A few days after Easter marked the end of the Lenten season of fasting, and a few days before Eid al-Fitr marked the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan’s fasting, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Washington, DC, hosted an interfaith discussion on fasting with neighbouring Masjid Muhammad, the Nation’s Mosque. The evening gathering on Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Easter’
Reflecting on the Cross
Monday, March 25th, 2024
In Judaism, the great celebration of the year is the historical coming out of Egypt. Jewish friends describe this as a parable. Egypt represents imprisonment in something that is unhealthy, something that restricts the freedom of God’s people. God leads his people out of Egypt. At first the enemy will pursue people. This is represented Read more
What God’s life school is all about
Monday, April 24th, 2023
Have you noticed how the Sacred Presence brings gifts of understanding when you need them most? It’s the sentence that lifts off the page. It’s a few spoken words that go directly to the heart. We all have these experiences. One gift that has stayed with me, came from an old Jewish rabbi. He wrote: Read more
What Easter bunny has to do with the resurrection of Jesus
Thursday, March 23rd, 2023The anniversary of Christ’s resurrection was aligned with the northern hemisphere spring equinox, linking springtime and Easter together. The earliest reference to the Easter Bunny dates back to before the 17th century, when the Germanic people of Europe introduced the Osterhase—a rabbit that brought gifts to children at Easter time. Rabbits (originally hares) are long Read more
Pope to patriarch: Catholics ready for common Easter date
Thursday, November 24th, 2022
A common Easter date between Christians of the East and West is one of the Pope’s particular desires. He explained his views during a meeting with the U.S.-born patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East last week. “Let us have the courage to put an end to this division that at times makes us Read more
Holy water shortage. Easter congregations swell
Thursday, April 21st, 2022
“We’re back,” was the reaction of one parish priest to the swelling congregations at Easter services. The priest with four churches in the parish told CathNews that all the main services at prime times were full. “I always knew people would come back”, he said in an uplifted tone. “I nearly had to erect a Read more
Passover, exile and the vitality of Jewish myths
Monday, April 11th, 2022
To be raised among the ancient biblical myths was to live in a world that melded the material, spiritual, and imaginative. Rich with poetic metaphor, these stories have stimulated the imaginations and moral consciousness of the Jewish people for thousands of years. In traditional Jewish culture, myth once served many functions. The rituals commemorating the Read more
In search of the immortal soul in a modern world
Monday, April 12th, 2021
Immortality has become the great question mark. The answer used to be provided at Easter, with the Christian climax in death by crucifixion, followed by resurrection. The Jesus story wrestled with death not being merely death. Today, however, the sacred meaning of Easter is little more than a dusty relic. For the secular modern age, Read more
Pope visits deserted Rome, and prays
Thursday, March 19th, 2020
Pope Francis visited a deserted Rome on Sunday to pray at two shrines for the end of COVID-19. The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore was his first stop. Then he walked along one of Rome’s usually busy main streets to visit St. Marcello church. There he prayed before a crucifix used in a procession when Read more
Glistening Taranaki greeted Māori gathered at Hui Aranga
Monday, April 29th, 2019
About 1,800 people gathered at the TSB Hub in Hawera for the Hui Aranga over Easter. ‘Hui Aranga’ means ‘Gathering around the Rising of Jesus’. It is the Māori Catholic celebration of the Easter message. The Hui Aranga began at Ōtaki at Pukekaraka in 1946. This year the hosts were Taranaki, Ngā Pekanga (Waitara) and Read more