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Jesus had been run back and forth between Caiaphas', Pilate's and Herod's places; tortured, and nailed to a cross on Golgotha. ( Matthew 26:47 - 27:2 ; Mark 14:53 - 15:41 ; Luke 22:66 - 23:49 ) No question about it. He was having a really bad day. No, that's not quite true. There have been alternative versions run up the flagpole.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Jesus had been having a really bad day. But before he died, he made a promise. I talk about that, and the best news humanity has ever had.)

I was a Christian long before I became a Catholic Christian , and that's another topic. Topics. The point is, I've been trying to follow Jesus ever since I was a child. Somewhere along the line, I started noticing a disconnect between what I occasionally saw in religious art and the Jesus I was reading about in the Bible. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

It's the start of Holy Week, almost the end of Lent.... ...Jesus was top of the charts, wildly popular. Grass roots opinion, apparently, was that they finally had their messianic king.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

The Agony in the Garedn El Greco [ Web Gallery of Art] The First Sorrowful Mystery of the Rosary Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) First Reading   Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada)     See, my servant shall prosper;      he shall be exalted and lifted up,      and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him      —so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,      and his form beyond that of mortals— so he shall startle many nations;      kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see,      and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. Who has believed what we have heard?      And to whom has the arm of the  Lord  been revealed? For he grew up before him

We relive events from Maundy Thursday to Easter Sunday in close to real time. Our Lord was arrested Thursday night. The Sanhedrin, Pilate and Herod had questioned Jesus by Friday morning.... ...By Friday evening, Jesus was dead.... (More at A Catholic Citizen in America )

Our Lord's triumphal entry into Jerusalem was like a ticker tape parade. The original one, in 1886, an impromptu celebration. Jesus had grassroots support that few celebrities or politicos achieve. Our Lord could have written his own ticket. All he had to do was keep that enthusiasm going. (More at A Catholic Citizen in America )

Great griefs are like great joys: they bend time. My sister died twenty years ago. Sometimes it seems so long ago that mercifully, I can barely remember the details. Other times, those details rush back at me so sharply I have to steel myself for impact. Suicide does that. I can smile now at the memory of my sister. I felt disloyal the first time I did that, as though permanent grief could be the only fitting monument to her memory. Time, mercy, and God’s grace have done their work, bit by bit. For the first time since her death, I am writing about her and about losing her. This is an anniversary, and the time is right. For years, I thought she had taken Easter away with her and left nothing behind but wreckage. Gradually I found that she left me other things: a greater appreciation for the gift of my family, and how to live with gratitude despite wounds that are bone-deep. Those aren’t compensations. They don’t cancel out anything. They are gifts nonetheless. I extend my hand

What had happened to my life and how had things turned so quickly? We had renewed our vows on Valentine's Day, and it seemed, even to me, that we lived the perfect life. We had four beautiful little boys and another child on the way. Our large home had been built, much of it by our own hands, in an upscale neighborhood. Yes, it needed a lot of work, but we were looking forward to making it "perfect" together over the years. Friends and family were welcome and visited often. Laughter was a constant companion in days filled with sunshine. Challenges and darkness had risen ugly heads in the past, but they seemed to have faded and finally been replaced by a deeper Love, a Love that comes only from choosing to face hard times with maturity, Trust, and sheer stubbornness, the refusal to succumb to defeat. To read the rest of the post and see how abandonment can be a gift from God, please join me at SingleMomSmiling.com Happy Easter & God Bless...

Today I take one last stroll through "Prayerful Thoughts of St. Ignatius of Loyola," this time searching for wisdom in the face of my friends' deep suffering. ©Rick Schroeppel/Getty Images Please join me in prayer at Praying with Grace .

He grew up like a sapling… like a shoot from the parched earth; there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him... Behold the Way, the Truth, the Life!  BELIEVE . >> Click Here to Read More at: The Way to Nourish for Life >>

From   The Gospel of John   (2003) directed by Philip Saville Gospel of the Mass during the Day,  John 20:1-9 The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night The Easter Vigil is not an 'anticipated Mass'. It stands on its own and is the most important liturgical celebration of the whole year. One may fulfil one's Sunday obligation by attending either the Easter Vigil or the Mass during the Day. One may also receive Holy Communion at both The Resurrection of Christ , Rembrandt, c.1639 At the Mass during the Day     Gospel   John 20:1-9  Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.   So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”   Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.   The two were runn

(From Tintoretto, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) (Detail from Tintorett's "Crucifixion.") Nailed to a cross after a night and day of torture and humiliation, Jesus was "raised high and greatly and greatly exalted ... so marred was his look beyond that of man." " 3 See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. " Even as many were amazed at him - so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals - " So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it. " ( Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12 ) Today's readings start with the prophet Isaiah's words, and end on a gloomy note.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

What is the  first  thing that comes to mind when you think of   LOVE ? A chubby baby dressed as a Greek god for Halloween? Sappy pictures of hands joined together? A red rose? A box of favorite chocolates? Let's go a bit deeper, shall we?   Relationships .  Cuddly feelings?   Smiles? Are these really great examples (or even, for goodness' sake,  realistic ) examples of true love?  (By the way, I never  really  understood the whole last part of  The Princess Bride  where they rated the kisses ~ what kind of job would that be to do such a thing?  It would stink.) But, it seems as if society has  twisted  the definition of true  love. One of the definitions for "love" on dictionary.com is   " a   feeling   of   warm   personal   attachment   or   deep   affection".  If love becomes reduced to a happy emotion, it quickly   deteriorates   and loses its value.  "Love is not affectionate feeling, but a s