Carmel Bulletin, 4 March 2018 Sometimes we can get really hung up on words. Take “Palm” Sunday for example. Yes, it was a practice in Palestine in Jesus’ time to use palm branches to welcome dignitaries. Yet, when looking through a reputable Bible translation, only the gospel according to John specifically names palm branches. In … Continue reading Pick a branch, Any Branch
Category: Liturgical Symbols
Carmel Bulletin, 14 May 2017 Throughout the season of Easter, the paschal candle is given a prominent and special place near the ambo or altar of the church. The candle is lit at the Easter Vigil Mass each year as the primary symbol of the light of Christ breaking through the darkness of death and … Continue reading Let Him Easter in Us
One way in which we mark the Easter Season in the celebration of the Sunday Mass at Wentworthville is by using the rite of sprinkling of holy water. When it is celebrated, it takes the place of the usual Penitential Act in the Introductory Rites. As the texts used for this rite make clear, sprinkling … Continue reading Sprinkling with Holy Water
During this Year of Grace, we have been invited to revisit the constitutions of the Second Vatican Council, which began fifty years ago this year. The first of these constitutions was on the liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. In the opening paragraphs of the constitution, the Church sought to make clear some foundational principles. Firstly, the liturgy … Continue reading 5/8/12 – Fifty Years Since Vatican II – The Work of Christ and His Church
The season of Lent will begin in just over three weeks. Despite it not being a holy day obligation, many Catholics take time to participate in the liturgical celebrations of Ash Wednesday, the first day of the season. As its name suggests, ashes are a symbol synonymous with this day. On Ash Wednesday, we are … Continue reading 29/1/12 – Palms and Ashes
Liturgy 