Maundy Thursday

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Wednesday of Holy Week

Today's Collect

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy Week

Robert Webber writes,

The season of Lent officially ends on the Thursday evening of Holy Week. Thursday evening begins what the ancient church called the Triduum, or the three great days. These are the days in which we mark the final events of Jesus’ life. On Thursday night Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, washed the feet of his disciples, spoke the new commandment of love, and was arrested. The service that remembers this event is called Maunday (new) Thursday.

Friday is the day on which Christ was crucified. Today his death is remembered with a number of services such as the Seven Last Words and the Veneration of the Cross. On Saturday during the day, the Lord’s body rests in repose.

The three great days end with the Great Paschal Vigil, a Saturday night service of fire, Scripture readings, baptism, and the resurrection Eucharist. Lent and the three great days are over. Christ is risen.

Alleluia!

Let us take time to set aside this week as Holy. To finish lent continuing to “put off” those things that have impeded our steps to Christ and look with expectation to the Pachal Triduum where we will remember Him who has given us new life.

Today’s Collect

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. -BCP

Palm Sunday

History

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. Adam Goodhart was interviewed today on NPR talking about his book 1861. Interestingly enough, as the title indicates, it is only about the first year of the war. He stated that this was to leave the reader with a sense of uncertainty and expectation that was felt during that first year.

"When we think about the Civil War today, we see the entire arch of the struggle — sort of a great epic struggle — ending, of course, with the martyrdom of Abraham Lincoln," he says. "But by taking the one particular moment when everything was uncertain — when everything seemed to change overnight — I wanted to recover that sense ... of not knowing what's going to come next. And people didn't know in 1861 what was going to come next."

We should remember the time when our nation was fragmented and be glad that it has, through blood, been reunited for the greater good.

Kýrie, Eléison

Lenten Prayer

O Lord and Master of my life!

Take from me the spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power and idle talk.

But give me rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King!

Grant me to see my own errors and not to judge my brother; for thou

art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen. - St. Ephrem the Syrian