HOLY THURSDAY: WASHING FEET
There’s such a sense of anticipation on Holy Thursday, I find. It is the start of the Triduum, the three days that form a single celebration marking the end of Lent: from the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy…
Category Lent
CRUCIFIXION NAILS
Above the town of Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia there is a powerful outdoor Way of the Cross at Our Lady Queen of Peace Shrine. It is built on a steep slope with views across the valley to the…
TRIUMPHAL SUNDAYS AND GOOD FRIDAYS
“Humanity is fickle. They may dress for a morning coronation and never feel the need to change clothes for an execution in the afternoon. So Triumphal Sundays and Good Fridays always fit comfortably into the same April week.” It was…
PUTTING THE “PAN” INTO PANDEMIC
Last Saturday, Toronto Star printed the results of a pandemic poll of Ontarians under the headline “We’ve about had it with all this, survey finds.” This title had me nearly dismiss the entire thing as one more instance of statisticians…
“I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, SAYS THE LORD; WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” (JOHN 8:12)
I like the Gospel readings for this 4th Sunday of Lent. They challenge me to overcome my own prejudices, assumptions and blind spots. Both of the Gospels – I am including the one for the 2nd Scrutiny of Christian initiation…
HOW IS YOUR LENTEN JOURNEY?
This Sunday is a good time to take stock of how Lent is going for me. We’re at around the halfway point. Even if I haven’t stayed completely on track so far, there’s still some road ahead of me to…
COVID-LENT (PART II)
Perhaps you remember old Aesop’s fable about the boy and the nettle. If not, here goes: one day a lad comes running home with eyes full of tears and a hand full of invisible pins and needles. “Mommy,” he sobs,…
Q&A WITH ERIC JENSEN, SJ, AUTHOR OF A PASSIONATE JESUS IN HOLY WEEK
What prompted you to write this booklet? I have always disliked the image of a passive Jesus, and in the Passion Narrative, of course, Jesus suffers and is passive. But how did this come about? What actions led up to…
1ST SUNDAY OF LENT…”WE RISE AGAIN FROM THE ASHES, TO CREATE OURSELVES ANEW”
Last year at this time, I was presenting at two parishes outside Ottawa; St. Mary’s in Chesterville and St. Daniel in South Mountain. The theme for these Lenten reflection days was “You Call us to the Desert.” Little did we…
THE LIBERATING PARADOX OF ASH WEDNESDAY
Christianity is a religion of paradoxes and we have a perfect indication of that in the liturgy of Ash Wednesday. On this day, we boldly proclaim the Gospel instructing us on the nature of prayer, fasting and giving. Straight from…