To Rest and Rejuvenate

Shabbat is one of those celebrations that just makes you feel whole inside. This world is so fast paced and always on the go, that taking a moment to slow down, give thanks for your life and your family, and spend time in God's presence, is completely rejuvenating and spiritually fulfilling. There are special blessings that are said upon the children and the wife as the spirit of God is welcomed into the home and rekindled in the hearts of all present. Traditional Jewish observance of this holiday falls on Friday evening and for Christians, it would fall on Saturday evenings.     

Holiday: Shabbat- celebrated weekly from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday

Celebration: Shabbat is the observance of the Sabbath day and is considered the most important of the Jewish holidays and is marked by three qualities- rest, holiness, and joy. It is traditional to spend time with family and friends and engage in activities like praying, reading, and anything that can be rejuvenating. Candles are lit symbolizing the driving away of darkness and the welcoming of the "light" of the Messiah into our hearts and lives.    

Historical background: The first communication of Shabbat to human beings is placed by the Torah in the midst of one of the tales of the rebellious generation in the wilderness (Ex. 16). God sent manna to feed the Israelites. On the sixth day, twice as much manna as usual appeared, and unlike the manna that the Israelites had earlier tried to hoard overnight, this twofold portion did not rot on the seventh day. Even so, some Israelites went out on the seventh day to look for more manna—but none had fallen. Not until then did Moses explain these unusual happenings as the consequence of God's giving the people a shabbat. "Let no one leave his place on the seventh day," says Moses; so the people learned to "rest," or "pause," or "remain inactive" (Ex. 16:29-30). The shabbat portrayed here follows directly from God's creation of reality—from, one might say, the nourishing breast of reality, which feeds and pauses, gives and withholds. Only afterward is this reality put in explicit words of command.

It is only after the direct experience of the shabbat reality that the people learn of shabbat as a central and crucial element in their lives, as one of the ten formal proclamations that come from God at Sinai. Of the ten commandments, the shabbat is the longest and most detailed. "Remember" the day of shabbat, says the version preserved in Exodus 20. It proclaims six days of work and prescribes rest on the seventh day for adults, children, slaves, cattle, and strangers "within your gates"—all this because God had rested after working to create the world.

Thus Exodus sees the seventh-day shabbat as a cosmic event, .placed by God within the rhythms of the universe, allowed to emerge from within those rhythms themselves in order to impinge upon the human consciousness, and then to be carried out as a symbol and an enactment of that cosmic and creative rhythm.

Biblical basis:
Genesis 2:3
3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Deuteronomy 5:12
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you.

Leviticus 23:1-3
23 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.
The Sabbath

3 “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.

Exodus 20:8
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but theseventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 35
35 Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

Ways to Celebrate:

-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Make Shabbat placemats with the special blessings on them
**Make a challah cover if you choose to do the blessings over the wine and the bread

-Fun family ideas:
**Pick out a fun family game to play together for a night in!
**It has become more traditional to add a candle to the standard two candles for each child born and light them for each child when the other two are lit.
**The father says a blessing over his sons and daughters...

Ephraim and Menashe were the first brothers among our forefathers to live without rivalry. Before them came Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, and, of course, Joseph's brothers who sold him as a slave ― all relationships fraught with conflict and competition.

Ephraim and Menashe were brothers who lived in harmony, for their life focus was the highest example of working for good for their community and people. Decisions were not based on, What is good for me? but on, What is good for the Jewish people? Concerns of ego were cast aside in favor of something greater. The words of King David ring true: "How good and pleasant is it for brothers to sit peacefully together" (Psalms 133:1). This is the hope that God holds for all the Jewish people.

In addition, of the 12 sons and their families, these two were the only ones to grow to maturity outside of the Land of Israel. Yet despite great odds, they still remained steadfast in their commitment to Judaism. We cannot always guarantee that our children will not be exposed to a negative environment. We therefore give them the blessing to be like those who were not tempted by their immoral surroundings and maintained their ethical and righteous behavior.

Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah... the mothers of the Jewish people. Each one possessed unique qualities that played essential roles in the strength and future of the nation. Yet there was something they all shared, something that Jewish women for all time would strive to emulate.

Each one lived in recognition that the ultimate in fulfillment is enabling others to realize their potentials as individuals and as members of the Jewish people. The Torah is filled with accounts of these women, recording their insight, their giving nature, and their sensitivity, leadership, and special ability to inspire others. Beyond this, all of the matriarchs were great, righteous women, who hailed from the homes of wicked people ― what we call today " a bad environment."

These women all shared a special relationship with the Almighty, and used the gifts He gave them for the good of others and for the Jewish people. When we bless our daughters on Friday night, we are asking God to endow them with the qualities of their foremothers, and we remind ourselves what real giving is all about.

**The husband says a blessing over his wife that is taken from the concluding section of the book of Proverbs...

-Religious traditions:
**Hold a candle lighting with two candles symbolizing the two-fold commandment to remember and sanctify. The woman of the house lights the candles and says the blessings over the candles and for her family.
**Bless the wine and the bread using traditional blessings led by the father.
**Example of a Messianic Shabbat service-

Mother lights the candles and says:

Baruch ahtaw adonoi, elohaynu melech holum,
asher kiddishawnu bamitzvosuv, vitsivawnu lichadlich nehr, shabbat kadosh

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has sanctified us by thy commandments and has commanded us to kindle the holy Sabbath lights.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has given us thy only begotten Son, Yeshua, the light of the world.

(Mother prays silently for her family)

Father lifts up cup of wine and says:

Baruch ahtaw adonoi, elohaynu melech holum, boray p-ree haguffin

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who createst the fruit of the vine.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has given us the blood of thy Son, Yeshua, which sanctifies and redeems us.

Father takes a moment to share something of the week's happenings for which he is thankful, sips the wine and passes the cup. The ritual continues around the table until the cup returns to the father.

Father holds up the loaf of bread and says:

Baruch ahtaw adonoi, elohaynu melech holum, hamotzi lechem min haw oretz

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who gives us the fruits of the earth.

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has given us thy Son, Yeshua, the Bread of Life.
May we partake of this bread with thanksgiving and an awareness of our part in the Body of Christ.

The bread is broken and passed around.

All: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has given us this Sabbath of rest and joy.

Father: Grant that we may one day celebrate the eternal Sabbath with Thee in Heaven. And may all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

All: Amen.

Father: We ask this in the Name of Thy Son, Yeshua, who lives and reigns with Thee and Ruach haKodesh, one God, for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Blessing for Shabbat Candles:

This would be an appropriate version for a Christian wife to say...

Jesus and Shabbat:
Jesus spent His life observing Shabbat and following the rituals that come along with it. It is true that Christians believe that Jesus fulfilled all of the laws of the Torah and set us free from its judgement and binding laws and that He Himself became the new sabbath rest and the ultimate giver of peace. So, while Christians do not feel a sense of commandment for lighting the Shabbat candles, doing so is just another opportunity to focus on what is important in life and take a break from the hustle and bustle of this world. It is a gift from God, a time of rest and reflection, a time of joy and peace. We are not obligated to celebrate, but invited to set apart a special time to usher in Jesus as the Prince of Peace.

Top 10 Reasons to Celebrate Shabbat:

How we celebrated:

One of our favorite ideas for celebrating is to have a weekly Shabbat happy hour at home! We want to prepare a small appetizer like food with wine and enjoy it together in the late afternoon as we usher in the Sabbath, light the candles, and say the prayers. We then love spending the night relaxing together and cooking a long drawn out dinner and listening to music and talking with each other. It is a beautiful way to rest in each other and our Lord and the perfect way to start a wknd focused on the peace that our Lord brings.

Some of our favorite Shabbat dinners...see the pretty Shabbat candles!

And All Was New Again

Easter finally arrived! I don't know if it was because I was more in tune with the season of Lent and the preparation of self for the feast of Easter Sunday, but I could not wait for its arrival this year! Easter is truly the most holy of holy days as it remembers and celebrates the birth of Christianity. The Resurrection is the essence of Christianity because without it, the faith would have died with the death of its Messiah. That is what sets Christianity and Jesus apart from any other faith or thought-to-be Messiah throughout time. That is why Easter is so beautiful because it is a celebration of all that Jesus proclaimed during His time on earth. It represents a rebirth of self and a renewal of spirit; a clean slate and an open heart, a time to write Jesus' promise upon your heart and give Him glory with your life.  

Holiday: Easter- March 31, 2013

Celebration: Easter is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. On this Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For Catholics, Easter Sunday comes at the end of 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving known as Lent. Through spiritual struggle and self-denial, we have prepared ourselves to die spiritually with Christ on Good Friday, the day of His Crucifixion, so that we can rise again with Him in new life on Easter.

Easter is a day of celebration because it represents the fulfillment of our faith as Christians. St. Paul wrote that, unless Christ rose from the dead, our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:17). Through his death, Christ saved mankind from bondage to sin, and He destroyed the hold that death has on all of us; but it is His Resurrection that gives us the promise of new life, both in this world and the next.

Historical background:
The first Christians, Jewish and Gentile, were certainly aware of the Hebrew calendar,but there is no direct evidence that they celebrated any specifically Christian annual festivals. Christians of Jewish origin were the first to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Since the date of the resurrection was close the timing of Passover, they likely celebrated the resurrection as a new facet of the Passover festival.

Direct evidence for the Easter festival begins to appear in the mid-second century. Perhaps the earliest extant primary source referencing Easter is a mid-second-century Paschal homily attributed to Melito of Sardis, which characterizes the celebration as a well-established one. Evidence for another kind of annual Christian festival, the commemoration of martyrs, begins to appear at about the same time as evidence for the celebration of Easter. But while martyrs' days (usually the individual dates of martyrdom) were celebrated on fixed dates in the local solar calendar, the date of Easter was fixed by means of the local Jewish lunisolar calendar. This is consistent with the celebration of Easter having entered Christianity during its earliest, Jewish period,

The New Testament teaches that the resurrection of Jesus, which Easter celebrates, is a foundation of the Christian faith. The resurrection established Jesus as the powerful Son of God and is cited as proof that God will judge the world in righteousness. God has given Christians "a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead". Christians, through faith in the working of God are spiritually resurrected with Jesus so that they may walk in a new way of life.

Easter is linked to the Passover and Exodus from Egypt recorded in the Old Testament through the Last Supper and crucifixion that preceded the resurrection. According to the New Testament, Jesus gave the Passover meal a new meaning, as he prepared himself and his disciples for his death in the upper room during the Last Supper. He identified the matzah and cup of wine as his body soon to be sacrificed and his blood soon to be shed. Paul states, "Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed";this refers to the Passover requirement to have no yeast in the house and to the allegory of Jesus as the Paschal lamb.

Biblical basis:

John 20:1-9- The Gospel Reading on Easter Sunday
The Empty Tomb
On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Coloring eggs: Decorating eggs was a pagan symbol of rebirth at springtime for the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Persians and even the Chinese. Christians adopted the colored egg as a symbol of new life which comes with the Resurrection.
-Before you hide the eggs or put them in baskets, encircle each one with a colored strip of paper (or place the strip inside plastic eggs) that tells one small part of the Easter story. When the eggs have been found, the children must unscramble the story and put it in the right order.
-Instead of decorating the eggs with dye, or in addition to dying them, write one attribute of Jesus on each egg. You can do this by writing on the egg with a crayon before you put it in the dye. If you are using plastic eggs, you can write with a permanent marker or paint pen.
-Send kids on a hunt for the eggs that have Jesus' attributes written on them. Instead of just discovering eggs, they will be discovering the wonderful things that make Jesus so special. If the eggs are plastic, fill them with treats to remember how sweet the life of Jesus really is.
-Dye eggs in certain colors and use them to tell the story of salvation.
**Make Easter cards to deliver to friends and family spreading friendship and joy!

-Fun family ideas:

**Teach about Jesus using the Easter bunny! Look at the bunnies attributes as they...
-are white as snow because Jesus takes all sin away (Isaiah 1:18b).
-are gentle, kind-hearted and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).
-have big ears that are quick to listen (James 1:19).
-have big eyes to look carefully and choose what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
-have no voice for complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:13).
-are quiet in prayer, but hop with thanksgiving and rejoicing (Philippians 4:4-6).
-have big feet to go tell others about Jesus so they can be like Easter bunnies, too (Matthew 28: 19-20).
-eat what is healthy by filling up on God's word every day (Psalm 119:11).
**Have an Easter brunch using your colored hard boiled eggs! See how creative you can get and try new recipes...maybe an english muffin hard boiled egg pizza with tomatoes and mozzarella!

-Religious traditions:
**Attend Easter morning mass together

**Age appropriate ways to teach the meaning of Easter...
Ages 0-3
Help your little ones stuff hollow plastic eggs with one chocolate heart, because Jesus came to give us a new heart toward God. Then allow your little one to hand them out to friends, neighbors, or people you meet during the day. You might include a note inside with the passage from John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." – Jesus
Ages 4-7
Hold a neighborhood egg hunt, but award the large basket filled with candy for whoever finds the one empty egg, representing the empty tomb. When the child finds the empty egg he or she must call out, "He is not here he has risen, just as he said." Be sure to conclude the hunt with an Easter story on the lawn. I'd recommend The Parable of the Lily, by Liz Curtis Higgs.
Ages 8-12
Sometimes the greatest joy is in the giving. Visit a nearby hospital or retirement home and greet one of the residents with a fresh Easter lily. You may want to attach a card with some encouraging words about the hope we have in our risen Lord.
Age 13-18
Children this age might enjoy a surprise field trip for a sunrise service at the park or a nearby lake. Be sure to bring a Bible, hymnbook or maybe even a guitar for a worshipful early morning celebration.

How we celebrated:
We went to Red Oak to celebrate the holiday! On Saturday, we went to Waco to celebrate Easter with John-Henry and his family. We colored Easter eggs with the kids and they opened their Easter baskets. It was very sweet :) The next morning we woke up early and went to Easter mass! The church was decorated with beautiful flowers and colors to represent the newness of the season. After mass, we went back to the house and cooked a delicious breakfast to share together and looked through our Easter baskets that my mom had made. We then loaded up the car and drove to my grandmother's house to celebrate with the whole family; we had lots of food and just celebrated being together all day. I love that Easter is just a big celebration of  the beautiful life that Jesus gave us. After all the preparation during Lent, it is an incredible feeling to celebrate the day that all of the preparation was for.

The Most Holy Of Weeks

After learning and growing so much in my faith during the past few years, I have come to have such a special connection with Holy Week and the feasts that it celebrates. This is the time where Judaism and Christianity share so much, but it is also the time where their distinctions are made most clear. It's not a surprise that this week falls around the same time as Passover and it makes perfect sense why so many Christian traditions during this time parallel the traditions that Jews implement to celebrate Passover. This time contains the feasts that served as Jesus' segue from the old law into the new covenant. He used Jewish feast days as the first Christian celebrations. The feast of Passover that Jesus celebrated at the Last Supper serves as a bridge from Judaism to Christianity; in a sense, the disciples came in as Jews and left at Christians. It was a transforming meal in so many ways. For Christians, it can be seen as the last Jewish feast AND the first Christian feast.  

Holiday: Palm Sunday-March 24, 2013, Holy Thursday- March 28, 2013, Good Friday- March 29, 2013

Celebration:
**Palm Sunday- Commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and marks the beginning of the Holy Week. The donkey he rode was a symbol of peace; those who rode upon them proclaimed peaceful intentions. The laying of palm branches as done by the people indicated that the king or dignitary was arriving in victory or triumph.

**Holy Thursday- The Mass on Holy Thursday is commonly known as the Feast of the Lord’s Supper. This Mass is a time for Catholics to remember the Last Supper where Jesus and his apostles gathered to celebrate Passover. In the Holy Thursday celebration, two ritual actions stand out among the rest: the Washing of the Feet and the Celebration of the Eucharist.
**Good Friday- Commemorates the crucifixtion, death, and burial of Jesus. It is the most sorrowful day on the Christian calendar. In this solemn celebration, we remember the Passion and Death of Our Lord. The service is marked by several important rituals including the proclaiming of the Passion according to John,the Veneration of the Cross, an extended form of General Intercessions and finally, the distribution of Communion (reserved from the Holy Thursday celebration of the Eucharist).

Historical background:
**Palm Sunday-The celebration of Palm Sunday originated in the Jerusalem Church, around the late fourth century. The early Palm Sunday ceremony consisted of prayers, hymns, and sermons recited by the clergy while the people walked to various holy sites throughout the city. At the final site, the place where Christ ascended into heaven, the clergy would read from the gospels concerning the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In the early evening they would return to the city reciting: "Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord." The children would carry palm and olive branches as the people returned through the city back to the church, where they would hold evening services.

By the fifth century, the Palm Sunday celebration had spread as far as Constantinople. Changes made in the sixth and seventh centuries resulted in two new Palm Sunday traditions - the ritual blessing of the palms, and a morning procession instead of an evening one. Adopted by the Western Church in the eighth century, the celebration received the name "Dominica in Palmis," or "Palm Sunday".

**Holy Thursday- Holy Thursday is the day on which Catholics commemorate the institution of three pillars of the Catholic Faith: the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priesthood, and selfless service. During the Last Supper, Christ blessed the bread and wine with the very words that Catholic and Orthodox priests use today to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ during the Mass and the Divine Liturgy. In telling His disciples to "Do this in remembrance of Me," He instituted the Mass and made them the first priests.

Near the end of the Last Supper, after Judas had departed, Christ said to His disciples, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." The Latin word for "commandment," mandatum became the source for another name for Holy Thursday: Maundy Thursday.

On Holy Thursday, the priests of each diocese gather with their bishop to consecrate holy oils, which are used throughout the year for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. This ancient practice, which goes back to the fifth century, is known as the Chrism Mass ("chrism" is a mixture of oil and balsam used for the holy oils) and stresses the role of the bishop as a successor to the apostles.

Except in very rare circumstances, there is only one Mass other than the Chrism Mass celebrated on Holy Thursday in each church: the Mass of the Lord's Supper, which is celebrated after sundown. It commemorates the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and it ends with the removal of the Body of Christ from the tabernacle in the main body of the church. The Eucharist is carried in procession to another place where it is kept overnight, to be distributed during the commemoration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. After the procession, the altar is stripped bare, and all bells in the church are silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.

**Good Friday-As early as the first century, the Church set aside every Friday as a special day of prayer and fasting. It was not until the fourth century, however, that the Church began observing the Friday before Easter as the day associated with the crucifixion of Christ. First called Holy or Great Friday by the Greek
Church, the name "Good Friday" was adopted by the Roman Church around the sixth or seventh century.

From the earliest days of Christianity, no Mass has been celebrated on Good Friday; instead, the Church celebrates a special liturgy in which the account of the Passion according to the Gospel of John is read, a series of intercessory prayers (prayers for special intentions) are offered, and the faithful venerate the Cross by coming forward and kissing it. The Good Friday liturgy concludes with the distribution of Holy Communion. Since there was no Mass, Hosts that were reserved from the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday are distributed instead.The service is particularly solemn; the organ is not played, and all vestments are red or (in the Traditional Latin Mass) black.

Biblical basis:
**Palm Sunday-
Zechariah 9:9- The prophesying verse...
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

John 12:12-13- The account of...
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. The King of Israel!"

**Holy Thursday-
John 13:12-16- Washing of the feet...
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them."

Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14- The Passover meal...
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

“This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.

“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”

**Good Friday-

John 18: 1-19:42
Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley
to where there was a garden,
into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards
from the chief priests and the Pharisees
and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,
went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”
They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
He said to them, “I AM.”
Judas his betrayer was also with them.
When he said to them, “I AM, “
they turned away and fell to the ground.
So he again asked them,
“Whom are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
Jesus answered,
“I told you that I AM.
So if you are looking for me, let these men go.”
This was to fulfill what he had said,
“I have not lost any of those you gave me.”
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,
struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.
The slave’s name was Malchus.
Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword into its scabbard.
Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus,
bound him, and brought him to Annas first.
He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews
that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus.
Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,
and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.
But Peter stood at the gate outside.
So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,
went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter,
“You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire
that they had made, because it was cold,
and were warming themselves.
Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus
about his disciples and about his doctrine.
Jesus answered him,
“I have spoken publicly to the world.
I have always taught in a synagogue
or in the temple area where all the Jews gather,
and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me?
Ask those who heard me what I said to them.
They know what I said.”
When he had said this,
one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said,
“Is this the way you answer the high priest?”
Jesus answered him,
“If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong;
but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”
Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.
And they said to him,
“You are not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said,
“I am not.”
One of the slaves of the high priest,
a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
Again Peter denied it.
And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.
It was morning.
And they themselves did not enter the praetorium,
in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.
So Pilate came out to them and said,
“What charge do you bring against this man?”
They answered and said to him,
“If he were not a criminal,
we would not have handed him over to you.”
At this, Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.”
The Jews answered him,
“We do not have the right to execute anyone, “
in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled
that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium
and summoned Jesus and said to him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered,
“Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?”
Pilate answered,
“I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?”
Jesus answered,
“My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”
So Pilate said to him,
“Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered,
“You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When he had said this,
he again went out to the Jews and said to them,
“I find no guilt in him.
But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.
Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
They cried out again,
“Not this one but Barabbas!”
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they struck him repeatedly.
Once more Pilate went out and said to them,
“Look, I am bringing him out to you,
so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
So Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, “Behold, the man!”
When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
“Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered,
“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God.”
Now when Pilate heard this statement,
he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
“Where are you from?”
Jesus did not answer him.
So Pilate said to him,
“Do you not speak to me?
Do you not know that I have power to release you
and I have power to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him,
“You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above.
For this reason the one who handed me over to you
has the greater sin.”
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
“If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out
and seated him on the judge’s bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.
And he said to the Jews,
“Behold, your king!”
They cried out,
“Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Shall I crucify your king?”
The chief priests answered,
“We have no king but Caesar.”
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,
he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read,
“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”
Now many of the Jews read this inscription,
because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
“Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’
but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.”
Pilate answered,
“What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier.
They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
“Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:
They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.
And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body.
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes
weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus
and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;
for the tomb was close by.

Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Make palm crosses with the palms from Palm Sunday
**Make Seder plates for the Passover meal on Holy Thursday
**Do coloring sheets of the stations of the cross and hang them in the house on Good Friday
**Make cards to donate to people who are alone on Easter Sunday bringing them joy

-Fun family ideas:
**Dye Easter eggs to represent the new life that comes with the Resurrection
**Clean the house and decorate it with Easter lilies in preparation for Easter
**Volunteer as a family on Holy Thursday to honor the gift of selfless love that Jesus gave us
**Fast from leaven from Thursday to Sunday to represent one last push of removing sin from our lives before Easter
**Have a special dinner on Palm Sunday to open up Holy Week and discuss the week ahead

-Religious traditions:
**Attend Holy Thursday Mass
**Have a Passover Seder on Holy Thursday
**Attend the stations of the cross on Good Friday
**Pray the sorrowful mysteries together during the holy hours on Good Friday
**Attend confession on Monday in preparation for Holy Week
**Remember to fast and abstain on Good Friday

How we celebrated:
We had a bit of a wild Holy Week this year (hence why this post is a bit delayed) because we were in Puerto Rico celebrating Aaron's brother's wedding for part of it. However, we did manage to attend Palm Sunday mass in PR which marked two years since the first time Aaron and I attended mass together. It was a quaint little church and we actually got to walk there which set the tone for Palm Sunday rather nicely I thought. We then attended Holy Thursday mass which was absolutely beautiful!! It is definitely a tradition I want to keep up. After mass, we went to his parents to celebrate the feast of Passover since that is what Holy Thursday honors as well. It was very cool to get to experience both celebrations all together; it really made me feel like I was in the shoes of one of the disciples. I learned so much about Holy Thursday and felt so connected to the reverent ceremony which included incense, oils, and old hymns and had the priest washing the feet of some of the parishioners; it was very powerful and moving. On Friday, I was able to pray the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary during the holy hours and we then attended stations of the cross at the conclusion of holy hours. I felt like we got to do a lot, but next year I hope that the week has a more slow paced reverent tone to it.