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Why is there no Mass on Holy Saturday?

Holy Saturday is a period of waiting. The Church awaits the Resurrection of Jesus following his suffering and death on the cross on Good Friday.

Paschalis Solemnitatis, a Vatican document regarding “The Preparation And Celebration Of The Easter Feasts,” explains:

Why is There No Mass on Holy Saturday? Franciscan Priest Explains the Reason

In an exclusive video for ChurchPOP, EWTN priest Father Leonard Mary, MFVA, of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, briefly explains why Catholics do not celebrate Mass on Holy Saturday and why the Eucharistic Tabernacle is empty.

On Holy Saturday, “we continue to prayerfully meditate on the death of Jesus, being in mourning but in longing for His glorious Resurrection,” Father Leonard Mary says.

Watch Father Leonard Mary's video about Holy Saturday below:

Click here if you cannot see the video above.

Here’s the full text of the video:

Have a blessed Easter! ✝️

During the coronavirus scare, bureaucrats in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) relentlessly claimed “the science” demanded that people stay isolated at home as much as possible, wear masks, keep at least six feet away from everyone else, refrain from obtaining early treatment, take shot after shot of experimental coronavirus “vaccines,” et cetera. Media and politicians largely echoed these sketchy demands.

Admirably, some people tried to educate Americans about how much of this United States government supported coronavirus propaganda was wrong. Among the most prominent of these critics was Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Now Kennedy is the new leader of HHS. Last week he told President Donald Trump at a Cabinet meeting that “a massive testing and research effort” would be undertaken to ensure that “by September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.”

There is reason for optimism that this investigation into the cause of autism will contribute to accomplishing in some part the goal of Make American Healthy Again (MAHA) that Kennedy references from time to time. After all, Kennedy’s reputation as a critical outsider has led to expectation he will reject the businesses as usual, special interests driven approach at HHS.

Yet, it is important to keep in mind that what we are seeing here also appears to be another example of a centralized government project to decree “the science.”

Over the long term, should that sort of approach be trusted to yield good results? Kennedy won’t be leading HHS forever. Future HHS leaders will have their own projects to fund and staff, likely informed by a very different orientation than Kennedy’s. For proponents of health and liberty, one step forward and two steps back may be the story of HHS a few years down the road — if Kennedy himself can manage in his tenure to improve the gargantuan department.

By all means, wish Kennedy success in disseminating information that will reduce the incidence of autism in America, with the caveat that liberty also be respected. But, at the same time, recognize that many of the problems related to health in America, as with coronavirus, have been significantly contributed to by establishing centralized government power over medicine. For the long term, Americans’ greatest gain for health would likely come from removing government involvement in health matters. Fail to do this and the special interests with much to gain and the power seekers will again take hold of the levers of power, with actually promoting health while respecting liberty shunted far from the first priority.

Where is Christ after He dies on Friday afternoon and before He rises on Easter Sunday? Both Scripture and Tradition answer this question. Consider the following excerpt from a second century sermon as well as this meditation from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday (ca. 2nd century A.D.):

Today a great silence reigns on earth, a great silence and a great stillness. A great silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. … He has gone to search for Adam, our first father, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow Adam in his bonds and Eve, captive with him—He who is both their God and the son of Eve. … “I am your God, who for your sake have become your Son. … I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.”

Nothing could be more beautiful than that line addressed to Adam and Eve: “I am your God, who for your sake have become your Son.”

St Ephrem the Deacon also attests to this descent among the dead and describes it rather colorfully:

Death could not devour our Lord unless he possessed a body, neither could hell swallow him up unless he bore our flesh; and so he came in search of a chariot in which to ride to the underworld. This chariot was the body which he received from the Virgin; in it he invaded death’s fortress, broke open its strongroom and scattered all its treasure. (Sermo de Domino nostro, 3-4. 9: Opera edit. Lamy, 1, 152-158. 166-168)

Scripture also testifies to Christ’s descent to the dead and what He did: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison. … For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does (1 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 4:6).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Christ’s descent to the dead (excerpts from CCC # 632-635):

[The] first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ’s descent into hell [is] that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead.

But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there [cf. 1 Pet 3:18-19]. Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell”—Sheol in Hebrew, or Hades in Greek—because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God [cf. Phil 2:10; Acts 2:24; Rev 1:18; Eph 4:9; Pss 6:6; 88:11-13].

Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer [cf. Ps 89:49; 1 Sam 28:19; Ezek 32:17-32; Luke 16:22-26]. “It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior … whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell” [Roman Catechism I, 6, 3].

Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone before him.

[So] the gospel was preached even to the dead. The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.

Christ went down into the depths of death so that “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” [1 Peter 4:6]. Jesus, “the Author of life”, by dying, destroyed “him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage” [Heb 2:14-15; cf. Acts 3:15].

Henceforth the risen Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades”, so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” [Rev 1:18; Phil 2:10].

The post Where Is Jesus Between His Death and Resurrection? appeared first on Community in Mission.

The US state of Virginia’s seal has been pulled from Texas school platforms, according to Axios

A US school district has removed an online civics lesson about Virginia and its state flag due to rules against frontal nudity, Axios has reported.

The Virginia official flag features the state seal, which depicts the Roman goddess Virtus standing over a defeated tyrant. In line with classical imagery, Virtus is partially draped, with one breast exposed.

According to Axios report on Friday, the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (CISD), located outside Houston, Texas, has removed the Virginia lesson from an online platform used by elementary students in grades three to five. The district confirmed the move in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the Texas Freedom to Read Project.

The group’s co-director, Anne Russey, said the district cited its newly adopted policy banning “visual depictions or illustrations of frontal nudity” in elementary school library materials.

The removed content was part of PebbleGo Next, an educational website used by schools across the US, including some in Virginia.

Virginia’s original 1776 state seal portrayed the Roman goddess Virtus clad in toga and a full breastplate. The imagery was adopted for the state flag in 1861, when the legislature placed the seal on a blue field to formalize it as Virginia’s official emblem. In 1901, however, a redesign introduced the bare-breasted figure after the secretary of the commonwealth criticized the earlier version for lacking “artistic grace and beauty” and appearing too masculine.

Y’all. This is not normal. Texas is broken. Can we speak to the manager? https://t.co/mu1DIVLPQO

The current design, finalized in 1931, shows Virtus in a helmet, holding a spear and sword above a fallen tyrant, with the state’s Latin motto that reads Sic Semper Tyrannis – “Thus Always to Tyrants.” 

The Texas Freedom to Read Project, which advocates against book bans and censorship, criticized the flag’s removal and the law behind it. On its website, the group described state policies as “vague and confusing.” 

“Today, it’s the Virginia state flag. Tomorrow will it be books that contain historical photos…” the group said.

READ MORE: Texas set to introduce Bible lessons in elementary schools – WaPo

Texas passed House Bill 900 in 2023, aimed at keeping sexually explicit content off of school bookshelves. State Senator Angela Paxton said last month that children should not be exposed to “inappropriate, harmful material,” adding that “young brains cannot unsee what they see.”

OBEDIENS USQUE AD MORTEM

Meditation on Good Friday
in Passione et Morte Domini

Christus factus est pro nobis
obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis:
propter quod et Deus exaltavit illum,
et dedit illi nomen, quod est super omne nomen;
ut in nomine Jesu omne genu flectatur
cœlestium, terrestrium et infernorum,
et omnis lingua confiteatur,
quia Dominus Jesus Christus
in gloria est Dei Patris.

Phil 2: 8-11

Ecce lignum Crucis, in quo salus mundi pependit. An ancient melody, in three ascending tones, accompanies the unveiling of the Holy Cross during the rites of Good Friday. It is a cry, a warning, an invitation to conversion and penance: Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world. But the world does not want salvation from Christ. It does not want the Cross. It does not want to recognize itself as a sinner, in its mad pride of being able to do without God and His Holy Law. For the world there is no sin, except in doing good; there is no vice, except in practicing virtue; there is no paradise, except on earth and for sale to those who can afford it; there is no hell, except for the rigid and backward. In this upside-down world, where the infernal Masonic tyranny reigns supreme, sovereignty does not belong to God or to His temporal and spiritual vicars, because the hated symbol of Redemption, the Cross on which Jesus Christ, King and High Priest, has recapitulated all things in Himself, stands out on the crowns of Kings and Popes. 

The splendid antiphon that we sing during the Triduum at the end of the Canonical Hours reminds us with Saint Paul that this Redemption was accomplished in obedience: in obedience unto death, death on the Cross. But it also admonishes us that the obedience of the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity to the Eternal Father merits the Son to be exalted, so that at His Name every knee should bend, in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:10-11).

We preach Christ crucified, a scandal to the Jews, foolishness to the pagans (1 Cor 1:23). Because it is in self-humiliation and in obedience to the Divine Will that we obtain the crown of victory. And there is no Resurrection without the Passion, no reward without trial, no prize without competition. Let us not forget that the Cross is the destiny of each of us and of the Church as a whole. She, as the Mystical Body, must follow Her Master in the passio Ecclesiæ. We, as living members of the Church, must do the same in daily self-denial and in the sequela Christi.

Alter alterius onera portate (Gal 6:2), Saint Paul exhorts us: carry each other’s burdens, and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. And it is precisely Our Lord who gives us the example: in having carried the Cross that each of us would have deserved a thousand times; and in carrying our cross with us, when we would like to be the ones to choose it. If we ever deluded ourselves into thinking we could decide with which cross we should have to merit Heaven, we would soon realize that we are not capable, with our miserable strength, of facing even the most insignificant annoyance, and certainly not the trials that could await us in these troubled times. On the contrary, the cross that the Lord has chosen for us, however burdensome and difficult to carry, will always see the Divine Cyrenean at our side to help us with His Grace.

May the hour of darkness that is approaching spur us to consider the tribulations and trials that we will have to face as a crucible, from which the gold of our sanctity will emerge purified and in which the stains of our misery will be consumed. Let us therefore embrace this Holy Cross, so that it may be our sole point of reference, while the world sinks under the rubble of its deceptions. Stat Crux, dum volvitur orbis. And so may it be.

+ Carlo Maria Viganò, Archbishop

April 18, 2025
Feria VI in Parasceve

EU states are “hesitant to admit” failure in Ukraine, while the US is in a better position due to Donald Trump’s policies, the Hungarian PM has said

The West has waged a “proxy war” against Russia via Ukraine and lost it, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said.

Hungary, a member of the EU, has repeatedly criticized the bloc’s policies on the Ukraine conflict, particularly its sanctions on Moscow and weapons deliveries to Kiev.

In an interview with OT YouTube channel published on Thursday, Orban said the whole “Western world” has thrown its weight behind Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, which he described as a “proxy war.”

His assessment echoed that of Moscow, which has long characterized the hostilities as a de facto conflict with the West.

According to the Hungarian prime minister, the West has lost but “European leaders are hesitant to admit” failure. He argued that this outcome will have a big impact on the entire West, as “losing a war is a serious thing.”

Orban went on to say that European leaders are “offering Ukraine to continue the war and in return receive European Union membership.” He argued that this would be problematic as Ukraine is no longer sovereign and cannot support itself.

Regarding the US, the Hungarian prime minister said Washington is in a better position thanks to President Donald Trump’s approach, having broken with the Ukraine policies pursued by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

According to Orban, Trump “saved the US from a serious defeat.”

Speaking to Hungary’s Kossuth Radio last month, Orban described the EU’s policies on Ukraine as “rudderless.” He warned that Brussels, with its hardline position, risks becoming irrelevant as Trump actively works toward securing a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Earlier in March, Orban told the YouTube channel Patriota that the EU was feeding Kiev “empty promises” as it “doesn’t have a single penny left… [to] continue arming Ukraine, maintaining the Ukrainian army, and funding the functioning of the Ukrainian state.”

His comments came after Budapest refused to endorse a joint EU communique calling for an increase in military aid to Kiev.

 On April 18, 1995, Bishop J. Kevin Boland was consecrated and installed as the thirteenth Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah. He served as bishop until his retirement in 2011. Happy anniversary, Bishop Boland!

Jesus was arrested late Thursday evening. The Scriptures recount,

They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together (Mark 14:53).

According to Mark’s chronology there was a sham of a trial, based on false evidence and distortions of Jesus’ teachings.

Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they did not find any. For many bore false witness against Jesus, but their testimony was inconsistent. Then some men stood up and testified falsely against Him: “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple, and in three days I will build another that is made without hands.’” But even their testimony was inconsistent.

So the high priest stood up before them and questioned Jesus, “Have You no answer? What is it these men are testifying against You?” But Jesus remained silent and made no reply. Again the high priest questioned Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy. What is your verdict?” And they all condemned Him as deserving of death. Then some of them began to spit on Him. They blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and said to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers received Him with slaps in His face (Mark 14:53-65).

According to tradition, Jesus spent the rest of the night in the dungeon under the House of Caiaphas. It had doubled as a kind of cistern for holding rainwater.

The events of this early Friday morning are tightly packed. In the space of three or four hours, Jesus is sent to Pilate, then to Herod, then back to Pilate, questioned, condemned to die, and led out to be crucified by 9:00 AM.

The events begin around 6:00 AM:

Early in the morning, the chief priests, elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin devised a plan. They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate (Mark 15:1).

Pilate is less than enthusiastic to be saddled with this interrogation, but fearing a riot if he does not, he enters into the fray. Pilate’s behavior is a portrait in vacillation. According to Luke, he first seeks to transfer the case to Herod, who is nearby in Jerusalem (See Luke 23:6-12). However, Jesus says not a word to Herod. So after making sport of Jesus, Herod sends Him right back to Pilate. In another attempt to placate the crowd and evade making a decision, Pilate presents to them what amounts to a fake Messiah, aptly named “Barabbas” (which means “son of the father”). Can Barabbas save the day? He cannot, for he is not the true “Son of the Father.” Only Jesus can deliver Pilate—or any of us, for that matter.

I will not be treating the whole trial before Pilate in today’s post. (I’ve written about it in more detail here: The Trial Before Pilate.) In the end, though Pilate concludes that Jesus is innocent of the charges, he hands Him over to be crucified. In so doing, he is likely trying to save his own career. He will not take a stand for Jesus. Rather, he sits upon the judgment seat, violates his own conscience, and condemns Jesus to death. It is about the third hour (9:00 AM).

There is some debate about the specific time of day in the various biblical accounts. Mark 15:25 says that Jesus is crucified at the third hour (9:00 AM). In John 19:14 the crucifixion is set at the sixth hour (Noon). Both Matthew 27:45 and Luke 23:44 hint at a time closer to noon in their reference to a darkness coming over the land from noon until 3:00 PM.

In considering these “issues” of the exact time of day, we ought to remember that the people of Jesus’ era did not have clocks and watches. They did not speak or think of time in the precise ways that we modern Westerners do. Time was spoken of in general ways; the mention of the third hour, or the sixth hour, or the ninth hour could include a broader swath of time relatively near that declared hour. It is a little bit like our terms “mid-morning” or “mid-afternoon,” which can refer to a period of several hours. Mark does not necessarily mean precisely at 9:00 AM nor does John mean precisely at noon.

There is a lot of overlap in references to the third hour, the sixth hour, and the ninth hour, softening the possible conflict between the accounts. The need to nail down the exact times of day of the various events says more about our modern obsession with time than it does about accounts that are close, even if not precise, descriptions of the events.

Comparing all the texts leads to a general time frame. Thus, it would seem that Jesus undergoes trials before Pilate and Herod in the early morning (somewhere between 6:00 and 9:00 AM). He is sentenced by Pilate to crucifixion somewhere in mid-morning. He is mocked and led out to be crucified in the late morning. Near noon, He is stripped of His outer garments and hung on the cross. From about noon through the early afternoon a darkness comes over the land and Jesus hangs on the cross. He dies in the midafternoon, at around 3:00 PM.

What of this darkness of some three hours? In Luke 23:44, we read, It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour (i.e., from noon until 3:00 PM).

Although this seems to describe a solar eclipse, it isn’t appropriate to insist that it was an eclipse (at least as we define the term today). Matthew, Mark, and Luke all speak to the darkness of that day using the Greek term σκότος (skotos), meaning simply “darkness.” Only Luke went on to state the reason for the darkness: the sun was darkened (Luke 23:45). He even used the Greek word ἐκλιπόντος (eklipontos), from which the word “eclipse” was derived. In Greek, however, the word eklipontos simply means “darkened,” whereas our word “eclipse” refers to a darkening as a result of the moon blocking the light of the sun. However, that is not necessarily (or even likely) what Luke meant here.

As a general rule, one should avoid applying a scientific explanation to a text when that may not have been the author’s intention. That there was darkness over the land from about noon until three is certainly attested to in the sacred texts, but the cause of that darkness is not definitively stated to be an eclipse, at least not as we use the term today. Perhaps God made use of other natural causes, such as very heavy clouds, to cause the light of the sun to dim. It is also possible that the darkness was of purely supernatural origin and was experienced only by some of those present.

Trying to explain the darkness in terms of the laws of science risks doing a disservice to the text by missing its deeper meaning: that the darkness of sin had reached its zenith. Whatever the physical mechanism of the darkness, its deepest cause was sin and evil.

Jesus said elsewhere, “This is the judgment: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil” (Jn 3:19). Referring to His passion, He also said, “Night is coming, when no one can work” (Jn 9:4). When Judas left the Last Supper to betray Jesus, John observed simply and profoundly, And it was night (Jn 13:30). Yes, a deep darkness had come upon the world.

It is simply not possible here to fully comment on all the details of the crucifixion. While they are historical incidents, they are also of deep spiritual significance. I leave the consideration of most of those details to other posts and to your reflection. Jesus speaks seven times while on the cross: He asks the Father to forgive us. He bestows mercy on the repentant thief. He gives us His mother and asks us to take her into the home of our hearts. He expresses his feelings of abandonment. He voices his thirst. He announces the completion of His mission. He commends His spirit to the Father and gives up His spirit.

The earth shakes. While earthquakes were common in the region, interpreting the quake merely in scientific terms misses its theological significance. Christ has rent the earth and descended to Sheol, there to preach to the dead. The veil in the Temple has been torn from top to bottom, giving us access to the Father. He has rent our hearts and laid bare our thoughts. This also prefigures the Last Judgment:

Death is struck, and nature quaking,
all creation is awaking,
to its judge and answer making (from the Dies Irae).

It is three o’clock in the afternoon; a great silence is upon the earth. The Word of God has died in the flesh. He has gone among the dead to awaken them.

The post What Happened With The Lord on Good Friday? appeared first on Community in Mission.

According to the Synoptic Gospels, sundown of Holy Thursday ushered in the Passover. Later on this evening, the Lord will celebrate the Passover meal with His disciples. We ought to be mindful that the unleavened bread Jesus will take in His hands is called “the bread of affliction.” Scripture says, You shall eat [the Passover] with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt (Dt 16:3).

Indeed, this is an evening of affliction for Jesus. Much transpires at the Last Supper that is emblematic of our human foibles and sinful tendencies, but thanks be to God, He takes this “bread of affliction” we dish out to Him and lifts it to the glory of the Sacrament of His Body and Blood.

Before being too critical of the Twelve, remember that we can be like them in many ways. Keep that in mind as you read through the commentary below; A large part of what I’ve written about the apostles applies to us as well. Indeed, they are we and we are they; and the Lord loved all of us to the end.

So on Holy Thursday let’s examine the sequence of events. It illustrates pretty well why the Lord had to die for us. We will see how earnest the Lord is about this Last Supper, how He enters it with an intense love for His disciples and a desire that they heed what He is trying to teach them. We shall also see, however, that they show forth a disastrous inattentiveness and a terrible lack of concern for the Lord.

COMING CLOUDS – Jesus knows that His hour has come; this will be His last meal. Judas has already conspired and been paid to hand Him over. Scripture says, Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come. He always loved those who were his own, and now he would show them the depths of his love. The devil had already induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over (John 13:1). Thus, in the gathering storm Jesus plans His last meal, which will also be the first Holy Mass. He sent two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the householder, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us” (Mark 14:13-15).

CARING CONCERN – This last supper is obviously important to Jesus. Luke records these heartfelt words: And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God” (Luke 22:15-16). Yes, this will be a very special moment for Jesus. 

COLLABORATIVE CONDESCENSION – During the meal Jesus rises and then stoops to wash the disciples’ feet. He instructs them to see in this action a model for those who would collaborate with Him in any future ministry. John records it this way: He rose from the supper and took off his outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded (John 13:5).

Jesus then teaches the disciples: Do you know what I have done for you? You call me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you (John 13:12-15). Just moments from now, we will see them demonstrate a complete disregard for what Jesus has just tried to teach them.

COSTLY COMMUNION – Jesus, reclining at table, will now celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the first time—but it is to be a costly communion. He has already lost many disciples because of what He taught on the Eucharist (cf John 6:50ff). After the consecration at this Last Supper/first Mass, Jesus looks into the cup at His own blood, soon to be shed, and distributes His own body, soon to be handed over. This is no mere ritual for Him. Every priest before Jesus has offered a sacrifice distinct from himself (usually an animal, sometimes a libation), but Jesus the great High Priest will offer Himself.

CALLOUS CRIME – Back at table after having taught them that they must wash one another’s feet, Jesus suddenly becomes troubled in spirit and says, I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me (John 13:21). This causes a commotion among the apostles, who begin to ask, “Who can it be?” As the anxiety builds, Simon Peter motions to John and says, “Ask Him which one He means.” Leaning back against Jesus, John asks Him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus responds, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. “What you are about to do, do quickly” Jesus told him (John 13:24-30).

CONFOUNDING COMPETITION – As Judas takes the morsel of bread and heads out into the night, no one even tries to stop him! Despite the fact that Jesus has clearly identified His betrayer, no one rises to block the door or even utters a word of protest. Why not? Luke supplies the answer: A dispute arose among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest (Luke 22:24). They should be concerned about Jesus’ welfare but instead they argue about which of them is the greatest.

How confounding! How awful! Yet is that not our history? Too often we are more concerned with our own welfare or status than with any suffering in the Body of Christ. So much that is critical remains unattended to because of this. Jesus has just finished teaching the apostles to wash one another’s feet, and the next thing you know, they’re arguing as to who among them is the greatest. Jesus patiently reminds them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22:25-27). Meanwhile, due to their egotistical response, Judas has escaped into the night.

CAUSTIC CONTENTIOUSNESS – Jesus continues to teach at the Last Supper. He surely wants to impress upon them His final instruction. How He must long for them to listen carefully and to internalize what He is teaching! Instead, all He gets are arguments. Both Thomas and Phillip rebuke Him. John records this outrage:

Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” But Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him (Jn 14:1-8).

Thomas rebukes the Lord by saying, in effect, “We have no idea where you’re going; when will you show us the way?” Jesus answers, but Philip will have none of this promise to see the Father and boldly says, “Lord, show us the Father, and then we shall be satisfied.” Jesus, likely saddened by this, says to him, Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:8-9) Jesus’ own apostles are being argumentative and contentious. They are caustic and seem to rebuke Him.

COMICAL CREDIBILITY GAP – Undeterred, Jesus embarks on a lengthy discourse (recorded by John) that has come to be called the priestly prayer of Jesus. At the end of it, the apostles—perhaps ironically, perhaps with sincerity—remark, Now at last you are speaking plainly, not in any figure. Now we know that you know all things, and need none to question you; by this we believe that you came from God (John 16:29-30). However, Jesus knows that their praise is hollow and will not withstand the test.

There is a quite a lack of credibility in what the apostles say; it is almost comical. Jesus replies to them, Do you now believe? The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone (John 16:31-32). Peter protests, saying, Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away (Matthew 26:33). Here is another almost comic lack of credibility: [Jesus says to Peter,] Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times. [Still insistent, Peter replies,] “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And so said all the disciples (Matthew 26:34-35). Well, you know the story, and you know that only John made it to the cross.

CLUELESS CATNAP – They finally reach the garden and the foot of the Mount of Olives. Jesus says to Peter, James, and John: My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me (Mat 26:38). They seem oblivious to His suffering, though, and doze off. Attempts to arouse them are unsuccessful; they sleep on.

Here we are at the pivotal moment of all human history and the first clergy of the Church are sound asleep. (Things have not changed, my friends.) Indeed, many are in a state of moral, spiritual, and emotional sleep as Christ still suffers throughout the world and is conspired against. Jesus says,

Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go. See, my betrayer is at hand” (Mat 26:45-46).

COMPASSIONATE CONSTANCY – Jesus went on and died for the likes of them and all of us. I wonder if He had this Last Supper in mind when He said to the Father, Forgive them, they know not what they do. It is almost as if He is saying, “They have absolutely no idea what they are doing or thinking, so have mercy on them, Father.”

What a grim picture the Last Supper paints of us! It’s a disaster, really, but the glory of the story and the saving grace is this: The Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross regardless. Seeing this terrible portrait, can we really doubt the Lord’s love for us?

May your Holy Thursday be blessed. Never forget what Jesus endured!

The post What was the Lord Doing on Thursday of Holy Week? appeared first on Community in Mission.

The US-led military bloc has reportedly adjusted wording related to gender and diversity, equity, and inclusion in new legislation, to appease US President Donald Trump

NATO staff are softening language related to climate, gender, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to avoid a potential backlash from the administration of US President Donald Trump, Politico has reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.

Phrases concerning climate, as well as gender diversity and security, have been reworded in new NATO legislation drafted by its committees and working groups, using language deemed more palatable to Washington, the outlet said on Thursday.

The Trump administration took sweeping action aimed at dismantling gender and DEI programs shortly after Trump assumed office in January. The new administration is working to cut funding for universities and dismantle federal programs that include DEI practices. It is also carrying out a purge within the Pentagon to eliminate these programs.

”Everyone sees on the news where the Trump admin stands; you don’t want to do anything that shoots yourself in the foot,” one NATO official told Politico.

”Green technologies” have reportedly been replaced with “innovative technologies,” while “climate” has been described as an “operational environment,” another official said.

NATO officials are steering clear of any language referencing “gender” or “women, peace, and security” in an effort to secure approval from all 32 member countries, including the US, the outlet said.

”Everyone knows that the worst thing you can do is present it as a diversity issue,” one of the officials said. “It’s not a woke agenda, it’s part of a military agenda, and now more people are pricking up their ears to make sure it is spoken about in military terms.”

The fight against “woke policies,” such as the promotion of gender reassignment treatment among minors, was a key part of Trump’s presidential campaign. He has signed multiple executive orders rolling back DEI initiatives since taking office.

Trump has also consistently criticized NATO countries, accusing them of “freeloading” on US military support. He has pushed for members to increase their defense spending target from the current 2% of GDP to 5%.

READ MORE: US takes state to court over transgender athletes

On Tuesday, the Trump administration unveiled a plan to slash the State Department’s budget by nearly 50%, a reduction that would deeply affect contributions to NATO’s internal operations, the UN, and roughly 20 other international bodies. The proposal, put forward by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, seeks to reduce combined funding for the State Department and USAID from $54.4 billion to $28.4 billion for the next fiscal year.

Among the most significant changes is the proposed elimination of financial support for nearly all international organizations, including the UN and NATO headquarters.

Originally posted APRIL 19, 2019

The Agony of Jesus Christ at Gethsemane is noteworthy for its intensity. I’ve always believed that the intensity of the terror was not driven primarily by thoughts of His impending Passion and death, for He certainly was no coward, but rather by the knowledge that His sacrifice would be wasted by a multitude through hatred and indifference. His desire for reciprocation of the deep personal love He has for each of us was/is so intense, that the sense of loss over His beloved but damned sons and daughters caused his earthly physical body to sweat blood (Luke 22:44). His spoken desire of “let this chalice pass” in Matt 26:39,42 could be referring to the Crucifixion, as tradition holds, but it seems to me there is something more. After all, God willed for the world to be reconciled to himself through this very sacrifice, and Jesus IS God. The will of Jesus, in both His divine nature and His human nature, united in the Hypostatic Union, were never at odds with God the Father: For He and His Father are of the same Essence.

Just prior to this, upon entering the garden, He said, “My soul is sorrowful even unto death.” (Matt 26:38) Is He sorrowful because He is about to ransom humanity through His Cross and Resurrection? Or is He sorrowful because so many would choose to ignore it? His terror and pain, it seems to me, is out of His love for those who would be lost; lost loves, so to speak, in spite of His own unyielding love and sacrifice. I’m not a scripture scholar, but it seems worth meditating on, for the sake of our own souls.

A great exercise on Good Friday is to pick a Gospel and read it all the way through. It really doesn’t take that long. I am going to leave you with the seventh chapter of Matthew, the third part of the Sermon on the Mount.

Remember that the Sermon on the Mount takes place at the very beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. After the infancy narrative ends with chapter two, the introduction of John the Baptist and the baptism of the Lord in chapter three, and the temptation in the desert at the beginning of chapter four, He gets right down to business. Upon hearing of John’s death, Jesus immediately withdrew to Capernaum to begin the Galilean Ministry, as foretold in Isaiah. Preaching His message of repentance (4:17), He chose his first disciples (4:18-22), and then began drawing large crowds (4:23-25), primarily through working miracles.

Now that He had everyone’s attention, it was time for the big reveal. The Sermon on the Mount begins with chapters five and six forming a sort of catechism, and the central theme is something like, “You all think you know what’s what? Well, I’m here to take it up a notch.” He goes on to explain a litany of sinful behavior, and how we’re so much more wretched then we even knew. But then we get to chapter seven, where He offers hope, through repentance, prayer, obedience, and love. He wants to be loved.

Enter ye in at the narrow gate, my friends. Blessed Pascal Triduum to all.

The Holy Gospel of St. Matthew, Chapter 7: The third part of the Sermon on the Mount:

[1] Judge not, that you may not be judged, [2] For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. [3] And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? [4] Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? [5] Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

[6] Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you. [7] Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. [8] For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. [9]Or what man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone? [10] Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent?

[11] If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him? [12] All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets. [13] Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. [14] How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it! [15] Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

[16] By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? [17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. [18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. [19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. [20] Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

[21] Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. [22] Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? [23] And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity. [24] Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock, [25] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.

[26] And every one that heareth these my words, and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man that built his house upon the sand, [27] And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof. [28] And it came to pass when Jesus had fully ended these words, the people were in admiration at his doctrine.[29] For he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes and Pharisees.

Washington’s offer also reportedly envisions easing sanctions on Moscow and ending Kiev’s NATO aspirations

The US has presented its allies with details of its peace plan to bring the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to an end, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing European officials familiar with the matter.

The proposal, outlined during a meeting in Paris on Thursday, reportedly includes easing sanctions on Russia, as well as terminating Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO. The roadmap would effectively freeze the conflict and leave former Ukrainian territories that are part of Russia under Moscow’s control, the sources suggested.

One of the officials told Bloomberg that the proposal still had to be discussed with Kiev, adding that the plan would not actually amount to a definitive conflict settlement. Kiev’s European backers would not recognize the territories as Russian, the source suggested.

The US delegation at the Paris meetings, which involved senior officials from several countries, was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House special envoy Steve Witkoff. They met with French President Emmanuel Macron and also held discussions with top officials from France, Germany, the UK, and Ukraine.

Earlier on Friday, Rubio signaled Washington was ready to “move on” if a way to end the hostilities between Moscow and Kiev could not be found “within days.”

“We need to figure out here now, within a matter of days, whether this is doable in the short term. Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on,” Rubio told reporters before departing from France.

Moscow has signaled a full ceasefire with Ukraine was highly unlikely, citing Kiev’s violations of previous deals. Speaking to reporters at the UN headquarters on Thursday, Russian envoy Vassily Nebenzia said there are “big issues with the comprehensive ceasefire,” recalling the fate of the now-defunct Minsk agreements, which were “misused and abused to prepare Ukraine for the confrontation.”

The diplomat also cited repeated Ukrainian violations of a US-brokered 30-day moratorium on energy infrastructure strikes, implemented on March 18.

“How close we are to the ceasefire is a big question to me personally, because, as I said, we had an attempt at a limited ceasefire on energy infrastructure, which was not observed by the Ukrainian side. So, in these circumstances, to speak about a ceasefire is simply unrealistic at this stage,” Nebenzia said.

The militant group says it wants a comprehensive peace deal and will not accept any “partial” agreements

Hamas is seeking a comprehensive agreement to end the war in Gaza and exchange all Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel, a senior official of the organization has said, rejecting West Jerusalem’s proposal for another temporary truce.  

Khalil Al-Hayya, Hamas’ Gaza chief negotiator, said in a video statement on Friday that the Palestinian group would no longer accept interim agreements. Israel’s latest proposal involved a 45-day ceasefire and the release of ten hostages held by Hamas. In return, Israel would release 120 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and over 1,000 detainees held since October 7, 2023. The offer would require Hamas to disarm as a condition for a complete end to the war – a demand the group firmly rejects.  

“The partial agreements are exploited by “[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his government as a cover for their political agenda, which is founded on perpetuating the genocidal war and siege; even if the price is sacrificing all of their own prisoners [hostages],” Hayya said.   

He stated that Hamas was “ready to immediately negotiate a deal to swap all hostages” in exchange for an end to the Gaza war, the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

The Israeli authorities have reported that 59 hostages remain in the enclave, with 24 believed to be alive. Dozens of others were previously released through ceasefire agreements or separate deals.   

Israeli forces have taken control of more than half of Gaza in a renewed offensive following the collapse of a ceasefire and the stalling of hostage negotiations last month. The IDF has resumed air strikes in Gaza to increase pressure on Hamas to release the remaining captives.

The latest round of talks on Monday in Cairo to revive the January ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough, Reuters said, citing Palestinian and Egyptian sources.  

Israel has declared that its primary goal is the total disarmament and elimination of Hamas.   

Meanwhile, air strikes continue to claim dozens of lives in Gaza. According to the enclave’s Hamas-run civil defense agency, on Thursday, Israeli strikes killed at least 37 people, most of whom were displaced civilians sheltering in a tent camp.  

The Israeli military stated it had carried out strikes on more than 100 “terror targets” over the past two days, including what it described as “terrorist cells, military structures, and infrastructure sites.”  

While West Jerusalem claimed there was no shortage of aid and defended the blockade imposed on the enclave in March, the UN warned on Monday that Gaza is facing its most severe humanitarian crisis since the outbreak of the hostilities.

What was Jesus’ greatest suffering?

The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ are central to the Christian faith because it is the means of our salvation, and we are called to imitate Him in it.

As a result, Christians have developed (or mystically received) all sorts of ways to meditate on those incredible events. There’s the Stations of the Cross, the Rosary, and of course, the crucifixes we hang everywhere.

One interesting but little-known devotion is the Shoulder Wound of Jesus.

According to the annals of Clairvaux, in the 12th century, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux prayed and asked Jesus to reveal the greatest unrecorded suffering of His passion.

And Jesus answered! Here’s what he told Saint Bernard:

Then, with this knowledge, Saint Bernard supposedly composed the following prayer:

Note: I say “supposedly” because the prayer has also been attributed to a few other saints. Either way, it’s a great prayer, fully approved by the Church!

Champagne flowed in Hell this day,
Corks flew, confetti sifted,
Satan triumphant pumped his fist
And was on shoulders lifted.

Oh happy day!  Oh happy day!
The cheering fiends exulted,
Oh happy day! We him did slay!
Scorned, mocked, rebuked, insulted!

With the smoke of Hell this night
Cigar smoke was combined,
For no more wall nor fortress stood
Twixt Satan and mankind.

And on the earth sagacious men
Were likewise pleased and merry,
Rid now they were, and evermore,
Of that bothersome adversary.

The means employed were not,
Alas, full fit for public boasting,
But the great end of that pest dead
Called for applause and toasting.

So as in Hell champagne this day
In temple and palace flowed,
Hands were shaken, backs were slapped,
And once grave faces glowed.

Oh happy day!  Oh happy day!
The cheering great exulted,
Oh happy day! We him did slay!
Scorned, mocked, rebuked, insulted!

Recumbent on a stony slab,
The corpse sagged, stiffened, cooled
Its wet blood blackened into scabs,
Spit caked where it had drooled.

The tomb was black, the tomb was still,
It was by all forsaken,
And from the few who felt no joy,
This tomb had all hope taken.

I wrote this poem three or four years ago and have posted it each Good Friday since.

The military-themed confections have been denounced as a symbol of the country’s ‘unhealthy’ political climate

A German bakery has dusted off Nazi-era molds to produce Easter sugar bunnies crafted in military-themed shapes. Critics argue that this incident underscores the country’s troubling departure from its pacifist ideals.

The once popular ‘Zuckerhasen’ (sugar bunnies) are a traditional confection in Germany dating back to the 18th century.

For this Easter season, Cafe Lieb in Tubingen, Baden-Wurttemberg decided to showcase long-forgotten versions during a two-day sale, according to media reports this week. The molds feature bunnies operating military hardware such as tanks and cannons – shapes deemed inappropriate since World War II.

Owner Hermann Leimgruber dismissed concerns over the controversial nature of selling military-themed Easter symbols, telling SWR, “My God, it’s part of our history. Back then, children received a bunny in a tank for Easter.” Master confectioner Ulrich Buob noted that older generations recall receiving these treats as children and now purchase them as souvenirs.

pic.twitter.com/BTqUKhcrm3

Critics find the candies troubling, arguing that they trivialize militarism and the tragic legacy of Nazism. A column published by Berliner Zeitung on Wednesday condemned what it called “Panzerhasen” (armored bunnies) as indicative of the current political climate in Germany and the broader EU.

”Now, there is even open discussion about the reintroduction of conscription, which for decades was considered a relic of the Cold War” in Germany, it stated. It added that dissenters are branded as “lumpen pacifists” or sympathizers of Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying this is “precisely the problem.”

READ MORE: Russia threatens response if Ukraine uses German Taurus missiles

The EU plans to invest hundreds of billions of euros to expand the militaries and weapons production of member states, justifying the measures as preparation for a likely conflict with Russia. Moscow denies that it has any aggressive intentions and views the plans – backed by incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz – as a continuation of the policies that ignited the Ukraine conflict, which Russia views as a NATO proxy war currently fueled by the EU and UK.