Tag: church

hosanna, in the highest!

Published on by Dawn Marie2 Comments

Yesterday was Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week!

Yes, the holiest week of the year for the Catholic Church.

This week the Church commemorates Christ’s death and burial which begins with Palm Sunday. The palms symbolize peace and victory. It was custom during Jesus’ time for people to pay homage by laying palm branches – or even clothes – in front of people who were owed a great amount of respect. The Gospel of John tells of how Jesus was welcomed into the city mere days before his death: “When the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took pam branches and went out to meet him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, (even) the king of Israel’” (John 12: 12-13). On Palm Sunday, the faithful receive palm branches at the beginning of Mass followed by a procession. Doing so invites us to reenact Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Also, the blessed palms at Mass on Sunday, should not be thrown away. According to Canon Law (1171), blessed items are to be treated with reverence. If there is a need to dispose of such items, they must be buried or burned.

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stored up in a bottle

Published on by Dawn Marie2 Comments

*Today’s post comes from a beautiful reflection in the Be Still Devotional written by Lisa Brenninkmeyer. You can continue to follow along with these daily devotions on the Hallow app or by purchasing a copy of Lisa’s book through her organization Walking With Purpose.

“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under.”

Matthew 2:16

Herod had paid attention to prophecies of Jesus’ birth, but instead of responding with worship, he felt threatened by this Jewish king. When the wise men didn’t tell him who or where the baby was, Herod had all the male children in Bethlehem and in that region age two years old and under murdered.

Kristyn Brown, Flight into Egypt

The Catholic Church remembers the loss of these precious children on December 28, the Feast Day of the Holy Innocents.

It’s a horrific scene to imagine, and something we might want to turn away from. Focusing on the massacre of babies, most especially during this time of year, is the opposite of bringing Christmas cheer.

But the Church insist that we not look away.

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and now ya’ know

Published on by Dawn Marie10 Comments

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I knew there were some pretty intense judgements and feelings swirling about kicking up all sorts of dust around me, but God had not yet moved away the thick dry-haze enough to see it clearly.

But then it happened.

In one sentence as she said, “Karma’s a bi$$$,” everything became crystal clear.

They’ve all been gloating!

\ ˈglōt  \

gloated; gloating; gloats

Definition of gloat

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1: to observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction, gratification, or delight gloat over an enemy’s misfortune

Merriam Webster Dictionary
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