Podcast (talkin-faith-with-catholic-sis): Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Email | RSS

On Talkin Faith with Catholic Sis: Episode 4 we will be talking about Holy Week.  Here are some notes from the show.

Opening Segment:

· Transition: Palm Sunday kicks off Holy Week, which means we’re getting closer to Easter everybody. Are you ready? Part of how we prepare is decorating with
different symbols of Easter, you know like the Easter egg, a lily, and bunnies.

First Segment: Easter Triduum:

· Intro topic – “If you went to Mass this past weekend, you probably heard
something about “Easter Triduum?” It sounds like it might be a fancy dessert, but
what is it really?
· The word “Triduum” comes form the Latin word “tri” which means three. Easter
Triduum is the three special days of Holy Week that we celebrate together as a
Church. They are Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
· Let’s go through a quick run through of these three holy days.
· Holy Thursday What do we celebrate on this day? We celebrate the Last Supper,
the Institution of the Sacraments of Holy Orders and the Eucharist, as well as the
beginning of Christ’s Passion which begins with His betrayal by His Apostle
Judas. .The Sacrament of Holy orders was instituted when Jesus’
washed the Apostle’s feet in the Upper Room. We remember the washing of the
feet when St. Peter at first didn’t want let Jesus wash His feet, but after Christ
explained, he changed his mind and got over zealous by saying” Lord wash my
head and feet also.” Why did Jesus wash the Apostles feet? To give them an
example of the servitude that they must demonstrate through the priesthood.
Another important sacrament was instituted on Holy Thursday – Holy
Communion through the Last Supper. : This is when Jesus takes
bread and wine, and says that this is His body and His blood. Did you notice that
the gospel reading words are the same as the Eucharistic prayers in Mass? The
Sorrowful Mystery of the Agony in the Garden also took place on Holy Thursday
night. Kent, what are your thoughts about the Agony in the Garden?  Personally, the Agony of the Garden is one of my favourite events of the
Passion, because it is the one that resonates with me the most. (Why you might
ask? It’s because sometimes we struggle to accept God’s will, or even to see it
sometimes, and is comforting to know that Jesus went through the same thing, and
sets a good example for us.)
· Good Friday:  Ah, here we go. Finally, an answer to the age old
million dollar question, why is Good Friday “good” if Jesus died Good Friday is
considered “good” because by Christ’s death, He opened the gates of Heaven and
enabled us to be able to be with Him in heaven for ever, and by dying for us,
Jesus showed us how much He loves every single one of us. What are your
thoughts on that, Kent? These are both good and beautiful things, so even though
the day is sad, we have to remember that Jesus is going to rise again, and that
Good Friday is the day that Jesus showed you and me exactly how much He loved
us – which was an amount far greater than we can ever even imagine. By His
death on the Cross We also know that even if we were the only person on earth,
Jesus would have still suffered every step of the Passion just for you. What an
amazing thought, right?
· Holy Saturday:Holy Saturday would have been a terrible day for
Mary, the Apostles and Jesus’ disciples because they had just witnessed His brutal
murder, and they didn’t know that He was going to rise again. Holy Saturday is
the in between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, until sundown. Why until
sundown? We say sundown because it is then that we celebrate the Easter Vigil
Liturgical celebration. We are celebrating the Resurrection on Easter Eve. In
many parishes, the Vigil Mass goes well past midnight. Kent, have you ever been
to an Easter Vigil service? What are some special things about the vigil that make
it different? (The darkness before the lighting of the Pascal candle, the many
readings, added prayers, Rite of RCIA, incense, etc.)
· So together, the Eater Triduum is made up of three very special days, all with
different events from Holy Week.

Second Segment: The Stations of the Cross in Our Lives

· In our previous segment we were talking about the Holy Triduum, which includes
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Aside from attending the Good
Friday Liturgy, we can also pray the Stations of the Cross as a way of
commemorating the Passion of Christ in a physical way. I love praying the
Stations of the Cross. Sometimes, the Stations of the Cross can seem long and
unrelatable. So tonight, Kent and I are here to help you make the Stations of the
Cross relevant in YOUR life. Kent is going to give us and read the fourteen
stations one at a time, and I am going to share with you what the station can
mean in your daily life.
The 1st Station: Jesus is condemned to death: Sometimes we have to do things that we
don’t want to do, or are scared to do.
The 2nd Station: Jesus carries his cross: We all have to do things that we don’t want to,
but it is important to remember that it is all part of God’s plan for us.
The 3rd Station: Jesus falls the first time: We all fall down sometimes; this is God’s
way of showing us that it is important not to be prideful.
The 4th Station: Jesus meets his mother: We are given family and friends who love us
in order to help us along our life’s journey.
The 5th Station: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross: When things get really
difficult, it is okay to ask someone for help.
The 6th Station: Veronica wipes the face of Jesus: It is important to say thank you
when someone does something nice for us.
The 7th Station: Jesus falls the second time: Even if we fall down again, we have to
keep getting up again.
The 8th Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem: Others care about us and our
problems; we should do the same for them.
The 9th Station: Jesus falls the third time: It sometimes seems like we just can’t go on
anymore, but with God’s help – we can.
The 10th Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments: Sometimes we have to give up
earthly things in order to draw closer to Christ.
The 11th Station: Jesus is nailed to the cross: Our sins helped to nail Jesus to the cross;
we should avoid sin, and ask God’s forgiveness when we do.
The 12th Station: Jesus dies on the cross: Jesus loves us more than we can ever imagine
and He would have died just for any one of us, even if we were the only person on earth.
The 13th Station: Jesus is taken down from the cross: Jesus still loves us, no matter
what.
The 14th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb: Sometimes we have to be alone in order to
hear God speak, and to serve God in the way He wants us to

Second Segment: 6 Tips for Godly Dating:

· Intro topic – “If you went to Mass this past weekend, you probably heard
something about “Easter Triduum?” It sounds like it might be a fancy dessert, but
what is it really? Kent, I’m sure you’re familiar with it? Empty Tomb: Shows us
that Christ has risen, and that there is hope for life after death.
· The Cross: Is a reminder that out of love, Christ died for us. .
· Lilies: Purity and new life in the spring time. Tradition teaches us that they grew
in the garden of Gethsemane after the Agony of Christ.
· Easter Eggs: New life from a seemingly lifeless outer appearance. Eggs represent
the empty tomb when a baby chick pecks its way out of the shell.
Speaking of Easter eggs, it’s just about time to start decorating them, right Kent?
When do you and your family usually color eggs?
· Rabbits: Why are rabbits as symbol of Easter anyways? Because they are
actually one of the fastest reproducing animals on the planet, and help to show us
the quick spread of new life possible after Christ’s Resurrection.
· What are some special Easter colors? We usually consider gold, white, purple,
and green to be some Easter colors. Do you have any thoughts on why that might
be? Green is a symbol of new life, gold is a glorious color just like the
Resurrection, white is the color of purity, just like the Lamb who was slain and
the Easter lilies, and finally purple reminds us of the Passion which led to the
Resurrection.

Closing Segment:

· Thank you to everyone who watched.
· Make sure you join us next week when we continue to Talk Faith with Catholic
Sis
· If you have questions through out the week, make sure you send them to me either
via email or Twitter using the hash tag #askcatholicsis, and who knows, they
might be on next week’s show?