3. The Daily Soul
As Lent concludes with a focus on Palm Sunday and without the ability to attend Liturgy or Mass, our preparation for the greatest week for Christians, Holy Week, will be different. We ask for joy in our hearts as we shout Hosanna, welcoming Jesus our King with palms, celebrating all that we hope for as the Easter story unfolds.
In the week to come, what we are assured of is that Jesus is with us always, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be within our deepest being, our Soul.
This Easter we will still speak with him again in prayer and discover his powerful presence there. We will prepare for and follow the celebrations. We will focus, in this edition, on ways to pray Palm Sunday, the Passion, the Death and the Joyful Resurrection of the Christ!
Although many of us can’t receive Jesus sacramentally at this time, we can still make an act of spiritual communion every day. Saints often did this when they couldn’t receive the Eucharist at Mass, and doing so was an essential part of life for them in drawing closer to God. The ultimate goal of our lives should always be communion with God, no matter what the circumstances look like.
Here are a few suggestions as we approach the weekend.
A Prayer for Spiritual Communion
The Divine Mercy Chaplet
Like the Rosary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet is a devotional prayer used by many Catholics. It may be said at any time, but it is recited especially on Divine Mercy Sunday and Fridays at 3:00 PM.
This Friday join Wildfire as we sing our way through the Divine Mercy Chaplet and incorporate your prayer intentions from this week's submissions. In keeping with practice around the world you may even wish to schedule your prayer for 3pm.
Palm Sunday
God’s Word tells us the people cut palm branches, waved them in the air and laid them out on the ground before Jesus rode into the city. The palm branch represented goodness, well-being and victory and was symbolic of the final victory He would soon fulfill over death. Again, at the end of the Bible, people of every nation raised palm branches to honor Jesus. Scripture tells us, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9)
Making Palm Crosses - a hand's on activity
Thanks to the staff at Xavier Catholic College, Ballina.
Below is an English translation of Pope Francis’ address for the 35th World Youth Day 2020, which is celebrated at the diocesan level all over the world on April 5, Palm Sunday, on the theme: “Young man, I say to you, arise!” (Lk 7:14)
The blessing of collaboration has come to the fore in 2020, as at all levels of the system, people of integrity seek the success of their colleagues. This Holy Week Meditation has been shared with us from our friend Angelo Belmonte at the Bathurst Catholic Schools Office. It is a series of prayers and video reflections that can be prayed individually or in a group as an overview of Holy Week, or on each of Palm Sunday and the Triduum respectively.
Click the image above to submit your prayer intentions.
Stay in touch through social media.
Proclaim Lismore Staff