividly illustrated the deadly seriousness of sin. However, these sacrifices were essentially like a bandage, only acting as a covering for sin. They did not, and could not, remove sin.” What these sacrifices ultimately point toward is the significance of God’s biggest plan - Jesus Christ who would be the only one to remove the sins for all people, (Hebrews 10:4). Friday is good because it leads to the resurrection and victory that is to come.

Saturday - What is Saturday? Some consider it Silent Saturday or Holy Saturday; a time to reflect on what had happened on the Friday. On that Saturday, Jesus lay dead in the tomb and his disciples experience the absence of God. In some cases, it is silent. The heavens are silent. Hope has come crashing down before their eyes. Faith has been given its ultimate challenge. In shock. In disbelief. But, in unknown waiting. The disciples have no words. 

As I drove and reflected, I thought of Passover. I recalled the night the Jews, in captivity under Egypt, had been waiting for their promised freedom. Faith was activated in the action of sacrificing a lamb and smearing its blood over the door posts of their houses so that death would passover their families and save their sons. Here I was, realising more intimately and personally the connection of Jesus’ blood - my passover. And not just my passover, but the final passover for the world. The spirit of death passes over me that my life is spared. Imagine the waiting and the extent of faith required on that first Passover. Did the mums sleep? Did they hold their sons in their arms the entire night? Did the dad’s sit by the doors watching and ready to defend their child’s life if need be? Silent. Waiting. 

I believe there is so much more in the Saturday.

The voice of WM. B. Eerdman shares that, “for much of Christian history the church has given no place to Holy Saturday in its liturgy or worship. Yet the space dividing Calvary and the Garden may be the best place from which to reflect on the meaning of Christ's death and resurrection.”

Sunday - Resurrection Sunday. The difference between every sacrificial event throughout the Old Testament and this one is, this sacrifice came back to life. I mean, on what grounds could Satan have been confident to think he had an ounce of any form of power to defeat God; his own creator. Life. This resurrection life is more powerful that the physical because Christ has overcome the physical. One of my favourite pieces of literature has a bold yet mistake-ridden character being told, “Every day is fresh of mistakes,” (Anne of Green Gables). Even Lamentations tells us that! “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness,” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Jesus’ life defeats eternal death. It defeats any battle because life is in him - a fresh and new chance everyday.

Each and every day my life exists due to this coherent narrative - this mind blowing expression of love and grace. What is reflected upon and celebrated at Easter should not be an annual moment, it should be an everyday moment, because each and every breath I breathe each and every day, I breathe with God. And this is only possible because of Jesus.

Everyday life should be lived with this same awe we come on our knees with at Easter time, surrender and devotion; no matter the date of the calendar.

[thewahookid]

10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAUNDY THURSDAY

10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAUNDY THURSDAY Maundy Thursday was one of the most important days in all of history. It was a pivotal day in the life of Jesus Christ. Here are 10 things you should know about it and how we celebrate it today. Every single Mass, we hear the words "on the night he was betrayed." That night was Holy Thursday, and it is one of the most important nights in all of history. Here are 10 things you need to know. 1. What happened on the original Holy Thursday? An amazing amount of stuff! This was one of the most pivotal days in the life of Jesus Christ. Here are some of the things the gospels record for this day (including events that happened after midnight). Jesus: • Sent Peter and John to arrange for them to use the Upper Room to hold the Passover meal. • Washed the apostles' feet. • Held the first Mass. • Instituted the priesthood. • Announced that Judas would betray him. • Gave the "new commandment" to love one another. • Indicated that Peter had a special pastoral role among the apostles. • Announced that Peter would deny him. • Prayed for the unity of his followers. • Held all the discourses recorded across five chapters of John (John 13-18). • Sang a hymn. • Went to the Mount of Olives. • Prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. • Was betrayed by Judas. • Stopped the disciples from continuing a violent resistance. • Healed the ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant, after Peter cut it off with a sword. • Was taken before the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. • Was denied by Peter. • Was taken to Pilate. It was a momentous day! If you'd like to read the gospel accounts themselves, you can use these links: • Matthew 26:17-75 • Mark 14:12-72 • Luke 22:7-62 • John 13:1-18:27 2. Why is Holy Thursday sometimes called "Maundy Thursday"? The word "Maundy" is derived from the Latin word mandatum, or "mandate." This word is used in the Latin text for John 13:34: "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos." Or, in English: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you." Holy Thursday is thus sometimes called Maundy Thursday because it was on this day that Christ gave us the new commandment--the new mandate--to love one another as he loves us. 3. What happens on this day liturgically? Several things: • The bishop celebrates a "Chrism Mass" with his priests (usually). • The Mass of the Lord's Supper is held in the evening. • At the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the priest (often) performs the washing of feet. • The Tabernacle is empty and the Eucharist is put in a place of repose. • The altar is stripped. • The faithful are invited to spend time in Eucharistic adoration while the Sacrament is in repose. 4. What is the "Chrism Mass"? According to the main document governing the celebrations connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis: 35. The Chrism Mass which the bishop concelebrates with his presbyterium and at which the holy chrism is consecrated and the oils blessed, manifests the communion of the priests with their bishop in the same priesthood and ministry of Christ. The priests who concelebrate with the bishop should come to this Mass from different parts of the diocese, thus showing in the consecration of the chrism to be his witnesses and cooperators, just as in their daily ministry they are his helpers and counselors. The faithful are also to be encouraged to participate in this Mass, and to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist. Traditionally the Chrism Mass is celebrated on the Thursday of Holy Week. If, however, it should prove to be difficult for the clergy and people to gather with the bishop, this rite can be transferred to another day, but one always close to Easter. The chrism and the oil of catechumens is to be used in the celebration of the sacraments of initiation on Easter night. 5. Why is the Mass of the Lord's Supper significant? According to Paschales Solemnitatis: 45. Careful attention should be given to the mysteries which are commemorated in this Mass: the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and Christ's command of brotherly love; the homily should explain these points. 6. Is the Eucharist in the Tabernacle during this Mass? No. According to Paschales Solemnitatis: 48. The Tabernacle should be completely empty before the celebration. Hosts for the Communion of the faithful should be consecrated during that celebration. A sufficient amount of bread should be consecrated to provide also for Communion on the following day. 7. What does the rite of foot washing signify, and is it to be done for men only? According to Paschales Solemnitatis: 51. The washing of the feet of chosen men which, according to tradition, is performed on this day, represents the service and charity of Christ, who came "not to be served, but to serve. This tradition should be maintained, and its proper significance explained. The rite is optional. It does not have to be performed. Although the Church’s official texts use language that indicates only men (Latin, viri) can have their feet washed on Holy Thursday, the situation today is more complex. In 2004, the new archbishop of Boston, Seán O’Malley, was criticized for varying from the practice of his predecessor, Cardinal Bernard Law, and washing only the feet of men. He explained that this was what the law required but said that he would query the Holy See about the matter. In 2005 the Boston Globe reported: O’Malley promised to consult with Rome, and yesterday his spokeswoman said the Congregation for Divine Worship, which oversees liturgical practices, had suggested the archbishop make whatever decision he thought was best for Boston. “The Congregation [for Divine Worship] affirmed the liturgical requirement that only the feet of men be washed at the Holy Thursday ritual.” However, the Congregation did “provide for the archbishop to make a pastoral decision.” Cardinal O’Malley then included women in the foot-washing rite. This sequence of events created a situation that was significantly muddier than existed before. If the archbishop of Boston was allowed to make pastoral exceptions to the rule, it would be difficult to argue that other bishops could not do the same in their dioceses. This had the effect of creating a doubt as to what the law requires. According to the Code of Canon Law, “Laws, even invalidating and incapacitating ones, do not oblige when there is a doubt of law” (CIC 14). Until such time as the Holy See clarifies the matter, it appears that the law provides that only men are to have their feet washed in the ceremony but that the local bishop can choose to include women in his diocese if he deems it the best decision pastorally. 8. What happens at the end of the Mass of the Lord's Supper? According to Paschales Solemnitatis: 54. After the post-Communion prayer, the procession forms, with the crossbar at its head. The Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by lighted candles and incense, is carried through the church to the place of reservation, to the singing of the hymn "Pange lingua" or some other eucharistic song. This rite of transfer of the Blessed Sacrament may not be carried out if the Liturgy of the Lord's Passion will not be celebrated in that same church on the following day. 55. The Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a closed tabernacle or pyx. Under no circumstances may it be exposed in a monstrance. The place where the tabernacle or pyx is situated must not be made to resemble a tomb, and the expression "tomb" is to be avoided. The chapel of repose is not prepared so as to represent the "Lord's burial" but for the custody of the eucharistic bread that will be distributed in Communion on Good Friday. 9. Is there to be Eucharistic adoration at this time? According to Paschales Solemnitatis: 56. After the Mass of the Lord's Supper the faithful should be encouraged to spend a suitable period of time during the night in the church in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament which has been solemnly reserved. Where appropriate, this prolonged eucharistic adoration may be accompanied by the reading of some part of the Gospel of St. John (chs. 13-17). From midnight onwards, however, the adoration should be made without external solemnity, because the day of the Lord's passion has begun. 10. What happens to the decoration of the Church at this time? According to Paschales Solemnitatis: 57. After Mass the altar should be stripped. It is fitting that any crosses in the church be covered with a red or purple veil, unless they have already been veiled on the Saturday before the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Lamps should not be lit before the images of saints. JimmyAkin

[vsplusonline]

Bethlehem's storied Nativity Church closes amid virus fears

New Post has been published on https://apzweb.com/bethlehems-storied-nativity-church-closes-amid-virus-fears/

Bethlehem's storied Nativity Church closes amid virus fears

Palestinian officials on Thursday closed the storied Church of the Nativity in the biblical city of Bethlehem indefinitely over fears of the new coronavirus, weeks ahead of the busy Easter holiday season.

The announcement by the Palestinian tourism ministry threatened to devastate the vital tourism industry in the town where Jesus is believed to have been born. The spread of the virus across the Middle East has already disrupted worship at other major holy sites.

Iran, the epicenter of the virus in the region, meanwhile said it would set up checkpoints to limit travel between major cities and urged citizens to reduce their use of paper money to help slow the outbreak, which has killed at least 107 people in the country.

The Church of the Nativity was closed after suspicions that four Palestinians had caught the virus, prompting a flurry of measures that included banning all tourists from the Israeli-occupied West Bank for an unspecified amount of time and shutting down other places of worship in Bethlehem for two weeks.

The Palestinian health ministry later said a total of seven Palestinians from Bethlehem have tested positive for the virus, the first cases reported in the Palestinian territories. It said the seven worked at the same hotel.

Built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was born in a manger, the Church of the Nativity is one of several prominent tourist and holy sites to shut their doors over concerns about the virus, which has infected tens of thousands of people and killed more than 3,000 globally.

Just before 4 p.m., a bearded clergyman walked outside and locked the church’s wooden door with a large key. Just a few foreign tourists milled about outside.

Artur Joba, a Polish tourist visiting with his girlfriend, said he had decided to cut his stay in Bethlehem short and would head to nearby Jerusalem on Friday.

We decided to leave,” he said. I’m going back to my hotel now to look for a hotel elsewhere.

Later, a team of workers dressed in white overalls arrived with jugs of cleaning materials and walked through a side entrance to disinfect the building. Tariq al-Ali, one of the workers, said it was the second time his team disinfected the church.

We have disinfected many institutions in the past week. We are under pressure, he said.

Saif Saboh, a Palestinian tour guide, said a number of groups had canceled visits in recent days. He said he has stopped shaking hands or getting too close to tourists and bathes each evening. I’m terrified,” he said. It is serious and any tourist could be infected.

The virus has disrupted Muslim worship across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia banned pilgrimages to the holy city of Mecca, while Iran has canceled Friday’s Islamic prayers in major cities. Iraq canceled Friday prayers in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, where a weekly sermon is delivered on behalf of the country’s top Shiite cleric.

The Church of the Nativity receives some 10,000 tourists a day, according to Palestinian officials, and is expected to welcome tens of thousands of visitors during the Easter season.

Elias al-Arja, the head of the Bethlehem hotel owners union, angrily accused authorities of caving in to panic. This will cause huge damage to the economy. We have 3,000 workers in the tourist sector and they will all go home. Who is going to feed their families? he said.

Anton Suleiman, the mayor of Bethlehem, acknowledged the difficult situation. Even if this causes huge damage to the economy, public safety is the most important thing to us, he said.

In Iran, Health Minister Saeed Namaki announced his country’s new restrictions at a televised press conference. He added that schools and universities will remain closed through Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on March 20.

We will strictly control comings and goings, he said.

Ali Darvishpour, deputy governor of Alborz province, said except for medical centers all government offices, banks and institutions will be closed Saturday, the first day of Iran’s work week, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency. He urged people to stay home.

The U.S. official focused on Iran, Brian Hook, said Thursday the U.S. offered humanitarian assistance to Iran to help them deal with the outbreak, but “the regime rejected the offer.”

Hook, speaking at a news conference in Paris, also said the U.S. has asked Iran to release American detainees “on medical furlough” over fears the coronavirus may be infesting the country’s prisons. He said Washington was working through Switzerland and could not provide details. The U.S. and Iran have no diplomatic relations.

A news website affiliated with state TV said Mohammad Sadr, a member of Iran’s expediency Council, who is also senior adviser to the country’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has been infected with the new coronavirus.

Earlier this week, Mohammad Mirmohammadi, a member of Iran’s Expediency Council, an administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader, died after falling ill with the new virus.

More than 3,740 cases have been confirmed across the Middle East. Iran and Italy have the world’s highest death tolls outside of China.

Israeli officials said they were working closely with their Palestinian counterparts to contain the virus. COGAT, the Israeli defense body responsible for Palestinian civilian matters, said it had delivered 250 test kits to the Palestinians and was coordinating joint training sessions for Israeli and Palestinian medical workers.

For the time being, other major places of worship in the Holy Land remained open. Israeli officials said there were no special precautions at the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, though hand sanitizing stations were placed at the site.

Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz encouraged more visits. In this time of distress, there is nothing more appropriate than coming to pray at the Western Wall,” he said.

The nearby Al Aqsa mosque compound was expected to welcome 50,000 worshipers for Friday prayers. The Islamic Waqf, which administers the site, encouraged the faithful to ensure good personal hygiene.

Israel, which has 16 confirmed virus cases, has taken strict measures in a bid to stave off an outbreak, including banning the entry of visitors from some 10 countries.

On Thursday, German airline Lufthansa said it and its Austrian and Swiss subsidiaries were canceling flights to and from Israel for three weeks starting Sunday because of Israeli restrictions on incoming tourists. With many tourists to the West Bank flying in through Israel’s international airport, the Palestinians will also be affected.

The virus has started to shake Israel’s tourism industry as well. Israeli airline El Al, which has canceled dozens of flights to countries with outbreaks, announced Wednesday that it was laying off 1,000 employees.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chaired a meeting on the economic impact of the virus. He said the government will set up an emergency cash flow assistance fund for businesses deemed essential for the functioning of the economy. He said similar measures may be taken for other businesses as the situation develops.

Earlier on Thursday, the United Arab Emirates warned citizens and foreign residents not to travel abroad amid the ongoing outbreak, a stark warning for a country home to two major long-haul airlines. Both airlines, Emirates and Etihad, have encouraged staff to take time off as international travel has dropped due to the virus.

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[stevedonnellyfaith-blog]

Of Crucifixion and Chocolate Cake (Post 82) 4-1-15

                        “Crucify Him,” we all exclaimed in unison to fulfill our role in the liturgy of Passion Sunday.  It still always bothers me to call for Christ’s torture and execution as if I am an unknowing first century Jew who doesn’t recognize the holy man from Nazareth as Our Savior and the Son of the Living God.  There is but one role in the Gospel for a Bruce Willis or Clint Eastwood type who heroically tries to protect Jesus from the marauding collection of bozos bent on infamously seizing the Lord, binding Him and bringing the Lamb of God before Pontius Pilate for final sentencing.  With regard to action hero parts in the Gospel, St Peter’s sword fight didn’t end well and the first Pope’s script in the next act is extremely undesirable.   Being an anonymous but bloodthirsty extra in the annual pantomime of the Passion is probably just as well.

In an act of cognitive dissonance reduction I convince myself that I am actually like the narrator who omnisciently describes the scene but plays no part in the drama.  Jesus’s actual words stand in opposition to my self-gratifying delusion:

‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’  “So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  “Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. [Matthew 23:30-32]’

I suppose I am a hypocrite to believe that I would have stood with the crowd of disciples on Palm Sunday yelling, “Hosanna,” rather than with the Jerusalem mob a week later asking for the release of Barabbas and the immolation of the Son of God.  In all likelihood I would have missed both the triumphal entrance of Christ riding His prophetically commandeered donkey as well as His trial and sentencing not even seven days following.  I expect I would have most likely been engaged in some type of whatever passed for goofing-off in the year 32 as the Lord was excruciated to save me from my sins. My measure of guilt is filled from the fact that I recognize Christ for who He is and His role in delivering me from my sins, yet I continue to sin nonetheless.

Last Saturday night I found myself sitting next to Father Joseph in a restaurant at a combined birthday party for four friends.  Most of the people present knew that I would be beginning my eastward migration this Wednesday afternoon so it was also an evening of pleasant goodbyes among many people whom I have come to know as friends. It was pure providence that Father Joseph and I ended up sitting next to each other at the table mostly dedicated to the huge and delicious chocolate cake that one of my friends had made from scratch. Outside of brief and anonymous encounters to receive the Eucharist or absolution, there is no reason for Father Joseph to be able to identify Steve Donnelly’s mug shot from a random six-pack picture line-up of IHM male parishioners.  Despite the brevity and lack of intimacy in our relationship, Father Joseph’s thinking continues to have a profound impact on my spirituality.

“Stop giving up chocolate, and give up sinning instead,” I heard him tell the umpteenth person who asked him for a special dispensation for his or her husband or wife to enjoy a heavenly piece of the mocha manna that had been expertly prepared by the purveyor of Travale’s Treats, who bakes delicious cakes to order and advertises on Instagram.  The dessert was extraordinarily spectacular to the extent that I saw four or five members or the restaurant’s kitchen staff queue up at the table to receive a slice of the delightful homage to tiramisu buried in milk chocolate shavings.

The good padre offered his advice with a characteristic twinkle in his eye.  He knew the good people were asking in jest and that everybody present who was abstaining from chocolate or dessert understood the implication of the story of the disciples eating raw wheat on their journey during the Sabbath nearly twenty centuries ago. Lenten mortifications are helpful to Christians as they seek to establish the discipline to avoid sin throughout the rest of the year, but the most pleasing sacrifice is a contrite heart.  In his enigmatic and playful style Father Joseph was encouraging people to go a step deeper in their spirituality.  Fasting from treats is helpful to the soul, but should we default to superficial sacrifices like eschewing éclairs for forty days while our souls continue to marinade in deeper iniquity?

There is a triviality to our modern liturgical observance of Lent that smacks of a Claymation Peter Cottontail cartoon or an inflatable plastic Frosty the Snowman yard ornament.  A good friend of mine told me once about how he worried obsessively about mistakenly eating meat once on a Lenten Friday during a period of his life when his personal behavior was a Golden Corral buffet of a mortal sinning. To his current reckoning his consternation over an inadvertent salami sandwich seems like a delusional caricature of what a Lenten journey should really be.

As a fresh alternative, Father Joseph seemed to be encouraging us to apply the Pareto Principle to our various vices.  By the 80-20 Rule, twenty percent of our transgressions will likely cost us eighty percent of the hell-fire we have reserved in our temporal punishment lay-away account called purgatory.  Whether it is fornication, birth control, pornography or cruelty to animals that is most corrosive to our souls, we ought to give that up first and worry about our donut fetish or our penchant towards profanity during a Lenten season decades hence after we have shored up our more serious misconduct.

It is true that Jesus redeemed our past sins with His sacrifice on Calvary.  His Precious Blood also paid for the future debaucheries that we will likely commit on next Thursday. He also footed the bill for whatever peccadillos we perpetrate on a fall Friday evening in 2035.  Still, the infinite value of His heavenly trust fund for us ought not to encourage us towards complacency with regard to our transgressions.  Our salvation is assured if we accept His free gift, but there is no assurance of our happiness here on earth other than our submission to the Lord and our obedience to His will.  Also we are really only renting our souls and bodies anyway; at some point we will have to return them to the dealership.  Driving God’s property as if we are car-jackers seems extremely ill-advised. Jesus treated his borrowed mule quite responsibly; we ought to consider doing the same with the items over which we exercise stewardship.

If the issue of sin and virtue really boils down to love of God and love of your neighbors versus love of ourselves, Father’s Joseph’s point is that the fulcrum of the biggest danger to our soul is not likely to come packaged in a Krispy Kreme box.  Whatever it is that facilitates our prioritization of self over others is a better subject for our Lenten offering than cake or sweets.  Is what we are watching on television, searching on our laptop or playing on our cellphone placing a barrier between us and those we love including God?  Our priority should be to give up or limit that activity for forty days whether the calendar reads March or October.  

In the remaining hours of our desert journey we can still correct our course.  Immediate action is best because nobody has an infinite amount of time to demonstrate that we accept the free gift of our salvation.  Judas Iscariot was offered the same gift that he could have accepted up until the very last second of his life, but that moment comes to each of us not named Enoch or Elijah.  Jesus walked the paths of Galilee and Judea for only thirty-two years.  In reality, we are guaranteed only that we have less time left to us today than we had yesterday.  Easter’s message is resurrection for us as well as Jesus, but the path to the feast lies through the valley of the shadow of death. Let us not transport ourselves to Sunday, without gaining what is to be gained on even the very last of these forty days of voluntary tribulation.  Jesus arose on Sunday with a glorified body, but His wounds from Friday significantly remain for us to regard and respect by curtailing our sins.

#God #Jesus #The Holy Spirit #The Virgin Mary #Crucify Him #Nazareth #Living God #Pontius Pilate #Gospel #Matthew 23 #Father Joseph #IHM #mortification #pareto principle

[hellofuriousdragonbouquet-blog]

Happy Holy Good Friday is a very important date to Christians and Catholics?

Happy Holy Good Friday is a very important date to Christians and Catholics? 

Good Friday is a very important date to Christians and Catholics. This is the day when they commemorate the sacrifices of Jesus to save the people of the world. Jesus was crucified by the Romans on the hillside of Jerusalem. Crucifixion is the act of tying the hands and feet of a person then nailing them on a wooden cross and be left there to suffer. This process was experienced by Jesus Christ before he died for everyone. This is the primary reason why the cross is a faithful symbol for Christians and Catholics. Such an act is commemorated every selected date, either March or April, of every year. Such commemoration is celebrated on the Good Friday, a day which is a part of the holy week. For the next year, the upcoming Good Friday 2019 is on April 19, 2019.

The Term Good Friday You may be wondering why Good Friday is called as such. Some of you, who may not be familiar with the origin of the word, may be thinking why is it called Good Friday. Now, the reason why it is called as such is that during the old years, good means holy. Therefore, Good Friday means holy Friday. Other terms for Good Friday are Black Friday and Easter Sunday. Parades and Penitents A lot of countries from all over the world celebrate Good Friday through parades. Such parades feature the penitents, who sacrifice themselves by doing hard tasks as a commemoration to the sufferings experienced by Jesus when he died to save humanity. The most common kind of penitential act is the carrying of a large and heavy wooden cross while having the long parade. Other forms of the penitential act may be too extreme. Some people hold balls with spikes on them then throw them on their backs while they bleed. Other people do the actual crucifixion. Some medical professionals say that such acts are putting the lives of the penitents in danger. However, experts say that people who undergo crucifixion are nailed to the cross while avoiding the most fatal sites or parts of their hands and feet, making the act much safer. Regardless of the kind of penitential act made, a lot of people celebrate Easter Good Friday by joining on the parade or just by watching them. Church Masses and Services Good Friday cannot be celebrated completely without masses, prayers, and services on the Church. There are several kinds of masses that are done on the day. However, the most important one is the mass at 3:00 pm. This is the exact time when Jesus Christ died on the cross. People attend their local churches for the masses. Other people, who cannot go to the church, stop what they are doing for the time being then relax and pray for the Lord Jesus Christ. Other services are also being done on the day of the Good Friday. Such services include the reading of the bible and singing of songs. Devoted people do such services as a commemoration to the death of Jesus Christ. They pay for the forgiveness of their sins as well as for thanking Jesus for saving humanity. Such services are highly recommended, especially to devotees, because these will enable them to reflect on themselves and have solemn prayers for Jesus. Make sure to save the Good Friday 2019 date so that you will be able to plan ahead of time which kinds of church services you will attend or do for the holy day. The Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross is one of the most popular and common traditions for celebrating Good Friday. The Stations of the Cross exhibit a total of fourteen stations showing the journey of Christ to crucifixion. Each station has its own actor portrayal of what happened to Jesus while on his way to the hillside of Jerusalem, where he was crucified and died for the sake of humanity. Commemorating Good Friday with your family and friends may usually involve sending out some pictures and images about Good Friday. If you need some Good Friday images, then you may use the Stations of the Cross images since they can help your friends and family members remember how Jesus died to save us. Passion Plays Aside from the parades and penitents, passion plays are also done as a part of the celebration of Holy Friday. During passion plays, like the Stations of the Cross, the journey of Christ to his crucifixion and saving humankind is also portrayed. However this time, such a journey is portrayed in a theatre like an environment wherein actors and actresses take part in the play. Passion plays may be accompanied by one or more solemn prayers and faithful singing. To celebrate Good Friday, you may either watch passion plays or take part in them. You are highly recommended to watch passion plays if you want to know more about what really happened to Christ when he got crucified. However, to level up the celebration, you may take part in the play. If you act good, then you can be an actor or actress in the play. On the other hand, if you are good at organizing things, then you may organize the passion play itself or even direct the actors and actresses in it. Try to think about what you would like to do about this so that you will be ready for the upcoming Good Friday 2019. Sending Out Holy Friday Greetings Good Friday cannot be complete without you sending out some nice greetings about the holy Friday to your friends and family members. Greet people around you and let them remember the holy sacrificial day. Your greetings may come either in the form of pictures or images with greetings on them or just personal greetings. It will be nice to share the holy day with your colleagues, relatives, and friends and have conversations about the sacrifice that Jesus has made to save us all. Begin such conversations by giving then some nice Good Friday greetings Wish Your Friends and Family Members A Good Life During Holy Friday It will also be good for you to wish your friends and family members a good life during the holy Friday. You can do this by giving them some nice Good Friday wishes like “May the light of the Lord’s love shine on you and Brighten your Heart On this Holy Day And Always.” Wishes like this would put a smile on the receiver. They will not only be able to remember the holy sacrificial day but also be happy to have someone wish them a good life along with Good Friday. Send Some Good Friday Quotes Just like holy Friday wishes, it will also be good for you to send some good Friday quotes to your friends and relatives to help them remember the holy day as well as to share the commemoration of the sacrifices that the Lord Jesus Christ has done to save us all. You can send some quotes like “To holy people, the very name of Jesus is a name to feed upon, a name to transport. His name can raise the dead and transfigure and beautify the living.” Such quotes will not only make the receivers remember the holy sacrificial day but also how the sacrifice was made by Jesus just to save them. Use Your Gadget to Connect with Your Relatives and Friends on Good Friday Apart from sending some nice good Friday greetings, wishes, and quotes, you may also send out some nice Good Friday SMS to your relatives and friends as a commemoration of the holy Friday event as well as to help them remember the holy sacrificial day. This can make them share the celebration with you. Let them hear the word of Jesus Christ on the Bible, watch how he sacrificed himself to save us all on passion plays, visualize the journey of Christ to crucifixion by viewing the Stations of the Cross, and pray solemnly to Christ for forgiveness and thanksgiving by attending masses, novenas, or by doing solemn individual prayers. You can initiate such activities with your relatives and friends by sending them some nice holy Friday messages like “Thinking of U on Good Friday and praying that the Lord keep u in his Loving care.” You can send such messages using your smartphone, mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or any other gadgets. You can also send them such messages using your social media accounts like Facebook and Twitter. Now that you know the traditional happenings on a holy Friday, make sure to have a solemn, forgiving, and thankful holy Friday. Plan the activities that you want to do for the upcoming Good Friday 2019 which is on April 14. Along with the traditional happenings that you want to experience on Good Friday, you can include the events that you want to experience for the rest of the holy week which includes Maundy Thursday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday. For More Details, You Can Visit Our Forums. http://archeslocal.org.uk/forum/member.php?action=profile&uid=162360 https://nomansskymods.com/forums/topic/elevated-base-mod/#post-186269 http://www.pokertrikz.com/forums/members/goodfridayquotes.html https://ttc.tiged.org/grub/profile/FridayImages http://www.onfeetnation.com/profile/HappyGoodFriday#

#happygoodfriday goodfridayimages goodfridayquotes goodfridaygreetings goodfridaysms goodfridaymessages

[germanfulbrighteta]

Rome (Part 1 of Italy adventures)

This post deals with the Rome portion of my time in Italy. I posted highlights of my time in Florence and Cinque Terre in the post below (complete with pictures, of course). Enjoy!

Wednesday, 3/28/18

After spending less than 24 hours in Germany coming back from Iceland, I flew on to Rome for the very first time. I arrived a day before my WSA (Weekend Student Adventure) tour was supposed to begin, so I roamed (pun intended, of course) around for a bit, seeing the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps. (Pictures in the post below!) I also had the most amazing pizza of my life in a small store next to the Fountain. Not even six hours had gone by since my arrival in the country and I was already in full-blown Italy mode.

Thursday, 3/29/18

I killed some time throughout the day by visiting various churches and Roman ruins before meeting up with the group that evening. Nearly of them were American or Canadian studying abroad, most in Spain but others in such diverse places as England or Switzerland. We toured two major churches in downtown Rome (one of which is actually part of the Vatican - once you enter its premises, you are literally on Vatican soil) before calling it an early evening. We had to be sure we were ready for a comprehensive tour of the Vatican first thing the next morning.

Friday, 3/30/18

The smallest country in the world, the Vatican is the epicenter of the Catholic Church and home to one of the most phenomenal museums in the world. We saw invaluable works of art decorating the holy walls everywhere we went, including busts of former Roman emperors, elaborate carpentry and world-famous paintings (unbeknownst to me, Raphael’s iconic image of Plato and Aristotle debating in “The School of Athens” is housed in the Vatican, which was a pleasant surprise). The tour culminated in a brief viewing of Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” inside the Sistine Chapel and an excursion into Saint Peter’s Basilica, often described as the most holy of the Christian churches. As we were touring the Vatican on Good Friday, I felt especially privileged to see a place which has had such a unique and monumental influence on Christianity and Western culture over the last several hundred years.

After the Vatican tour, I had my first ever gelato. Though perhaps not life-changing, it was a delicious and refreshing mix of chocolate and fruit that I thoroughly appreciated. We were then let loose to explore more of downtown Rome on our own, and I ended up with a small group who visited an ancient market at the famous Forum. Awesome stuff, but the best was yet to come: that night, we met in front of the world-renowned Colosseum to see Pope Francis oversee a reenactment of the stations of the cross. Turns out we weren’t the only ones to think that was cool, as the entire area around the Colosseum was jam-packed. After patiently waiting for the crowd to slowly thin out after the event began (many just wanted to see and get a picture of the Pope before going on their ways), we stood with an unobstructed view of the leader of a one-billion-person religion. It was surreal, especially when we were able to hear him deliver a personal message (in Italian) to the crowd towards the end of the procession. Wow.

Saturday, 3/31/18

We returned the next day to the Colosseum, this time to go inside and explore it. The Colosseum ranks among the seven (modern) Wonders of the World and truly has one of the most brutal histories of any building in existence. Despite the myriad of selfie-sticks and other touristy apparatuses being pushed in my face, walking in the footsteps of gladiators and ancient Roman emperors was simply an incredible experience.

Afterwards we toured the ancient Forum (home to many important ancient Roman politicians and temples of mythical gods) before moving on to the Spanish steps, where a frankly magical rainbow appeared directly over the Steps. We also saw the Trevi Fountain as a group and a couple other landmarks before eating a giant (repeat, giant) dinner at a favorite local restaurant. The meal was a blur of pasta, bread, wine and dessert, leaving all of us with serious food comas by the end nearly three hours later. This was where the tour technically ended, though what was to follow the next morning (Easter Sunday) was perhaps the most impactful and meaningful experience I’ve had since beginning my year abroad last August: Easter Mass at the Vatican with Pope Francis. I could hardly wait.

Sunday, 4/1/18

The Mass was scheduled to start at 10 am, so we arrived at 4:30 in the morning to get the best seats possible. For a while we were the only people lined up outside the gates, though by 8 am a massive crowd had arrived behind us. At that point the guards began to slowly filter people through, and once one had made it past security, it was a full-on sprint to get to the front. We were all separated very quickly amidst the chaos, though I was fortunate to eventually find a handful of us in the fourth row (yup, the fourth row) and snag a spot there. With the sun shining and a completely unobstructed view of Saint Peter’s Basilica in front of us, we were ready for the most amazing of Masses to begin.

At 10 am, a short ceremony with a marching band began, followed by the arrival of Pope Francis and the cardinals of the Vatican. Aside from the normal proceedings of a Catholic Mass, what struck me about this Mass was that several readings were given in various languages, including Chinese, Greek and French. The crowd was also completely silent and respectful throughout the Mass’s entirety, only cheering once it officially ended and the Pope made a tour of the Vatican in the Popemobile. The Mass was also followed by a short speech (in Italian) from the Pope from the balcony of Saint Peter’s Basilica, which was seemingly well-received by all. Ultimately, Mass in the Vatican on Easter Sunday from the fourth row with Pope Francis is an experience which I won’t ever forget. I feel truly fortunate to have seen it.

Afterwards, the group slowly disbanded as everyone flew back to their respective study abroad locations. The few of us remaining ended up walking around the city some and watching that evening’s sunset from a ledge next to the Colosseum, sipping from a delicious bottle of Italian white wine (thank you to the restaurant owner for letting us have it, at a discount to boot!) and simply enjoying the serene atmosphere. By Monday morning there were only three of us, and after hiking to the top of Janiculum Hill for some panoramic shots and having one last lunch along the border of the Vatican, I finally departed for Florence. Though I found it difficult to say goodbye to Rome after all of the memorable experiences and great friendships that were formed in our group, I was excited for what lay ahead in Florence and Cinque Terre.

So, the verdict is in. Rome is an amazing, awesome place. 11/10, exceeded my highest expectations, would do all over again.

Until the next post, arrivederci!

#rome #italy #italia #arrivederci #si #wsa #weekend student adventures #vatican #vatican city #pope francis #easter #easter sunday #janiculum hill #florence #cinque terre #raphael #michelangelo #colosseum

[clpantje0608838-blog]

How Much Is 10 Funds A Month In Ten Years?

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[nyugsl]

“The Power, not the Symbol, of the Cross”: Megan Montgomery

Megan was born and raised in Canton, OH into a Christian family. She is currently a junior majoring in Linguistics and Middle Eastern & Islamic Studies. She studies Arabic and is particularly interested in studying the similarities between the Abrahamic faiths and their histories.

Let’s hear what Megan has to say

Holy Week is the most important week in Christianity. It is not only the death of Jesus of Nazareth but the events leading to His resurrection. The week includes

Palm Sunday – The day of Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Holy Monday & Holy Tuesday – nothing is really recognized on these days of which I know.

Holy Wednesday – often recognized as the day that Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve Disciples of Jesus Christ, was prompted by Satan to betray Jesus.

Maundy Thursday – The day of Christ’s Last Supper. This is the day Christ gave His last teachings to His disciples and made prophecies of what was to come. Later this night, Judas betrays Jesus, Jesus is arrested and tried as a blasphemer, and Peter denies Jesus.

Good Friday – The day of Christ’s appearance before Pontius Pilate, His flagellation, and crucifixion.

Holy Saturday – The day Christ’s body laid in the tomb.

Easter Sunday then follows Holy Week and is the day Christians celebrate Christ’s resurrection. The actual week we remember would have taken place during the Jewish Passover, but due to different calendars in modern times, the Roman Catholic (and thus Protestant) Easter is hardly ever at the proper time in the Jewish calendar (the Orthodox Easter, though, is). However, this year Orthodox Easter and Roman Catholic/Protestant Easter were on the same day.

The Christian faith would be nothing without Easter and is, therefore, our most important celebration. Without Christ’s death on the cross, Christianity means nothing: Holy Week and Easter are celebrations of the true power of God. Humans all think of power in different ways – it can be a good thing, a bad thing, corrupted, pure, etc. However, God tells us in this week what power should be.

Upon entering Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), Jesus was welcomed as a King because people thought that He would meet their expectation of a King, of a Savior – they thought He would establish His kingdom on earth in earthly ways, like David. By Friday, the crowd is demanding that He be crucified. His power, Christians believe, was exercised in becoming human, in humbling Himself to a human state and dying upon a cross as the ultimate sacrifice to cleanse humanity of their sin, the “sacrificial lamb.”

On Easter, I saw an article from the Washington Post titled “Five Myths about Easter,” a nice, provocative title by Fr. James Martin – who has been a favorite on social media lately for his condemnation of government policies. Initially, the title frustrated me, then I read the article and was happy with the fact that on Easter I didn’t have to defend my faith, that this could wait until Easter Monday. However, soon I was angry because on Easter, the holiest day of the year, that was what Fr. James decided to write about.

I was angry because the same man who realized a video condemning the Muslim ban was writing an article for Easter not on the importance of Easter, but how symbolism isn’t always accurate.

I was angry because on Palm Sunday 17 Copts were killed in Egypt.

I was angry because Evangelical news sources were questioning whether or not Copts are actually Christian in response to the massacre.

I was angry because on Holy Monday my friend’s brother was shot and killed in my hometown in Ohio for no apparent reason.

I was angry because on Easter Sunday a man in Cleveland decided to kill Robert Godwin and live stream it on Facebook because he was mad at his girlfriend.

I was angry because on Easter Sunday, instead of addressing what true power is, this priest used his platform in the Washington Post to talk about the fact that the cross Christ was crucified on probably looked more like a capital “T” than the traditionally used ✝.

Easter is the most important story in all of Christianity: Easter is the redemption story. I was taught that when God cursed man and the serpent after the original sin when He said to the serpent in Genesis 3:15 (NKJV)

        And I will put enmity

        Between you and the woman,

        And between your seed and her Seed;

        He shall bruise your head,

        And you shall bruise His heel

That this is telling the story of Jesus, of what was to come – that Jesus, the offspring of Eve, will bruise (some translations use crush or strike for this “bruise”) the head of the serpent, seen as the devil, and that the worst the devil will be able to do Him bruise His heel. Jesus, in dying on the cross, took on all the sins that humans committed and will commit, was punished for them, and was raised from the dead. In doing so, if we confess our sins, we can never be tried for them – think double jeopardy, the legal term, not from Jeopardy – because Christ was already punished for them. This is man’s ultimate redemption as we are no longer separated from God as we were after the fall of man, but can now be in full communion with Him.

If we are truly in communion with Him, Christians believe that one of the things that happens is that we will start to live our life in a way which resembles Christ’s life on earth. We will not use power to elevate ourselves, but to humble ourselves. We will not work towards selfish goals, but for others. We will become each other’s, servants. Just as Christ, fully God, humbled himself to the human state and served us, loves us, died for us.

Where, then, is this teaching in the world? There is a time and a place for apologetics. There is also a time and place for the teachings of Jesus to be explained and to tell the Christian community to remember them. It is not the symbol of the cross that is important to Christians, but what that cross represents to Christians: the death, the resurrection, the redemption, and the love.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you and may the joy of Easter be yours.

[goingrvway]

Easter Time

Easter is always a special time for us…which is why we like to try and stay in town through Easter each year.  With it being so late in the year this time we almost did not stay this year, but glad we did.  It essentially started for us on Thursday.  My last post talked about having breakfast with Cousin Mary…but that night we had dinner at Mama Maria’s, our favorite Greek Restaurant, with another cousin of sorts, Ginger.  It has been nice for me to get to know Ginger better this winter…her husband, who is a cousin of Marcia’s, passed away in November from cancer.  We felt blessed to make it home to see him before he passed…and we have had dinner with Ginger a number of times this winter.  Anyway, at Mama’s the waitress Marie, Greek Orthodox as is Ginger and as was Marcia, talked about how she is sick and tired of eating beans.  You see, for 40 days the Greek Orthodox observe a very strict fast…many call it the “Great Fast”, because it last so long.  Here is a quick breakdown of the fast as found on the Internet:

Week before Lent ("Cheesefare Week"): Meat and other animal products are prohibited, but eggs and dairy products are permitted, even on Wednesday and Friday. First Week of Lent: Only two full meals are eaten during the first five days, on Wednesday and Friday after the Presanctified Liturgy. Nothing is eaten from Monday morning until Wednesday evening, the longest time without food in the Church year. (Few laymen keep these rules in their fullness). For the Wednesday and Friday meals, as for all weekdays in Lent, meat and animal products, fish, dairy products, wine and oil are avoided. On Saturday of the first week, the usual rule for Lenten Saturdays begins (see below). Weekdays in the Second through Sixth Weeks: The strict fasting rule is kept every day: avoidance of meat, meat products, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil. Saturdays and Sundays in the Second through Sixth Weeks: Wine and oil are permitted; otherwise the strict fasting rule is kept. Holy Week: The Thursday evening meal is ideally the last meal taken until Pascha. At this meal, wine and oil are permitted. The Fast of Great and Holy Friday is the strictest fast day of the year: even those who have not kept a strict Lenten fast are strongly urged not to eat on this day. After St. Basil's Liturgy on Holy Saturday, a little wine and fruit may be taken for sustenance. The fast is sometimes broken on Saturday night after Resurrection Matins, or, at the latest, after the Divine Liturgy on Pascha.

  The restaurant was pretty quiet, and Marie (Waitress) had a good moment to converse with us.  Oh she was just DYING for a steak, and she said that at 12:01 am Sunday morning she was going to cook herself the biggest steak.  “I told my ma to get me the biggest steak at Sam’s Club, nothing else…just the Steak.  I am going to cook it myself because if I let her cook it, it would be too well done.”  She also talked about when she was a young child how she had a pet lamb for a week…she loved the little lamb…which mysteriously disappeared over Easter Weekend.  “Must have got loose and ran away” her parents said.  Marie said it wasn’t until many years later that she realized that the lamb did not run away…  We all had an enjoyable chat with Marie, and about the lent, and at 7:30 when we left, we were about the only ones in there at that point.   

  During the rest of the weekend we were busy getting things ready for the trip.  On Friday we attended a great Good Friday church service, and on Sunday, of course, we went to the Easter Service.  The church was packed!  And granddaughter Allisa, who came to visit us a little over a week ago, drove over from east Tampa area just to say goodbye.  After church we got Bubba, drove the motorhome over to the RV park nearby us, and then got dinner ready.  Kind of a tradition for us to have lamb chops for Easter.  Marcia’s son John, who we had lunch with on Saturday, was invited over for lamb chops which, unfortunately, some needed about 2-3 more minutes on the grill.  Oh well, you can always add fire, you can’t take it away if you over cook them. 

  Monday we head out…staying at a Cracker Barrel or a rest area the first night.  Still lots to do to get ready…

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[torixus]

Why We Worship On Sundays And Not Saturdays - Fr. Kelvin Reveals

Popular Nigerian Catholic Priest, Rev.Fr. Kelvin Ugwu has revealed the reason why Catholics and Other Christians worship on Sunday and Not on Saturday.

According to the Catholic Priest, Catholic Church through Emperor Constantine decided to make Sunday the day of worship following the pagan feast they call the feast of the Sun-god.

He pin points Out the Real Theory behind the Sabbath Day and the Bible Notes behind It.

  Fr. Kelvin Ugwu is well known for his Daily Talk About Life and the Church.

The message Reads;

As you read this, I would like you to bear this in mind. The reason you see us clarifying and involving ourselves in some of these topics on social Media is not because we are jobless or want to show off, but just so that at least one or two persons who genuinely want to know the truth could get the opportunity of hearing another side that will aid him or her in making an informed decision.

In the Old Testament, we read in Exodus 20:8-10 concerning the Sabbath. It says:

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you,"

The question now is, how come it was shifted from what we now call Saturday to what we now called Sunday?

There are those who are ready to tell you that the reason for the shift is because the Catholic Church through Emperor Constantine decided to make Sunday the day of worship following the pagan feast they call the feast of the Sun-god. They will also tell you that worshipping on Sunday is not biblical, and as such when you worship on Sunday, you worship the pagan god.

hmmmm! Let's take a deep breath! I am making this post so that you can always keep it as reference or to share it with people ready to learn.

Prior to the death and resurrection of Christ. The first day of the week which we now call Sundays does not have much significance until we read in Matthew 28:1 concerning Mary Magdalene.

"Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave."

Then, we were told in all the gospels that Christ rose from the dead on that FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK.(Mark 16: 9).

Gradually, the very fact that the resurrection took place that first day of the week, it soon became something very significant for the early Christians. The resurrection was and it is still a big deal, something no one has ever done. And truly, what sets Christians apart from others is simply their believe in the resurrection of Christ. Without it, they have nothing to talk about.

To make it even more dramatic, in Luke 24:14-14 Jesus appeared to two disciples on their way to Emmaus and broke bread with them. That day was the first day of the week, on a Sunday.

As if that is not enough, the disciples started gathering together and Jesus will appear to them on the first day of the week.

John 20:19 says,

"So when it was evening on that day, THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you.""

On that visit of Christ as recorded in John 20:19, do you know that Thomas was not with the disciples on that day? And when he came back and was told, he refused to believe. 

Here is the most astonishing part. Jesus had to wait for the next week, the first day of the week, before he appeared to show himself to Thomas. Why? Something for us to reflect on. Read for yourself.

John 20: 26

"A WEEK LATER his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”"

For some of you who are interested in research, please find time and google "The Didache" also known as "The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nation". Take your time and read it. It was written in the first century and contains an account of how the first Christians saw themselves, what they did during their meetings, the day of the week they were meeting, and what they taught. This will open your eyes to how the early Christians worshipped. The documents is an archeological fact for those that want to doubt its authenticity.

What brought me to mentioning "The Didache" is to show you that though the early disciples still tried keeping the Sabbath, but they still gathered on the first day of the week for the breaking of bread. Even the book of Act 20:7 recorded it.

At some point, St Paul even gave us a clear hint in 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 that the first day of the week was the day they usually gather to pray.

Hear Paul as he writes to the Corinthians:

"Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the FIRST DAY OF EVERY WEEK each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come."

Mark the words: . . . OF EVERY WEEK.

It did not take long, this first day of the week was now referred to as "The day of the Lord" by the early disciples. You can check Revelation 1: 10. Even the Didache I told you about, talked about it.

Do I need to remind you all the importance of the resurrection? Formerly it was just an ordinary first day of the week, but Christ turned it to an Easter. As such, every Sunday became a "small Easter", such that it naturally took over Saturday.

Now, the ogakpatakpata of them all is the Pentecost day. Pentecost is an agricultural feast of the Jews. Pentecost means 50. Today when the word Pentecost is mentioned, our mind will go quickly to the Holy Spirit. That is not what Pentecost meant initially.

Why did God decided to send the holy Spirit on the apostles on the Pentecost day, a day where farmers were supposed to gather in accordance to the Jewish law of Leviticus 23:15-22? To Make it even more shocking, that day was on a Sunday. All Jewish Pentecosts were celebrated on the first day of the week (Sunday). Make the calculation yourself and you will see.

Now here is the summary: Christ rose on the first day of the week. God sent the Holy Spirit on the apostles in which more than 3000 souls were converted, and it was on the first day of the week. Two very important days for all Christians: The birth of the church on Pentecost and the salvation of the world on the day he rose. Both happened on Sundays.

Can you now see why it did not take long for the Sabbath to start losing its significance on the early Christians because they have seen something bigger than the Sabbath. They saw Christ himself, the Holy Trinity. They were no longer held bound by the law. They abandoned some of the practices of the Jews whom do not even believe that Jesus is the saviour not to talk of resurrection from the dead. This is why in the NT, even tithe was not binding and was not talked about among the early Christians.

Friends, to say that it was Constantine that made us to start worshipping on Sundays will amount to a show of ignorance of the scriptures and undermining the power of the resurrection and even worst still, giving Constantine the powers that he does not posses. 

And if they say Sunday is a day of worship of the pagan Sun-god and that the meaning of Sunday came from the Sun-god, then it is important we remind ourselves that the Jews as at that time of Jesus do not have names for the days of the week as we do today. This is why you will often hear them say, the first day of the week, the sixth day, the seventh Etc. This is exactly what played out during the creation story.

Even the word Sabbath is simply a description. Sabbath is from the Hebrew "shabbat" meaning "to rest." This is why even when the bible mentioned 7th day, it will still use the word Sabbath to describe it as the day of rest. "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord your God." Exodus 20:8.

The days of the week as we have today were all adopted. They are all pagan. Monday is named after the god of the moon. Thursday is for the Norse god known in Modern English as Thor. Friday is named after the Anglo-Saxon goddess Fríge. Saturday is named after the Roman god Saturn. 

There is this impression from some Pentecostals Christians of today that once anything has a pagan origin it is evil and it is impossible for it to be 'Christianized.' This is the origin of the fight concerning the celebration of Christmas here on social media.

Well, unfortunately, many things came from the pagans, including the papyrus that was used to write the bible in those days. The tradition of offering visitors kolanut in Igbo culture is largely pagan. Even Baptism as we know it today as pouring of water or immersion in rivers did not start with Christians.

What these so called "highly spiritual" Pentecostals fail to see is that the christian faith must be planted in a culture for it to take root. Even St Paul while preaching to the Areopagus in Act 17:16-34 had to use what the Athens have as an altar to the "unknown god", to plant the message of the living and known God into them.

Friends, the point is, once the Christian faith is planted in any culture, it uproots the bad in it and retains the good. This is why once you mention "Sunday" we think about the day of worship in church and not sun-god. This is why 25th December may not be the day Christ was born, but it has taken a Christian dimension pushing aside whatever it was known with before. This is why the cross that was seen as a symbol of shame, once it is mentioned today, it is seen as a symbol of liberation and of glory.

Fr Kelvin Ugwu MSP

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