Easter Monday 2017

Chick among wooden Easter Eggs, (made and hand painted in Poland) represents new life in the Lord!  Scripture below is from John 20:19-21

"In the evening of that same day (Sunday), the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews.  Jesus came and stood among them.  He said to them 'Peace be with you', and showed them his hands and his side.  The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, 'Peace be with you, as the Father sent me, am I sending you.'  After saying this he breathed on them and said: 'Receive the Holy Spirit.  For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained' "

Scripture from "The Jerusalem Bible"  © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc

Easter Sunday 2017

Open Tomb of Jesus (John 20:1-10)

Photo ID 67860899 © Ginosphotos | Dreamstime.com

"It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb.  She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple (John), the one Jesus loved.  'They have taken the Lord out of the tomb' she said 'and we don't know where they have put him'  So Peter set out with the other disciple to go to the tomb. They ran together but the other disciple, running faster than Peter, reached the tomb first;  he bent down and saw the linen cloths lying on the ground, but did not go in.  Simon Peter who was following now came up, went right into the tomb, saw the linen cloths on the ground, and also the cloth that had been over his head; this was not with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in; he saw and he believed.  Till this moment they had failed to understand the teaching of scripture that he must rise from the dead."

Scripture from "The Jerusalem Bible"  © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc

Good Friday 2017

Crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:17-22)

16th Century Mural painting from Modovita Monastery  located in Bucovina (Northern Romania) Photo ID 13744797 © Paul George Bodea | Dreamstime.com

"They then took charge of Jesus and carrying his own cross he went out of the city to the place of the skull or, as it was called in Hebrew, Golgotha where they crucified him with two others, one on either side with Jesus in the middle.  Pilate wrote out a notice and had it fixed to the cross; it ran: 'Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews', This notice was read by many of the Jews, because the place where Jesus was crucified was not far from the city, and the writing was in Hebrew, Latin and Greek.  So the Jewish chief priests said to Pilate, 'You should not write "King of the Jews", but "This man said: I am King of the Jews" ' Pilate answered, 'What I have written, I have written' "

Scripture from "The Jerusalem Bible"  © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc

Holy Thursday 2017

Jesus is Arrested In the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:47-56)

(Artwork by Pietro D'Achiardi (1922 1924). in The Church of All Nations (Basilica of the Agony  at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem )
 Photo of the artwork ID 51784941 © Jozef Sedmak | Dreamstime.com )

After Jesus' Last Supper with his Apostles during which He instituted the the Holy Eucharist (Mt 26:17-29) and after His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:26-46)  "He was still speaking when Judas, one of the Twelve (apostles), appeared, and with him a large number of men armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people.  Now the traitor (Judas) had arranged a sign with them. 'The one I kiss' he had said 'he is the man.  Take him in charge.' So he went straight up to Jesus and said, 'Greetings, Rabbi', and kissed him.  Jesus said to him, "My friend, do what you are here for'.  Then they came forward, seized Jesus and took him in charge." Mt 26:47-50

Scripture from "The Jerusalem Bible"  © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc

Palm Sunday 2017

Jesus Enters Jerusalem on a Donkey (Mt 21:6-11)

(Mosaic Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, Madaba Jordan. 

Photo of Mosaic ID 83731013 © Bpperry | Dreamstime.com)

"...So the disciples went out and did as Jesus had told them.  They brought the donkey and colt, then they laid their cloaks on their backs and he sat on them.  Great crowds of people spread their cloaks on the road while others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in his path.  The crowds who went in front of him and those who followed were all shouting:

'Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest heavens!'

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil.  'Who is this?' people asked and the crowds answered 'This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee'. "

Scripture from "The Jerusalem Bible"  © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc. 

Ash Wednesday 2017

Image of ashes © Kanisis | Dreamstime.com

Ash Wednesday begins the Lenten season in the Catholic and other Christian churches, lasting 40 weekdays (Mon-Sat) until Easter Sunday on April 16, 2017.   The ashes placed on the forehead are a reminder that we are dust and unto dust we shall return. (Genesis 3:19).

Lent is a time for focusing on the life and death of Jesus Christ through personal prayer, penance, repentance, selfless giving, and self-denial.  Holy Week, the last week of Lent, commemorates Jesus' Last Supper with His Apostles on Holy Thursday, His Passion and death on Good Friday, and culminates with the celebration of Jesus' resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday.

Below is a (borrowed) image of a McDonald Fillet-O-Fish™.  In the late 1970's and early 1980's, Humble Blogger and his (then) young children looked forward to meatless Friday's for we were able to have one or more McDonald's fish sandwiches for supper.  In those days, McDonald's got ready for lunch or supper by stacking high the Fillet-O-Fish sandwiches, Those disappeared as fast as the pile could be replaced.  Yum!!

Image is McDonald's Fillet-O-Fish™ sandwich borrowed from www.mcdonalds.com