What is Holy Tuesday? This week is Holy Week – a major worship-filled week for Christians. What a week to create space in our lives, calendars and time to come humbly and mindfully before God who gave us all – life, love, and grace. We start the week together waving palms, honoring Jesus as King. We eat together on Thursday beholding Jesus as the bread and wine. We cry together in the dark sanctuary on Friday evening, remembering the cruxificion. We rejoice together on Sunday receiving the gift of everlasting life from the One who defeated death forever. As this post goes live, it is Tuesday. What is Holy Tuesday? Holy Tuesday The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us that on Monday Jesus cleanses the temple of the money changers, curses the fig tree, and weeps ever Jerusalem. On Tuesday, all four Gospels relate that Jesus finds the fig tree withered and talks about faith. What Does Holy Tuesday Teach Us? As I paused on this way through this sacred time, I … [Read more...]
Ash Wednesday and Lenten Fasting
Ash Wednesday begins this week, marking the first day of Lent as we turn our hearts and minds toward Good Friday. Then we can celebrate Jesus's resurrection on Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday On Ash Wednesday, many churches hold a special worship service where the people are blessed with ashes, typically marking their foreheads with the sign of the cross. The blessing typically comes with a reminder that we all come from ashes, and to ashes, we all will return. The marking of the forehead has been a known custom since Pope Gregory the Great in 604. It has been said to have a twofold purpose, one being the ashes were marked for humility and mortality and then also for sorrow and repentance. In the 12th century, the rule developed that the ashes were to be created by burning palm branches from the previous Palm Sunday. Many parishes today invite parishioners to bring such palms to church before Lent begins and have a ritual burning of the palms after Mass. The custom of … [Read more...]
Here It Comes Again – Lent Will Soon Be Here
Lent is just around the corner. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten Season and in 2019 will be March 6. How about some quick facts about Lent? First, what is Lent? It’s not the fibers in your dryer…that’s “lint.” Lent is the 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays. The word comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “lencten” meaning spring. The symbolism of 40 days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing for his ministry and being tempted by Satan. I like the sound of spring but hesitate at the temptation and wilderness portion. LOL Purple is typically associated with Lent, suggesting repentance and solemnity. Purple, as all colors, is full of symbolism. Its deep dark richness invites us to slow down and consider the sacrifices Jesus did for us. In most Christian denominations, Lent starts with Ash Wednesday, which is derived from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance to God. The ashes are … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas
May this day bring you closer to God and you hear him in new ways. … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas and a Free Gift too!
Merry Christmas! I am a few days early but plan to take off next week - will post again in January, so wishing you a wonderful, blessed Christmas. And I have a free gift for you too! Did you know this is the 200 anniversary of the beloved Christmas carol - Silent Night? I compiled the story behind this hymn, plus other interesting information about it into a free gift PDF for you. I hope it blesses your holiday. Merry Christmas! Click here to get your gift PS. Here are a few of past posts about Christmas if you want to read them: Christmas Ornaments Christmas Traditions Christmas Morning Christmas Shepherds … [Read more...]
Advent – 10 Inspirational Quotes
Advent begins the end of this month and is a great time to pause and ponder all that God has given us. If you are looking for more information about Advent download my free Advent Resource Guide here. Or perhaps you may enjoy exploring some of the past posts I have written about this season: What is Advent and Why is it Important 15 Inspirational Quotes about Advent Mary and Elizabeth - a Lesson about Advent Is Your Advent Full with Stuff in your Hands or a Heart Stuffed with Joy? My gift to you this week is 10 inspirational quotes about Advent that I haven't shared before here on Healthy Spirituality. Take one into your prayer, journaling, and time with God. May the words bless your Advent season. “For outlandish creatures like us, on our way to a heart, a brain, and courage, Bethlehem is not the end of our journey but only the beginning - not home but the place through which we must pass if ever we are to reach home at last.” ― Frederick Buechner, The … [Read more...]
Ever Hear of Easter Monday?
Easter Monday? I read about this designated day three times yesterday; each time realizing I never thought about the Monday after Easter being anything special. Have you ever focused on Easter Monday? With the "big event" featured on Sunday – He is risen! – Monday seems a letdown, a back to work routine, a ho-hum-who-cares type of day. But after seeing Easter Monday referred to multiply times – duh, a spiritual 2x4 wake-up call – I figure I ought to find out more about this day. And what I discovered sure was interesting! I am beginning to appreciate the spiritual practice of being curious and asking questions to explore different points of view. Easter Monday Easter Monday is an official holiday in many countries such as England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. It is also observed as a public holiday in dozens of other countries around the world, including Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Uganda, and Belize, for example. Easter Monday, also known as Bright or Renewal Monday, Wet … [Read more...]
Creating a Lenten Sacred Space at Home
A few years ago, I created a sacred space, a home altar, near the chair where I pray. I wrote about it on a blog post called "3 Steps for Creating a Sacred Space at Home." Last week I read this article called "Creating a Lenten Prayer Space at Home" and was inspired to rearrange my home sacred space to help create a prayer filled environment for the special season of Lent that begins tomorrow. Items in a Lenten Sacred Space Mark 15:16-20 I found a purple cloth for my altar. Purple is the color of Lent. Black used to be the color associated with Lent since purple dye was so expensive to reproduce. Purple emerged as the color of royalty. We are remembering Jesus is our King and Savior. Purple now represents mourning as we ponder the sacrifice of Christ. “The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began … [Read more...]