Synodality in Action: During the Holy Thursday liturgy, Bishop Michael Martin of Charlotte, North Carolina, delegated the foot-washing ritual to lay men and women. The Eucharist was at the Jesuits' church. Bishop Martin participated in the ritual himself, but he also allowed members of the laity to perform much of the optional Mandatum.
Brian Williams on Twitter: Meanwhile in Charlotte, Bishop Martin delegated the washing of feet on Holy Thursday to lay men and women. +Martin did participate to some degree, but at this Jesuit parish where he chose to celebrate Holy Thursday, the laity assumed the role of the clergy for much of the (optional) mandatum.
Merkel redet sich stets raus und sucht andere Schuldige. Sie ist aber Hauptakteurin. Den Vertrag von Minsk 2016, der den Donbass hätte befrieden sollen, hat sie gezielt untergraben lassen. Mit Einhaltung des Vertrages gäbe es heute keinen Ukrainekrieg.
"He has come into our country and dwelt in one body amidst the many, and in consequence the designs of the enemy against mankind have been foiled and the corruption of death, which formerly held us in its power, has simply ceased to exist. For the human race would have perished utterly had not the Lord and Savior of all, the Son of God, come among us to put and end to death." Saint Athanasios of Alexandria
St. Athanasius of Alexandria ~~~ It appeared desirable to adhere to and maintain to the end, that Faith which, enduring from antiquity, we have received...
“The Church has damaged the liturgy of the Mass. It is too noisy now! It’s as if we are celebrating ourselves. It has become a convivial moment, whereas we are there to worship God; we need a liturgy that worships God. We no longer speak of salvation and the soul!” - Robert Cardinal Sarah
Solemn Procession of the Most Blessed Sacrament at the conclusion of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, celebrated this morning by His Beatitude Pierbattista Cardinal Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem.
I'm sure it wasn't the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It was a communal meal worship service modeled after the one invented by Cranmer for the English during the Protestant Reformation. Luther hated any liturgy that smacked of sacrifice. We had to do away with sacrifice.
Franciscan Father Francesco Patton wrote the meditations for tonight's Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome with Pope Leo XIV. Fr Patton served as Custos of the Holy Land from 2016 to 2025. On April 1, he told VaticanNews.va that the inspiration comes from "current reality" and that the meditations are meant to inspire political "change". The Vatican press office published the text today. Traditionally a penitential and contemplative devotion, the Via Crucis is repurposed here as a vehicle for contemporary socio-political reflection. The text shifts from the Passion of Christ to war, refugees, human trafficking, surveillance, deportation, the media, the economy, prisons, hostages, and crackdowns on protests. Notably absent, however, are abortion, euthanasia, and gender ideology. One acclamation reads: "For migrants, the displaced, and refugees: Comfort us, O Mother." In the first station, the meditation talks about political and economic power "to start or end a war… the power …Has köp
A Parable of a Quiet Prayer There once lived a husband and wife. They slept under the same blanket, but faced different directions in life. He believed in himself-in logic, in skill, in markets, in numbers, in crypto. He would say, “Work hard. Success comes to those who are strong.” She believed in God. And every night, after he had fallen asleep, she would quietly fold her hands in prayer. Not just for herself—for him. “Lord, watch over him. Give him wisdom. Keep him from mistakes. Bless the work of his hands.” Years went by. He prospered. Deals came together. Trouble seemed to pass him by. Even decisions made on a whim somehow turned out right. He would smile and say, “I knew it. I calculated everything perfectly. This is my mind. My work. My success.” She stayed silent. And thanked God. One day, an old pastor said to him. “You are a very wealthy man.” “I know,” the man replied proudly. “No,” the pastor smiled gently. “You are wealthy because someone stands before God for you …Has köp
Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord) | Traditional Lenten Spiritual Hymn | Choir w/ Lyrics "Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)" is an African-American spiritual that was first printed in 1899 and normally sung during the Lenten Season and during Good Friday Services. Recorded live by the Sunday 7pm Choir and the SFDS Combined Choir at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. Thank you for listening and God bless! Lyrics: 1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? 3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side? Were you there when they pierced him in the side? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,…Has köp
A perfect meditation for Holy Week, especially when so many of us are tempted to comment on every crisis, every issue. For that was not Our Lady's approach: The Virtue of Silence - Pax Orbis
The beautiful meditation is from Divine Intimacy1 explains some aspects of Our Lady’s role as Co-Redemptrix, particularly Her silence and humility, as well as Her deep love for souls. These virtues provide a blueprint for those consecrated to Our Lady and are a poignant theme for contemplation during Holy Week. The meditation also expresses a fundamental principle of apostolic work, particularly of pro-life work: the prioritising of prayer over activity. Presence of God O Mary, Queen of Apostles, obtain for me the heart of an Apostle. Meditation 1. Mary is, at the same time, the model of both contemplative and apostolic souls. Furthermore, by combining in herself the highest contemplative life with the highest apostolic life, she teaches us that contemplation and the apostolate, far from being opposed to other, complement, support, and maintain each other. When the contemplative life – considered as an assiduous seeking after union with God-is really fervent, it cannot fail to enkindle …
This morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrated the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper and washed the feet of 12 friars.
On Holy Thursday, Leo XIV washed and kissed the feet of 12 priests in the Lateran Basilica. In his homily, he remembered his predecessor: "As Pope Francis once remarked: 'This is a duty that comes from the heart. I love it. I love it and I love doing it, because that is what the Lord has taught me to do.' He was not speaking of an abstract imperative or a formal, empty command, but rather expressing his heartfelt obedience to the charity of Christ, the source and model of our own charity."
Il Giovedì Santo, Papa Leone XIV lava i piedi a 12 sacerdoti.
I am glad Pope Leo XIV has carried out the washing of the feet in a traditional, more dignified and proper way. But, I just don't get this "kissing the feet" thing. The Gospel of St. John tells us Jesus washed the feet of His Apostles, it says nothing about kissing them. I have seen this kissing before and I find it cringey! It comes across - to me - as one-upping Our Lord Jesus, a kind of false humility (like the Francis) or virtue-signaling! Personally, I have never kissed feet during the washing of the feet. In the past it was done (or had the possibility of been done) at a separate ceremony. Now days in many places the whole thing is abused and a bit of a circus. The only feet I'd kiss are the crucified feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. Laudetur Iesus Christus!
Letter to the Hebrews 4,14-16.5,7-9. Brothers and sisters: Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
Brief des Apostel Paulus an die Hebräer 4,14-16.5,7-9. Schwestern und Brüder! Da wir nun einen erhabenen Hohepriester haben, der die Himmel durchschritten hat, Jesus, den Sohn Gottes, lasst uns an dem Bekenntnis festhalten. Wir haben ja nicht einen Hohepriester, der nicht mitfühlen könnte mit unseren Schwächen, sondern einen, der in allem wie wir versucht worden ist, aber nicht gesündigt hat. Lasst uns also voll Zuversicht hinzutreten zum Thron der Gnade, damit wir Erbarmen und Gnade finden und so Hilfe erlangen zur rechten Zeit! Er hat in den Tagen seines irdischen Lebens mit lautem Schreien und unter Tränen Gebete und Bitten vor den gebracht, der ihn aus dem Tod retten konnte, und er ist erhört worden aufgrund seiner Gottesfurcht. Obwohl er der Sohn war, hat er durch das, was er gelitten hat, den Gehorsam gelernt; zur Vollendung gelangt, ist er für alle, die ihm gehorchen, der Urheber des ewigen Heils geworden angelyelina
The dawn of a new creation... Sunday, April 5 - Easter 2026 Dear brothers and sisters, Pope Francis has repeatedly reminded us that the Resurrection of Jesus is not a myth, a fantasy, a mirage, a magic formula that makes problems vanish; it is not the happy ending of a beautiful fairy tale, nor the happy ending of a movie; it is a historical event that truly occurred. A fact, a simple fact that occurred in the lives of some people. Christianity was born from here. It is not an ideology, it is not a philosophical system, but a journey of faith that begins with an event, witnessed by Jesus' first disciples. Saint Paul summarizes it this way: Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and on the third day he rose again and appeared to Peter and the Twelve (see 1 Cor 15:3-5). This is the fact: he died, he was buried, he was resurrected, in his true glorified body, and he appeared. That is, Jesus is alive! This is the core of the Christian message. This is the good news that the Church has been …Has köp
On Holy Thursday, Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio of Bogotá, Colombia, washed the feet of homosexual prostitutes (“transgender sex workers”). This act mirrors similar gestures made by Pope Francis.
Arzobispo Primado de Colombia, monseñor Luis José Rueda, lavó los pies a un grupo de personas de la comunidad trans y de mujeres trabajadoras sexuales en el barrio Santa Fe, zona de tolerancia de Bogotá
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Mar 26, 2026 When is the last time you were at Mass—in an ordinary parish, not a monastery or retreat center—for a regularly scheduled parish Mass, not connected with any special event—and noticed that the congregation was predominantly male? I don’t think it had ever happened to me before last night. Whenever I see another seminar devoted to “Women in the Church,” I cannot resist making the prosaic observation that the discussion is unlikely to break any new ground. Open the door to a typical American Catholic church, and what do you see? Women in the church. Attend a meeting of the altar guild, the religious-education teachers, the parish secretaries, the extraordinary ministers. Time and again the women outnumber the men. But not at this church, where we attended Mass for the feast of the Annunciation because we are traveling. There were more men and boys than women and girls; if you counted the altar boys it wasn’t close. Moreover …