The Good Friday liturgy reveals to us Christ’s eternal triumph over sin
The Good Friday liturgy can be disorientating, but becomes clearer when we see the passion as Christ’s triumph.
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S.D. Wright
The composure and agony of Christ during Passiontide
This is the Christ who does not have his life taken from him: rather, he lays it down, and he takes it up again.
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The silence of Passiontide and what it means as we prepare for Christ’s death
Just as we veil the statues and images in Passiontide, the silence of Christ seems to veil the movements, sentiments and thoughts which he experienced in his passion.
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Laetare Sunday reminds us that we must grow in love for Holy Mother Church
Laetare Sunday is not a break in the spirit of Lent, but rather its culmination and the ultimate preparation for Passiontide.
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The deep importance of the four presentations of Christ during the Sundays of Lent
Across the Sundays of Lent, we have seen Christ as the warrior in the desert, transfigured and glorified on Mount Tabor, as 'the stronger man' overcoming his enemies, and as the provider of food for his flock. These four presentations of Our Lord across Lent are intended to inspire confidence and admiration for him, amidst the trials of the season and of life itself.
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The hopeful Sundays of Lent are crucial in our preparation for Passiontide – and for our own passions
Observing Lent with rigor does not entail treating it as a sort of homogenous Passiontide. Lent has an atmosphere and spirit which is distinct to that of Passiontide; and the Sundays of Lent have their own spirit again. Neglecting this distinct spirit of Lent might even obscure the spirit of Passiontide for us.
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Septuagesima is the Church calling us to recommit ourselves to another year of labor with Christ
Throughout the whole Septuagesima season, the Church returns again and again to eternal life, considering it as a prize, or as a gift, or as a wage given as a reward for labor.
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Epiphany: Just another feast or the liturgical culmination of our new life in Christ?
'The Church uses the liturgy of this Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle to form us into a force worthy of our King, standing ready for him at his final coming.'
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Christmas: the feast of our triumph in Christ
All this should teach us to see fierce glory in this infant, and tender love in our redeemer, conqueror, king and judge.
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How Advent and the Apocalypse can immunize us against the fear of tyranny
The great desire for the second advent of Christ inculcated in us by the Church’s liturgy should detach us from our worldly city, and direct our hearts towards the true city, the City of God.
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