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World at Prayer blog
Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Catholic Motherhood | Holy Thursday | Holy Week
By now, most of us are eager to celebrate Easter. Who else can practically taste the deviled eggs and chocolate bunnies? But before the joy and songs of praise on Resurrection Sunday, we pause to reflect on what makes that fateful Friday “Good” — the day our Lord suffered and died on the Cross. While the events of Good Friday deserve a lifetime of meditation, lately, I’ve been lingering on the day before: Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday. What Does “Maundy” Mean? The term Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning "commandment." It refers to Jesus’ words to His disciples during the Last Supper: “Love one another as I have loved you.” That’s another hard teaching, Lord.
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Holy Thursday | Holy Week | catholic family life
When Covid-19 hit my town, I was two weeks away from delivering my fifth child. Coming home to my other kids, with my husband off work for a short time, I honestly didn’t mind the stay-at-home orders initially. Winter melted away to warm spring air, and the loss of many material things and social isolation still held a feeling of hopefulness — maybe these sacrifices would prove fruitful. Yet amid the confusion and incredible pain so many encountered, we suffered incomparably with the closing of churches. Daily Mass was no longer offered, and Adoration chapels were shuttered. Jesus was hidden in plain sight, though for the first time since my conversion, he wasn’t accessible. There are many stories of people whose access to the Eucharist is limited. Blessed Victoire Rasoamanarivo (1848-1894) lived in Madagascar when the French Missionary priests left due to conflict. She was placed in charge of the faith of a Catholic community of around 21,000 people for three years. Without access to any sacraments, the community endured and became even more grateful for them when the priests finally returned.
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Holy Thursday | Holy Week | disciples
Holy Thursday takes on a whole new dimension of depth and meaning when reflecting on Jesus' Passion from the apostles’ point of view.
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