Catholic Fire

Holy Thursday is also known as "Maundy Thursday." The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation: Mandátum novum do vobis dicit Dóminus, ut diligátis ínvicem, sicut diléxi vos: "I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you." (John 13:34) These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after he completed the washing of the feet. Easter Triduum Easter or Paschal Triduum is the ancient name given to the three days of the ‘pasch’ or ‘passing over’ of the Lord, beginning on the evening of Holy Thursday and ending on Easter Sunday. This is the "Feast of feasts", the high point of the Church’s liturgical year, when we celebrate the heart of our faith -- the great mystery of salvation when Our Lord Jesus Christ passes through suffering and death to the new life of the Resurrection. The triduum liturgies teach us the meaning of Christ’s life, death...

Scriptural Stations of the Cross: A Way of the Cross by Kathryn Mulderink, published by Lulu, 2008. Kathryn Mulderink , Catholic homeschooling mom of seven and Lay Carmelite, has done it again! The author of The Way of the Cross for Children and Walk New: A Way of the Cross for Teens has now also written a beautiful new collection of meditations and prayers for adults. Kathryn Mulderink’s Scriptural Stations of the Cross are based on those celebrated by Pope John II on Good Friday, 1991 and 1994. As an alternative to the traditional Stations of the Cross, these stations provide a way of meditating more deeply on the scriptural accounts of Christ’s Passion. Beginning with the Agony of Jesus in Gethsemane and omitting some of the traditional non-scriptural stations in favor of incidents mentioned in the gospels, these Stations of the Cross focus on the following events: · Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane · Jesus betrayed by Judas is arrested. · Jesus condemned by the Sanhedrin. · Jes...

The Way of the Cross for Children – a coloring book by Kathryn Mulderink, OCDS, with drawings by Victor KyNam Kathryn Mulderink, lay Carmelite and Catholic homeschooling mom of seven, originally wrote these beautiful prayers for the 14 Stations of the Cross for her own children and has used them for several Lenten seasons. Kathryn’s poignant prayers and meditations on the Stations of the Cross combined with Victor KyNam’s sensitive illustrations make this book one that will touch the hearts of the children who peruse it. The Way of the Cross for Children offers brief meditations entitled “I Think of Jesus”, which help children to reflect on the suffering that Jesus experiences during His Passion, while reminding them of His overwhelming, unconditional love for each one of us. This is followed by a prayer “I talk to Jesus” which gently encourages children to open their hearts to Him, to broaden their prayer intentions, and to change their behavior in response to His love. A one line c...

Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said: "These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy." In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her: "On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls." The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are: DAY 1 (Good Friday) ...

FATHER EUGENE BARRETTE, MS, writes an excellent commentary in the Archdiocese of Atlanta Georgia Bulletin about Easter not happening if we deny or block out Good Friday. I love how he relates this to the pro-life ministry. Here is an excerpt: We in the pro-life ministry, especially when focusing on the struggle to save the pre-born, are called to be, first and foremost, aware of the Good Fridays that many people face when faced with an unexpected pregnancy:– The condemning eyes or verbal reproaches from parents, family, friends, “religious” people. It is Good Friday. – The fear and pain of wondering if parents still love you, the distance of some family, friends. It is Good Friday. – The turmoil, the stumbling, the not knowing what this is going to mean to one’s future. It is Good Friday. – The mixed feelings—to love and welcome or hate and wish this new life be gone. It is Good Friday. – The panicky feelings that everything is shattering, no future, no hope—it’s dark, scary, a desolat...