The Easter Triduum. April 2015

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1 April 2015 Risen Lord, we greet you with joy this Easter season, and we thank you for the gift of new life. Bless our food, our family and our friends. And help us to celebrate the springtime in our hearts as we rejoice in the good news of your resurrection. Alleluia! Amen. The Easter Triduum Another name for Holy Thursday is Maundy Thursday. This comes from the liturgy s rich ceremony known as mandatum, or the washing of the feet. In it we bring to life the mandate Jesus gave at the last supper when he washed his disciples feet and commanded that they love one another just as I have loved you. At the liturgy, we also recall Jesus institution of the Eucharist and establishment of the priesthood. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (Luke 23:46) These last words that Jesus spoke before he died are indicative of his unending trust. On Good Friday, in a church stripped of all decoration, we meditate on the Passion of Christ. It is the only day of the year that Mass is not celebrated. Instead, the liturgy includes readings and intercessions followed by Veneration of the Cross. Holy Communion that has been reserved from Mass on Holy Thursday is distributed. (See Page 5 for info about the Children s Good Friday Service!) The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday is one of the most dramatic and beautiful liturgies of the Church. It begins outside in darkness as the paschal candle is lit from a fire and brought into the church; a symbol of Christ s victory of light over darkness. The Liturgy of the Word begins in its light, recounting moments in our salvation history. Between the Old and New Testament readings, the Gloria is sung. Then the Liturgy of Baptism brings new members into the church and finally, the Liturgy of the Eucharist is celebrated for the first time since Holy Thursday.

2 April Sunday Gospel Snippets a Kid Can Understand Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Luke 24: 5b-6a April 5, 2015 John 20:1-9 Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord In the Easter Gospel we hear how the disciples found Jesus tomb empty three days after his death. We are also told that they did not yet understand the Scriptures or that Jesus had been raised from the dead. That understanding gradually unfolded for the disciples as they began to experience the risen Lord. Our understanding of Jesus Resurrection also unfolds for us throughout our lives. In the weeks ahead, we will hear how the first disciples moved from confusion, doubt, and skepticism to faith. Their experiences can teach us how we, too, might receive this gift of faith from God. April 12, 2015 John 20:19-31 Second Sunday of Easter In today s Gospel, the resurrected Jesus greets his disciples with the gift of peace. Jesus then asks them to continue the work that he has begun. He gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit so that they will be able to accomplish this task. The second half of this reading relates Jesus encounter with Thomas, the disciple who was not present when the others first met the Risen Lord, and so refuses to believe in his resurrection. Upon touching Jesus wounds, Thomas declares, My Lord and my God!. April 19, 2015 Luke 24:35-48 Third Sunday of Easter Once again, Jesus comes to his disciples with the greeting, Peace be with you. His appearance still fills them with fear and they are uncertain that he has truly been resurrected. But he encourages them to look at his feet and hands and then he asks to share some food with them. Their fear turns to joy and amazement. They begin to understand the scriptures and that they are meant to continue to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. April 26, 2015 John 10:11-18 Fourth Sunday of Easter Today is also called Good Shepherd Sunday. In the Gospel, Jesus compares himself to a good shepherd who would lay down his life to protect his sheep. The sheep know and follow the good shepherd. Jesus, of course, is talking about us. We are his flock and we are meant to know and follow him. APRIL SAINTS St. Pedro Calungsod was born in the Philippines in 1654, but was martyred in what is now the American territory of Guam when he was 17. The Jesuits educated him, and when he was 14, he was chosen to accompany missionaries to Guam as a catechist. In a fit of anger over the baptism of his daughter, a village chief killed St. Pedro and his companions and threw their bodies in the sea. St. Pedro was canonized in October, His Feast Day is April 2nd. Pictures of St. George usually show him killing a dragon to rescue a beautiful lady. The dragon stands for wickedness. The lady stands for God's holy truth. St. George was a soldier in the army of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and he was one of the Emperor's favorite soldiers. Diocletian was a pagan and a bitter enemy of the Christians. He put to death every Christian he could find. George was a brave Christian, a real soldier of Christ. Without fear, he went to the Emperor and sternly scolded him for being so cruel. Then he gave up his position in the Roman army. For this he was tortured in many terrible ways and finally beheaded. So boldly daring and so cheerful was St. George in declaring his faith and in dying for it that Christians felt courage when they heard about it. Many songs and poems were written about this martyr. Soldiers, especially, have always been devoted to him. We all have some "dragons" we have to conquer. It might be pride, or anger, or laziness, or greediness, or something else. Pray to St. George for help in fighting your dragons. His Feast Day is April 23rd. St. Catherine of Siena, whose Feast Day is April 29th, was born in 1347 in northern Italy. She was the 24th child of Giacomo di Benincasa, a cloth dyer who ran his enterprise with the help of his sons, and Lapa Piagenti. St. Catherine started having mystical experiences when she was only 6, seeing guardian angels as clearly as the people they protected. She became a lay Dominican when she was 16, and continued to have visions of Christ, Mary, and the saints. St. Catherine was one of the most brilliant theological minds of her day, although she never had any formal education. Her letters, and a treatise called "a dialogue" are considered among the most brilliant writings in the history of the Catholic Church. She is usually pictured with the symbols of a Dominican nun a book (educator), lilies (purity) a crown of thorns (suffering for Christ s sake) and a crucifix. She died when she was only 33. All Holy Men and Women, Pray for Us.

3 MEDIA MADNESS CULTURE & TRENDS MOVIE Title: Home Genre: Computer-animated comedy Rating: PG Cast: Rihanna, Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Martin Synopsis: This buddy comedy is based on the children s book The True Meaning of Smekday. A lovable alien named Oh lands on Earth and strikes up a friendship with a girl named Tip. Through adventures, the duo embraces their differences, realizes it s okay to make mistakes, and learns the true meaning of home. Our Take: This family-friendly movie is sure to generate laughs, but it can also spark conversations about deeper topics. Talk to your kids about unlikely friendships, coping with failure, and what home means to them. Games, Sites & Apps Yoshi s Woolly World This anticipated Wii U game has a look similar to Kirby s Epic Yarn. The characters and environment all have the look of yarn and cloth. Yoshi produces balls of yarn, which players can use to perform various tasks. MUSIC Title: Cinema Band: 1 Girl Nation Synopsis: This all-girl ensemble released its self-titled debut album in 2013, as well as a Christmas EP in They re busy this spring, releasing a 40-day devotional for girls (No Filter), embarking on a conference tour for preteens and young teenagers (Guard Your Heart LIVE), and releasing their second full-length album (Cinema). Our Take: 1 Girl Nation has received positive reviews for high-energy pop melodies, as well as biblical lyrics that are relevant to young listeners. Reviewers agree that 1 Girl Nation avoids the clichés of preteen pop. The group s musical styles range from dance tunes to piano ballads. Curiosity Machine At curiositymachine.org, kids from grades K to 12 can tackle various engineering design challenges. Anyone can create a free account, and parents can help young inventors create hands-on objects while developing STEM skills. The Foos This fun educational app introduces kids to computer coding. The free version has three levels of play. Although the app was created for children ages 6 to 8, older kids also will enjoy the characters and challenges. This page is designed to help educate parents and isn t meant to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about what your children watch, read, listen to, and play. Vaccine Pushback Due to recent measles outbreaks, more pediatricians are refusing patients whose parents are anti-vaxxers. Doctors recommend that parents of at-risk children inquire about other people s vaccine status just as they d ask whether someone smokes or keeps a gun at home. Unwrapped Oddly enough, one of the most popular YouTube channels features an anonymous woman unwrapping collectible toys. In fact, videos of people simply unboxing new toys jumped 57% last year. (Open Slate) QUICK STATS Census Insights Of America s 73.7 million children: 38% have at least one foreign-born parent. 20% receive food-stamp benefits more than before the 2007 recession. 15% have a stay-at-home mom. 0.6% have a stay-at-home dad. (census.gov) Young Caregivers at Risk About 1.3 million U.S. preteens spend their free time caring for a family member suffering from a physical or mental illness or substance abuse. Chronic stress of such caregiving puts kids at risk for school failure and poor health, experts say. (psychcentral.com)

4 April SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 5 Easter Sunday Masses at 7:30, 9:00, 10:45 am & 12:15 pm. 1 2 Holy Thursday 7:30 pm Mass 9:00 pm Adoration 11:45 pm Night Prayer 3 Good Friday 8:15 am Prayer 3:00 pm Passion Service 3:00 pm Children s Passion Service 7:30 pm Evening Prayer 4 Holy Saturday 8:15 am Prayer 3:00 pm Blessing of Easter Food Baskets 8:00 pm Easter Vigil Mass Family Fun Night 6-9 pm Parish Center (See Page 6) Parent Sacrament Prep Retreat; noon 3 pm; Upper Room Monday Grades K Tuesday Grades K-5 29 Wednesday Grades K-8 30 May 1 May 2 Saturday Grades 1-5

5 The Paschal Candle Good Friday Children s Prayer Service Pre School thru 5th grade children are invited to participate in the Passion Service that will take place on Good Friday, April 3rd, at 3 pm in the Parish Center (while moms and dads are in Church for the Adult Passion Service). 4th & 5th graders are asked to volunteer for parts in the Children s Passion Play and to help the younger children with crafts. Those who volunteer will need to arrive at 2 pm for a rehearsal. (Parents, if your 4th or 5 grader can volunteer, please debbie@smmp.com ). Did you ever take a good, close look at the big, tall candle you can always see in the church? Ever wonder what all the symbols on it mean? Well, the Paschal Candle is a major symbol at the Easter Vigil Mass. The word paschal comes from the word pesah, which is the Hebrew word for Passover. This candle is sometimes called the Easter Candle or the Christ Candle, and it represents the presence of the Risen Christ the Light of the World always in our midst. At the Easter Vigil, the Paschal Candle is lit from a blessed fire around which the assembly gathers outside of church. The lighting of the candle symbolizes Christ overcoming the darkness of death, bringing us the promise of eternal life. From the light of this one candle, all the candles held by those present and all the candles in the sanctuary will be lit. The Light of the Risen Lord will pierce the darkness. The Paschal Candle remains in the sanctuary and is lit every Sunday during the Easter Season. After the Easter Season, the Paschal Candle is positioned next to the Baptismal Font. It will be lit for all Baptisms and funerals throughout the year. At these celebrations, the Paschal Candle reminds us that because we are baptized into Christ, we share in his dying and rising. There are symbols on the Paschal Candle that celebrate Christ. First, there is a large cross. In the center of the cross and at the four ends, grains of incense are inserted, representing the five wounds of Jesus (his two hands, two feet, and the piercing of his side). At the top of the vertical beam of the cross is the Greek letter A (alpha), and at the bottom of the vertical beam is the Greek letter Ω (omega). These ae the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and they symbolize Jesus Christ as the beginning and end of all things. Finally, the current year appears on the candle, usually around the center of the cross where the beams meet. In addition to their very own Passion Play, the children will experience Veneration of the Cross, have story time with the Resurrection Eggs, make Easter crafts, and watch a Veggie Tales movie, Twas the Night Before Easter. Moms & Dads, why not take advantage of this opportunity for your children to learn about the true meaning of Easter while you are in church for quiet prayer and reflection on Good Friday? Care for God s Creation EARTH DAY is celebrated on April 22nd. For 45 years, Earth Day has been bringing communities and organizations together to advocate for a healthier environment and a sustainable life. The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life to share their concerns about each citizen s critical role in the environment. Their actions led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts. Now, over one billion people in 192 countries participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest civic observance in the world. Today, people everywhere are experiencing first-hand the devastating consequences of countries polluting their way to the top. But the world is so big! What possible difference can one person or family make? Protecting and caring for God s creation starts with our own individual actions. Start small and make changes that become good habits recycle, reduce your energy use, pick up trash along streets and in parks, plant trees, dispose of electronics and hazardous waste properly. Together, we can make a BIG impact!

6 Parish Family Fun Night! Saturday, April 11, :00 9:00pm Parish Center What s Included: Home Run Inn pizza, snacks and dessert Beer, wine and soda DJ and dancing Family games - think Minute to Win It Raffle, prizes and more Ticket Prices: Adults/Teens - $7.50, Children - $5.00, Under 3 Free Family Special - $25.00 Tickets available for purchase after all Masses on March 28/29 and at the door. Sponsored by the St. Margaret Mary Parish Men s Club.