Luke 24:1-12 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about...
Day Seven: Holy Saturday This is the full day that Christ’s body lay in the tomb. The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers, all day. Saturday was also the Sabbath. When the Sabbath ended at 6 p.m., Christ’s body would be treated for burial with spices purchased by Nicodemus (John...
Day Six: Friday Many have questioned why this day is called, “Good.” Here “good” hearkens back to Middle English, in which the word denotes piety or holiness. Jesus said, to the rich young ruler, that only God can be called good (Mark 10:18). Good Friday reflects this conversation, where Jesus...
Day Five: Thursday The most eventful day of Holy Week is Maundy Thursday. The word Maundy is a derivation of the Latin word, commandment. Jesus, in John 13:34, gave His followers this new commandment, “Love one another, as I have loved you.” On this day, Jesus sent Peter and John...
“I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature,...
Day Four: Wednesday We don’t know what Jesus did on what is traditionally called, Spy Wednesday. It is called Spy Wednesday because it is the day on which Judas Iscariot met with the Jewish priests and made plans for the betrayal, hence the name “spy.” Scholars speculate that after the...
Ever wonder what the days of Holy Week mean? Each day depicts something significant during the last week Christ walked on this earth. Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, Jesus began His death march to Jerusalem. (Mark 11:1-11) He knew where He was going and why. As...
Jim, Vivvy, and I usually walk around the mall for exercise late Saturday afternoons. When we get home, we indulge in big, hot pretzels. Pretzels didn’t originate as an after-walk-snack. They were usually eaten once a year, during Lent. Pretzels first became popular as a Lenten food for Christians in...
I’ve been having a bit of exercise dysfunction this year, especially after my latest birthday. Used to be, I would get up very early and do a complete workout, including a vigorous exercise bike ride and weight lifting. I don’t know what happened, but somehow that means the bike is...
Why Observe Lent? I was in my 30s when I first began to observe Lent. Previously, I held to the Reformation view of Lent. The Reformation of the 16th Century applied the principle, sola scriptura to everything, including the practice of Lent. Sola scriptura means, Scripture only. So, since Lent...