Meditation for Passion Sunday

This is the meditation for the 5th Sunday in Lent - the liturgical designation for March 21 - 27, 2010. It was created last year, and is the last of the "reruns" of these meditations, as New meditations will begin once again with the Palm Sunday video next Sunday!

Passiontide arrives Sunday

Passiontide is the name given to the last two weeks of Lent - from Passion Sunday to Holy Saturday. It gets its name from the fact that the Passion of Our Lord is naturally predominant during this time in the Church's thought and focus.

Crucifixes and crosses in the church are veiled in purple throughout Passiontide. The only exceptions to this are the crosses on the Stations of the Cross and the votive candle stand.

Veiling/covering is a sign of mourning, and the spirit of the Passiontide veiling hopefully encourages us to draw our attention from everything but Christ and His suffering. In short, the Church calls us to "consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners." (Hebrews 12:3)

The veiling is also a very powerful symbol of the hiding of our Lord's glory throughout His earthly life, and especially during His bitter passion.

Parishioners are encouraged to set aside this time for Christ, and to ensure the clearing of our calendars of things temporal, so that we can focus more fully on things spiritual, through prayer, worship, study of Holy Scripture.

Music (MP3) worth considering

Music for Passiontide and Easter

Today's Saint (Mar 18): Cyril

Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, (C. 315-386) is best known for remaining steadfast in the faith in the face of the Arian heresy of his time, which denied the divinity of Christ. 


He was often persecuted and even banished from his Jerusalem see for his beliefs; however, nothing dissuaded him from preaching Christ fully divine and fully man.


We thank God for members of Christ's body who have boldly stood up for the Faith, no matter the cost to them personally, so that the Church of future generations would know the only true God, and Jesus Christ. 

The Day's Propers

Catholic Encyclopedia Article

Book Worth Considering

St. Cyril of Jerusalem's Lectures on the Christian Sacraments: The Procatechesis and the Five Mystagogical Catecheses

Meditation for the 4th Sunday in Lent

This is the meditation for the 4th (Rose) Sunday in Lent for 2009. New meditations will begin once again in two weeks... on Palm Sunday (March 28).

Book Worth Considering

Devotions for Lent (Holy Bible: Mosaic)

Things to do During Lent

Here's a meditation for Sunday's mass propers... for the 3rd Sunday in Lent. (New weekly meditations will begin anew on Palm Sunday)

This Week's Questions for the Daily Office

Here's the link for the PDF for this week's questions on the daily office readings of Morning and Evening Prayer.

Today's Lessons - Thursday in 2 Lent

Morning Prayer

Genesis 29:1-13, 18-20 Jacob journeys to Laban's land, meets and falls in love with Rachel, agrees to stay with Laban for 7 years for Rachel's hand, and time flies by.

1 Corinthians 7:1-17 - Paul speaks of the relationship of man and woman, husband and wife.

Evening Prayer

Jeremiah 5:20-31 - Prophetic proclamations against a revolting and rebelilous heart, fake prophets and devious priests and people who "love to have it so."

John 11:17-27 - Jesus, Mary, Martha and the raising of Lazarus.