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Claire’s Corner “Oma's Traditional Goulash Soup”
· Today in honor of the Holy Trinity do the Divine Office giving your day to God. To honor God REST: no shopping after 6 pm Saturday till Monday. Don’t forget the internet.
· Arizona Renaissance Festival February 1-March 30-last day
· Spirit hour: Joseph Filipi Wine makers of sacramental wine
· Spirit Hour: 10 Most Popular Cocktails in March
· 30 Days with St. Joseph Day 10-Most Chase
· Bucket List trip: Orval Abbey, Belgium
· Bucket Item trip: Chatsworth England
· Never Out of Season Sunday Dinner
· Endometriosis Awareness Month
Claire’s 70 Degree World Tour
🇮🇱 Week 13 — Galilee, Israel
“The Light That Follows Stillness”
March 29 – April 4, 2026 (Holy Week)
Base: Tiberias — 70°F Days, Gospel Landscapes, Quiet Pilgrimage
Retirement Budget Edition
Why Galilee?
Because in late March it sits right at 68–72°F, the exact sweet spot of your world tour.
Because Holy Week belongs in the land where the stories happened.
Because after Cyprus’ “storm → stillness,” Galilee gives you “stillness → revelation.”
🌅 Overview
Late March in Galilee is warm, calm, and luminous.
The Sea of Galilee sits in a bowl of hills that catch the morning light and soften the evenings. It is the perfect climate for Holy Week: gentle, walkable, contemplative.
Theme:
Reverence, readiness, and the courage to walk beside Christ as He enters His hour.
📅 Daily Outline (Retirement‑Friendly)
📌 Mar 29 — Palm Sunday (68–72°F, Sunny)
Mass: St. Peter’s Church, Tiberias
Visit: Lakeside promenade
Symbolic Act: Receiving the King — hold your palm branch over the water
Fun: Gelato + lakeside cafés (budget friendly)
📌 Mar 30 — Monday of Holy Week (70°F, Clear)
Visit: Mount of Beatitudes (bus from Tiberias)
Walk: Downhill path toward Tabgha
Mass: Church of the Multiplication
Symbolic Act: The Fragrance of Devotion — pray where Mary anointed Jesus
Fun: Picnic lunch overlooking the lake
📌 Mar 31 — Tuesday of Holy Week (70°F, Light Breeze)
Visit: Capernaum (low‑cost entry)
Walk: Shoreline between Capernaum and Tabgha
Mass: St. Peter’s Primacy
Symbolic Act: The Face Set Toward Jerusalem — pray where Jesus restored Peter
Fun: Simple fish lunch (St. Peter’s fish, $12–$15)
📌 Apr 1 — Wednesday of Holy Week (69°F, Calm)
Visit: Magdala (indoor archaeological center)
Walk: Quiet lakeside path
Mass: Duc in Altum Chapel
Symbolic Act: The Hint of Purgatory — purification before the Triduum
Fun: Tea + pastry at the Magdala café ($5–$7)
📌 Apr 2 — Holy Thursday (70°F, Clear)
Visit: Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (budget group boat)
Mass: Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper — St. Peter’s
Symbolic Act: The Mandatum — Learning to Kneel
Fun: Night walk along the water
📌 Apr 3 — Good Friday (68°F, Overcast Morning → Clear)
Visit: Via Dolorosa (Jerusalem day trip by bus)
Mass: Good Friday Passion Liturgy — Holy Sepulchre
Symbolic Act: Behold the Wood of the Cross
Fun: Silent walk through the Old City
📌 Apr 4 — Holy Saturday (70°F, Gentle Light)
Visit: Garden Tomb or Mount of Olives (quiet morning)
Mass: Easter Vigil (optional) — St. Peter’s or Jerusalem
Symbolic Act: Waiting in the Tomb
Fun: Simple dinner + early night
💰 Cost Snapshot (Retirement Budget)
Lodging (6 nights): $360–$480
Meals (7 days): $210–$260
Transport (local + Jerusalem day trip): $60–$120
Tickets/Activities: $40–$80
Flights/Transfers: $60–$120
➡️ Total: ~$730–$1,040
A Holy Week under $1,100 in the land of the Gospels — with 70‑degree weather and deep spiritual clarity.
MARCH 29 Palm Sunday
Psalm 22, verse 24-26
You who FEAR the LORD, give praise! All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel! For he has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out. I will offer praise in the great assembly; my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.
This whole psalm is a lament unusual in structure and in intensity of feeling. The psalmist’s present distress is contrasted with God’s past mercy while enemies surround him. Yet, he wants to praise God while in the midst of suffering, he cries out a universal chorus of praise. This Psalm is important in the New Testament. Its opening words occur on the lips of the crucified Jesus, and several other verses are quoted, or at least alluded to, in the accounts of Jesus’ passion. I wonder if John the Baptist also prayed this psalm to strengthen himself before his own passion. Remember warriors of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we too shall be confronted with our own passions in this life; when this happens; come to this psalm and sing it in your heart as did John and Jesus before entering the fray. Then if the Lord carries us through this battle let us “Offer praise in the great assembly” and thanksgiving recounting to the other worshipers the favor received from God and invite them to share in the sacrificial banquet.
Copilot’s Take
🌿 Palm Sunday — Psalm 22 and the Courage to Enter the Fray
Psalm 22 stands at the threshold of Holy Week like a doorway only the brave will walk through. Its cry of abandonment and its surge of praise are not contradictions but the very terrain of spiritual combat the Catechism describes: the human heart caught between fear and trust, temptation and fidelity, suffering and hope. “You who fear the Lord, give praise” is not a call to terror but to the holy fear that clears the heart of illusions and prepares it for battle. Jesus prayed this psalm on the Cross; the Church has always believed that John the Baptist, facing his own passion, drew strength from the same words. Warriors of Christ do the same. When your own passions rise—fear, anger, confusion, the pressure of the world, the whisper of the enemy—enter this psalm and let its lament become your shield. God does not spurn the misery of the poor wretch; He bends low, hears the cry, and strengthens the soul to stand. And when the Lord carries you through the trial, fulfill your vows before the assembly: speak of His rescue, offer thanksgiving, and invite others to the sacrificial banquet. In this way, Palm Sunday becomes training for the deeper purification ahead—on the Cross, in the heart, and even beyond this life where love completes what suffering began.
ON KEEPING THE LORD'S DAY HOLY[1]
DIES ECCLESIAE
The Eucharistic Assembly:
Heart of Sunday
The
presence of the Risen Lord
31. "I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). This promise of Christ never ceases to resound in the Church as the fertile secret of her life and the wellspring of her hope. As the day of Resurrection, Sunday is not only the remembrance of a past event: it is a celebration of the living presence of the Risen Lord in the midst of his own people.
For
this presence to be properly proclaimed and lived, it is not enough that the
disciples of Christ pray individually and commemorate the death and
Resurrection of Christ inwardly, in the secrecy of their hearts. Those who have
received the grace of baptism are not saved as individuals alone, but as
members of the Mystical Body, having become part of the People of God.(38) It
is important therefore that they come together to express fully the very
identity of the Church, the ekklesia, the assembly called together by
the Risen Lord who offered his life "to reunite the scattered children of
God" (Jn 11:52). They have become "one" in Christ (cf. Gal
3:28) through the gift of the Spirit. This unity becomes visible when
Christians gather together: it is then that they come to know vividly and to
testify to the world that they are the people redeemed, drawn "from every
tribe and language and people and nation" (Rev 5:9). The assembly
of Christ's disciples embodies from age to age the image of the first Christian
community which Luke gives as an example in the Acts of the Apostles, when he
recounts that the first baptized believers "devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers" (2:42).
Five ways to make Holy Week more holy.
1.
Find one hour this Holy Week to dedicate to pray
2.
Keep your phone in a drawer for the Triduum.
3.
Make one significant act of almsgiving.
4.
Make peace with your neighbor.
5.
Go to confession.
Palm Sunday[2]
Christ's triumphant entrance into Jerusalem and the account of His Passion according to St. Matthew.
Why is this day called Palm Sunday?
1. In memory of the triumphant entry of Jesus into
Jerusalem, when He was received by the devout people with palms.
2. Because the Church to-day blesses palms, with which
a solemn procession is held.
Why are the palms blessed?
1. To protect in body and soul
those who carry them with devotion.
2. To bless the dwellings into
which the palms are brought.
3. To bring before us how God, by the entrance into Jerusalem with palms, has represented the victory of Jesus over the prince of darkness.
In the Introit of to-day s Mass the Church reminds us
of the sufferings of Our Savior, and says: O Lord, remove not Thy help to a
distance from me, look towards my defense, save me from the lion’s mouth, and
my lowness from the horn of the unicorn. O God, rny God, look upon me; why hast
Thou forsaken me? far from my salvation are the words of my sin. (Ps. xxi.)
Prayer.
O almighty and eternal God, Who wouldst have Our
Savior take flesh and undergo the cross, for man to imitate the example of His
humility, grant, we beseech Thee, that we may both deserve the instruction of
His patience and the fellowship of His resurrection.
EPISTLE. Phil. ii.
5-11.
Brethren: Let
this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but emptied Himself, taking
the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as
a man. He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of
the cross. For which cause God also hath exalted Him, and hath given Him a name
which is above all names: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of
those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. And that every tongue
should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
Instead of the gospel the passion of Our Lord, taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew (xxvi., xxvii.), is read during the Mass. At the words, Bowing His head, He gave up the ghost, the priest and congregation kneel and meditate for a short time on the mysterious event of the accomplishment of our redemption. At the blessing of the palms the following gospel is said:
GOSPEL. Matt. xxi.
1-9.
At that time:
When Jesus drew nigh to Jerusalem, and was come to Bethphage, unto Mount
Olivet: then He sent two disciples, saying to them: Go ye into the village that
is over against you, and immediately ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with
her: loose them, and bring them to Me: and if any man shall say anything to
you, say ye that the Lord hath need of them, and forthwith he will let them go.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, saying: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, behold thy King cometh to thee,
meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of her that is used to the
yoke. And the disciples going, did as Jesus commanded them. And they brought
the ass and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and made Him sit
thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: and
others cut boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way: and the
multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna to the
Son of David! blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Why did Jesus enter with so much solemnity into
Jerusalem?
To
present Himself as the promised Messiah and King of the Jews, whose triumphant
entry into Jerusalem the prophet Zachary had predicted.
Why did the people go to meet Jesus with palms in
their hands?
It was done by a divine inspiration, to show that Jesus, as the victor over death, Satan, and hell, would gain for us the palm of peace with God, our neighbor, and ourselves, and that He would open to us the heavenly Jerusalem. And yet these same people, five days later, desired His death, crying out, Crucify Him! Learn, therefore, to confide in God alone, and not in man; for he who is with you to-day may be against you tomorrow.
Be cautious, therefore, and watchful, lest, imitating the changeableness of the people, you at Easter receive your Savior with joy, and then after a little by new sins crucify Him again (Heb. vi. 6).
THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS
CHRIST
According to Matt. xxvi. and xxvii.
At that time
Jesus said to His disciples: You know that after two days shall be the Pasch,
and the Son of man shall be delivered up to be crucified. Then were gathered
together the chief priests and ancients of the people into the court of the
high priest, who was called Caiphas: and they consulted together, that by
subtilty they might apprehend Jesus and put Him to death. But they said: Not on
the festival-day, lest perhaps there should be a tumult among the people. And
when Jesus was in Bethania, in the house of Simon the leper, there came to Him
a woman having an alabaster box of precious ointment, and poured it on His head
as He was at table. And the disciples seeing it, had indignation, saying:
To what
purpose is this waste?
for
this might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. And Jesus,
knowing it, said to them:
Why do you
trouble this woman?
For
she hath wrought a good work upon Me. For the poor you have always with you:
but Me you have not always. For she, in pouring this ointment upon My body,
hath done it for My burial. Amen I say to you, wheresoever this gospel shall be
preached in the whole world, that also which she hath done shall be told for a
memory of her. Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to
the chief priests. And said to them:
What will you
give me, and I will deliver Him unto you?
But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver. And from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray Him. And on the first day of the Azymes the disciples came to Jesus, saying:
Where wilt
Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the Pasch?
But
Jesus said: Go ye into the city to a certain man, and say to him: The Master
saith: My time is near at hand, with thee I make the Pasch with My disciples.
And the disciples did as Jesus appointed to them, and they prepared the Pasch.
But when it was evening, He sat down with His twelve disciples. And whilst they
were eating, He said: Amen I say to you, that one of you is about to betray Me.
And they being very much troubled, began everyone to say:
Is it I, Lord?
But
He is answering, said: He that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, he shall
betray Me. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of Him: but wo to that
man by whom the Son of man shall be betrayed: it were better for him if that
man had not been born. And Judas that betrayed Him, answering, said:
Is it I,
Rabbi?
He saith to him: Thou hast said it. And whilst they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke: and gave to His disciples, and said: Take ye and eat this is My body. And taking the chalice He gave thanks: and gave to them, saying: Drink ye all of this. For this is My blood of the New Testament, which shall be shed for many unto remission of sins. And I say to you I will not drink from henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you in the kingdom of My Father. And a hymn being said, they went out unto Mount Olivet. Then Jesus saith to them: All you shall be scandalized in Me this night. For it is written I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed. But after I shall be risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. And Peter answering, said to Him: Although all shall be scandalized in Thee, I will never be scandalized. Jesus said to him: Amen I say to thee, that in this night before the cock crow, thou wilt deny Me thrice. Peter saith to Him: Yea, though I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee. And in like manner said all the disciples. Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemane, and He said to His disciples: Sit you here, till I go yonder and pray. And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then He saith to them: My soul is sorrowful even unto death: stay you here and watch with Me. And going a little further, He fell upon His face, praying and saying: My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. And He cometh to His disciples, and findeth them asleep, and He saith to Peter:
What! could
you not watch one hour with Me?
Watch
ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh weak. Again, the second time He went and prayed, saying: My
Father, if this chalice may not pass away, but I must drink it. Thy will be
done. And He cometh again, and findeth them sleeping for their eyes were heavy.
And leaving them, He went again: and He prayed the third time, saying the
self-same word. Then He cometh to His disciples and saith to them: Sleep ye now
and take your rest: behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man shall be
betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go behold he is at hand that
will betray Me. As He yet spoke, behold Judas, one of the twelve, came, and
with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests
and the ancients of the people. And he that betrayed Him gave them a sign,
saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is He, hold Him fast. And forthwith
coming to Jesus, he said: Hail, Rabbi. And he kissed Him. And Jesus said to
him:
Friend,
whereto art thou come?
Then
they came up and laid hands on Jesus, and held Him. And behold one of them that
were with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew out his sword, and striking
the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus saith to him: Put
up again thy sword into its place: for all that take the sword shall perish
with the sword.
Thinkest thou
that I cannot ask My Father, and He will give Me presently more than twelve
legions of angels? How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that so it must
be done?
In
that same hour Jesus said to the multitude: You are come out as it were to a
robber with swords and clubs to apprehend Me. I sat daily with you teaching in
the Temple, and you laid not hands on Me. Now all this was done, that the
Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples all leaving
Him, fled. But they holding Jesus led Him to Caiaphas the high priest, where
the scribes and the ancients were assembled. And Peter followed Him afar off,
even to the court of the high priest. And going in he sat with the servants,
that he might see the end. And the chief priests and the whole council sought
false witness against Jesus that they might put Him to death: and they found
not, whereas many false witnesses had come in. And last of all there came two
false witnesses, and they said: This man saith, I am able to destroy the temple
of God, and after three days to rebuild it. And the high priest rising up, said
to Him:
Answereth Thou nothing to the things which these witness against Thee?
But
Jesus held His peace. And the high priest said to Him: I adjure Thee by the
living God, that Thou tell us if Thou be the Christ the Son of God. Jesus saith
to him: Thou hast said it; nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you shall see
the Son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the
clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent his garments, saying:
He hath
blasphemed: what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now you have heard
the blasphemy: what think you?
But
they answering, said: He is guilty of death. Then did they spit in His face,
and buffeted Him, and others struck His face with the palms of their hands,
saying:
Prophesy unto
us, O Christ, who is he that struck Thee?
But
Peter sat without in the court: and there came to him a servant maid, saying:
Thou also wast with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied before them all, saying I
know not what thou sayest. And as he went out of the gate another maid saw him,
and she sayeth to them that were there: This man also was with Jesus of
Nazareth. And again, he denied with an oath: That I know not the man. And after
a little while they came that stood by, and said to Peter: Surely, thou also
art one of them: for even thy speech doth discover thee. Then he began to curse
and to swear that he knew not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter
remembered the word of Jesus which He had said: Before the cock crow, thou wilt
deny Me thrice. And going forth he wept bitterly. And when morning was come,
all the chief priests and ancients of the people took counsel against Jesus,
that they might put Him to death. And they brought Him bound and delivered Him
to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas who betrayed Him, seeing that He was
condemned, repenting himself, brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the
chief priests and ancients, saying: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.
But they said:
What is that to us?
look
thou to it. And casting down the pieces of silver in the temple he departed:
and went and hanged himself with a halter. But the chief priests having taken
the pieces of silver, said: It is not lawful to put them into the corbona,
because it is the price of blood. And after they had consulted together, they
bought with them the potter s field to be a burying- place for strangers. For
this cause that field was called Haceldama, that is, the field of blood, even
to this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying:
And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was prized,
Whom they prized of the children of Israel: and they gave them unto the potter’s
field, as the Lord appointed to me. And Jesus stood before the governor, and
the governor asked Him, saying:
Art Thou the
King of the Jews?
Jesus
saith to him: Thou sayest it. And when He was accused by the chief priests and
ancients, He answered nothing. Then Pilate saith to Him:
Dost not Thou
hear how great testimonies they allege against Thee?
And
He answered him to never a word: so that the governor wondered exceedingly. Now
upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one
prisoner, whom they would; and he had then a notorious prisoner that was called
Barabbas. They therefore being gathered together, Pilate said:
Whom will you
that I release to you, Barabbas or Jesus that is called Christ?
For
he knew that for envy they had delivered Him. And as he was sitting in the
place of judgment his wife sent to him, saying: Have thou nothing to do with
that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of
Him. But the chief priests and ancients persuaded the people that they should
ask Barabbas, and make Jesus away. And the governor answering said to them:
Whether will
you of the two to be released unto you?
But
they said, Barabbas. Pilate saith to them:
What shall I
do then with Jesus that is called Christ?
They
say all: Let Him be crucified. The governor said to them:
Why, what evil hath He done?
But
they cried out the more, saying: Let Him be crucified. And Pilate seeing that
he prevailed nothing, but that rather a tumult was made taking water, washed
his hands before the people, saying I am innocent of the blood of this just
man; look you to it. And the whole people answering, said: His blood be upon us
and upon our children. Then he released to them Barabbas: and having scourged
Jesus, delivered Him unto them to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the
governor taking Jesus into the hall, gathered together unto Him the whole band:
and stripping Him, they put a scarlet cloak about Him. And platting a crown of
thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand. And bowing the
knee before Him, they mocked Him, saying: Hail King of the Jews. And spitting
upon Him, they took the reed and struck His head. And after they had mocked
Him, they took off the cloak from Him, and put on Him His own garments, and led
Him away to crucify Him. And going out they found a man of Gyrene, named Simon:
him they forced to take up His cross. And they came to the place that is called
Golgotha, which is the place of Calvary. And they gave Him wine to drink
mingled with gall. And when He had tasted, He would not drink. And after they
had crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots: that it might be
fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: They divided My garments
among them, and upon My vesture they cast lots. And they sat and watched Him.
And they put over His head His cause, written: THIS is JESUS THE KING OF THE
JEWS. Then were crucified with Him two thieves: one on the right hand, and one
on the left. And they that passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads, and
saying: Yah, Thou that destroyest the temple of God, and in three days dost
rebuild it: save Thy own self: if Thou be the Son of God, come down from the
cross. In like manner also the chief priests with the scribes and ancients
mocking, said: He saved others, Himself He cannot save: if He be the King of
Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He
trusted in God: let Him now deliver Him if He will have Him: for He said I am
the Son of God. And the self-same thing the thieves also, that were crucified
with Him, reproached Him with. Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over
the whole earth, until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried
with a loud voice, saying:
Eli, Eli,
lamina sabacthaiii?
that
is, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?
And some that stood there and heard, said: This man calleth Elias. And immediately one of them running took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink. And the others said: Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to deliver Him.
And Jesus again crying with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And behold the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top even to the bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were rent. And the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints that had slept, arose, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection, came into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now the centurion, and they that were with him watching Jesus, having seen the earthquake and the things that were done, were sore afraid, saying: Indeed, this was the Son of God. And there were many women afar off, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. And when it was evening, there came a certain rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph; who also himself was a disciple of Jesus; he went to Pilate and asked the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded that the body should be delivered. And Joseph taking the body, wrapped it up in a clean linen cloth; and laid it in his own new monument, which he had hewed out in a rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the monument and went his way. And there was there Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary sitting over against the sepulcher. And the next day, which followed the day of preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together to Pilate, saying: Sir, we have remembered that that seducer said, while He was yet alive: After three days I will rise again. Command therefore the sepulcher to be guarded until the third day: lest perhaps His disciples come and steal Him away, and say to the people: He is risen from the dead: and the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said to them: You have a guard: go guard it as you know. And they departing, made the sepulcher sure, sealing the stone, and setting guards.
Things to
Do:[3]
- The palms distributed at Mass
are blessed, so are sacramentals. Read Blessed
Palms in the Home.
- This is also known as
"Carling Sunday" after carling peas. Pea’s porridge would be an
appropriate dish for today. See recipes for suggestions and history behind
this tradition.
- This is also known as
"Fig Sunday" due to the tradition that Christ ate figs after his
entry into Jerusalem. Adding some type of figs to your meal would be a
nice touch.
- Read the short passages from Directory
on Popular Piety concerning Holy Week and Palm Sunday.
Holy Week[4]
·
WHY is
this week called holy week?
·
It is because during this week we celebrate the most
important mysteries of our religion with touching and holy ceremonies.
·
How should we spend this week?
· According to the intention of the Church, by meditating on the sufferings and death of Our Savior, by fasting more strictly, by praying often and devoutly, and leading a holy life.
Timeline of Holy Week[5]
·
Sunday:
Palm/Passion Sunday Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Mt 21:1-9; Mk
11:1-10; Lk 19:28-38; Jn12:12-18)
·
Fulfills
the prophecies of Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9
· Jesus weeps over seeing Jerusalem and predicts its destruction. (Lk 19:39-44)
On
the Sunday[6]
before his death,
Jesus began his trip to Jerusalem, knowing that soon he would lay down his life
for our sins. Nearing the village of Bethphage, he sent two of his disciples
ahead, telling them to look for a donkey and its unbroken colt. The
disciples were instructed to untie the animals and bring them to him. Then
Jesus sat on the young donkey and slowly, humbly, made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, fulfilling the ancient prophecy in
Zechariah 9:9:
"Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of
Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and
having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a
donkey."
The crowds welcomed him by waving palm branches in the air and shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" On Palm Sunday, Jesus and his disciples spent the night in Bethany, a town about two miles east of Jerusalem. This is where Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha lived. They were close friends of Jesus, and probably hosted Him and His disciples during their final days in Jerusalem.
Bible in a year Day 270 God's Favor with Ezra
Fr.
Mike explains how God’s favor was with Ezra because he set his heart to study
God's laws, to obey his laws, and to teach his laws to others. We also learn
about hypocritical fasting, and how our sacrifices should remind us that
everything ultimately belongs to God at all times. Today's readings are Ezra
7-8, Zechariah 7-8, and Proverbs 20:12-15.
PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH
The
precepts of the Church are positive laws, set in a context of moral life; bound
to and nourished by liturgical life. Each of us are called to take
responsibility for his or her spiritual life also, and to continue on in this
path of conversion.
The
five precepts of the Catholic Church are:
- Attend Mass on Sundays and
days of obligation.
- Confess your sins at least
once a year.
- Receive the Eucharist at
least once a year.
- Observe days of fasting and
abstinence.
- Provide for the needs of the Church.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: The
Sick, afflicted, and infirmed.
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Make
reparations to the Holy Face
Young and Innocent (1937)
🎬 Production Snapshot
Studio: Gaumont British
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Release: 1937
Screenplay: Charles Bennett & Edwin Greenwood, adapted from Josephine Tey’s A Shilling for Candles
Stars: Nova Pilbeam, Derrick De Marney, Percy Marmont, George Curzon
Genre: British crime thriller / romantic chase / early Hitchcock “wrong man”
Notable: One of Hitchcock’s most youthful, brisk, and charming pre‑Hollywood thrillers. Features the famous ballroom crane shot that reveals the killer in a band—an early masterstroke of cinematic suspense.
🧭 Story Summary
A young writer, Robert Tisdall, discovers the body of a famous actress washed ashore. Two witnesses see him running and assume guilt. When the police find that the belt used to strangle her is missing from his raincoat, suspicion hardens into accusation.
Robert escapes custody and crosses paths with Erica Burgoyne, the spirited daughter of the Chief Constable. Initially skeptical, Erica is gradually drawn into his plight. Their journey becomes a chase through rural England—barns, mills, roadside cafés—where innocence must outrun bureaucracy, gossip, and fear.
As they uncover clues, the real murderer emerges: a man hiding in plain sight, performing nightly in a dance‑hall band. Hitchcock’s legendary crane shot descends from the rafters, across the ballroom, and lands on the killer’s twitching eyes—an early example of cinematic revelation through camera movement.
The film ends with truth exposed, innocence vindicated, and a quiet, youthful hope between Erica and Robert—two people who have learned courage by walking through danger together.
🕰 Historical and Cultural Context
- Part of Hitchcock’s British “wrong man” cycle, refining themes he would later perfect in The 39 Steps and North by Northwest.
- Nova Pilbeam, only 18, was one of Britain’s brightest young stars; Hitchcock had considered her for Rebecca.
- The film blends light romance with real suspense, a hallmark of Hitchcock’s early style.
- Its technical centerpiece—the ballroom crane shot—was groundbreaking for 1937 and signaled Hitchcock’s growing mastery of visual storytelling.
- The story reflects 1930s anxieties about police fallibility, public suspicion, and the fragile line between guilt and innocence.
✝️ Catholic Moral Resonances
The Wrongly Accused as Icon of the Just Man
Robert Tisdall becomes a symbol of the innocent who suffers under misunderstanding and haste. His journey echoes the biblical theme that truth often walks a narrow, vulnerable road.
Erica’s Courage as Moral Awakening
Erica begins as a dutiful daughter of the law but discovers a deeper vocation:
to discern truth not by authority alone, but by compassion, conscience, and personal risk.
The Court of Public Opinion as a False Judge
Gossip, assumption, and fear form a kind of secular “mob judgment.”
Catholic moral tradition warns that rash judgment is a sin against justice and charity.
The Pursuit of Truth as a Shared Pilgrimage
Robert and Erica’s journey becomes a parable of accompaniment:
truth is found not alone, but through loyal companionship, humility, and perseverance.
The Killer’s Eyes as Revelation of the Heart
Hitchcock’s crane shot lands on the murderer’s twitching eyes—an image of interior corruption made visible.
In Catholic thought, sin distorts the gaze long before it stains the hands.
Vindication as a Foretaste of Justice
The film ends not with spectacle but with restoration—an echo of the Christian conviction that truth, though delayed, ultimately prevails.
🍷 Hospitality Pairing
Drink:
English Breakfast Tea with a Slice of Lemon
Brisk, clear, and honest—matching the film’s youthful pace and rural English setting.
Snack:
Shortbread with a Touch of Sea Salt
Simple, sturdy, and comforting—like Erica’s steadying presence in the story.
Atmosphere:
- A single warm lamp, evoking the coziness of an English cottage
- Soft instrumental jazz or light strings, nodding to the ballroom finale
- A sense of quiet companionship and moral clarity emerging from confusion
🪞 Reflection Prompt
Where in your life do you feel wrongly judged or misunderstood—and how might God be inviting you to walk that path with patience and integrity?
Who is the “Erica” beside you—someone whose loyalty helps you stay steady in the pursuit of truth?
And where might you be called to be her for someone else?
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