Palm Sunday in Egypt this year took a new meaning in light of the suffering and death of the followers of Jesus. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do I need to believe in a man who can perform magic in order to be hopeful about the future?
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We know there is a history-changing triumphant ending only seven days away. Paul taught that if Jesus did not rise from the grave our faith is futile and we should be pitied above all people.
Instead of a crown of gold and precious gems, our Lord will be crowned with thorns that pierce his skin. It goes like this, if we can’t think of a reason, there must not be one.
At the start of the week crowds line the streets shouting “Hosanna!”
After the Jewish leaders failed to get the response they desired from Herod, they brought Jesus back to Pilate.
As part of Maundy Thursday, special holy mass was will be held at churches, where the priest washes and wipes the feet of 12 men, who represent the disciples of Jesus.
“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory”. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
There were so many more stories like that and as this little church went through Hell, they went through it together. As a result, we end up living as though the middle section (i.e., his teachings, miracles, healings, and other kingdom-of-God-has-come indicators) has no inherent significance and salvific import (check out N.T. Wright’s How God Became King).
I want to apologize in advance for missing church this Easter. The desolation is overwhelming.
Other than the Bible, I turned to Google, a resource St Augustine didn’t have, in my attempt to understand how Jesus can be both God and human. As I passed the church, whose doors and windows were open I heard a soloist. It’s all a bit grim, because the ash serves to remind us that we’re all going to die; that our sins should make us feel lousy; and that we’re about to suffer 40 days of abstinence in sympathy with Christ’s suffering of 40 days in the desert and the temptations of Satan. She said from a young age she instilled in them the teachings of the Bible and the importance of Easter.
Truly, as John 3:16 puts it, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life”. We find out all there is to know about the holiday.
Prof. Linda Woodhead of Lancaster University’s Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Religion said the ComRes poll only shows that the people of Britain are evenly divided between the self-professed Christians and those who say they have no religion.
However, by reducing the story of Jesus, a story that calls people to a life of devoted discipleship, to a system of salvation that only asks people to make a decision, we effectively short-circuit the power of the gospel.
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The event is a moving experience for those who watch and follow, but none more than Cantu. One that I reflect on often provides an appropriate backdrop for my Easter article.
