Lenten Family Devotions and Prayers
Enhance your family’s Lenten journey with prayers & devotions designed to deepen faith and create lasting memories
All posts in "Lent and Easter"
Catholics Celebrate Palm Sunday as the Path of Peace
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week as well as the last Sunday of Lent. You could also say it is one of the more distinctly Catholic holidays celebrated by the Church in all corners of the world. There will be a procession of palm fronds in parishes big and small.
Good Friday – A Reminder for Catholics that the Crucifixion is Triumph Over Satan
For those born Catholic, images of Christ’s crucifixion and death are not pleasant to look at or to think about. Many adults and young people alike find the fact that Jesus’ death and suffering was actually a victory over Satan. How can being scourged and dying in such a horrifying manner be considered a victory?
What is Holy Thursday? The Meaning of Being a Good Christian
When people talk about Holy Week, the days that come to most people’s minds is Good Friday, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. However, Catholics should be aware that it comprises of more days than that. This day, Maundy Thursday, is an excellent example.
How Catholics Prepare for Easter Around the World
Catholics from all corners of the globe each have their own unique customs and places of worship as they celebrate Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. Today, let us explore their cultural traditions and see how our brothers and sisters in different countries share our faith.
The True Meaning of Easter Sunday for Catholics
Easter is a beautiful celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, Jesus Christ died for the sins of humankind. He rose three days after his crucifixion which is a miraculous and meaningful event for Christians.
What are the Stations of the Cross?
The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa (Latin for Way of Sorrows), is a devotion that reflects on Jesus’ final days on Earth—from being condemned to death to dying on the cross and being placed in the tomb.
Ash Wednesday — Our Faith Marked on Our Faces
What’s one way you can spot a Catholic? As the saying goes, “It’s written on their face.” Each year on Ash Wednesday, Catholics (and other Christian denominations) around the world profess their faith by going to work, school, or going about their daily lives with the symbol of the cross displayed on their foreheads.
Forty Days and Forty Thoughts, Part 2 of 2
In my Sunday School class there’s a little girl who doesn’t say much…ever. When I ran into her at the grocery store after Ash Wednesday, I asked what she was giving up for Lent. She whispered, “All sweets and all desserts.” That’s a tough commitment in the modern world—and she’s only eight years old! Then […]
Forty Days and Forty Thoughts on the Beauty and Mystery of Lent
Part 1 of 2 of the Mysteries of Lent My son will be confirmed in April. In writing a letter to the bishop to apply for this sacrament he wrote, “I’m proud to be Catholic because the Church speaks up for Truth. We Catholics know why we were made. God made us to know Him, […]
Lent is the Power Season
The Power Season Lent is the Power Season. It’s the time to rein in all those straying practices…the “pig out” tendency, the munchies tendency, the “grouchy ‘til 4 cups of coffee” tendency, the “I’ll pray later” tendency. It’s our time to feel the power of true Love. When my daughter was learning to ride horses, […]
Holy Week – Embracing Change
Palm Sunday—King or Servant? He is the Glorious Servant King! Change is a challenge isn’t it? Let me tell you about our donkey and horse by way of example. Three weeks ago, we changed the morning routine in our barnyard asking the horse and donkey to exit their stalls from the other side of the […]
Fish Fridays During Lent
My daughter, Brigit, calls herself a true “carnivore.” She’d rather eat meat than candy. She’d rather eat good red meat than anything else. So “Fish Fridays” are hard for her and for many of her friends. Last year, at this time, she begrudgingly went along when it was time to go to the grocery store […]
Lent is Almost Here — How will You Fast?
I was sure we were low on flour. And I don’t like going to the cupboard to bake something—which is usually at the last minute because Peter says, “I have to bring a snack to class tonight”—only to find there’s not enough flour for the recipe. So I brought home a ten-pound sack of high-quality […]