While growing up, the week before Easter was filled with a variety of rituals and routines. We continued to abstain from meat on Good Friday and "gave up" eating chocolate and candy. There were also spiritual practices during Holy Week that encouraged us to reflect.
Palm Sunday was one of my favorite days of Holy Week. Mass was a joyous celebration honoring the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. Priests processed into the church while the parishioners waved blessed palms. The palms were brought home and transformed into small crosses and crowns of thorns. My mother and uncle created artistic treasures that I have kept for years. I continued these practices with my own family. This year's palms were fresh and lovely but I forgot them in the car so they dried making crosses difficult. The long palms were added to an artificial bouquet in the foyer. and I had a braided cross from last year so I redesigned it to remind me of my mother's craft and the greatness of Christ's loving sacrifice for humanity.
hands weave palms - a small act of love and faith
reflecting
on
the
blessings
reflecting
on
HIS
Being
reflecting
hands weave palms - a small act of love and faith
©CVarsalona, 2023
During Holy Week a suggestion is to live as children of the light performing actions good, just, and true. (Ephesians 5:1-9) This message led me to reminisce on Jesus' humble action, the washing of feet, on what we now call Holy Thursday. This humbling yet powerful act is part of the Holy Thursday Mass and dates back to Jesus washing his disciples' feet after the Last Supper.
Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet, Drawing by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669),Drawn between 1640-1650, reed pen and brown ink, with some areas deliberately rubbed with a wet finger or wet brush; framing line in greyish-brown ink © Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Lesson Learned from the Washing of Feet Ceremony
Jesus came to serve, not to be served.
As a leader, He acted
with loving kindness
and care for others.
Through actions,
He modeled
how to share
love.
©CVarsalona, 2023
✍
This month's host for Spiritual Journey Thursday is the international teacher/poet, Ruth Hersey. She chose the topic, Origins, and posed the following question: What are the origins of one of your spiritual practices?
After reading the above, you should understand that the origins of my spiritual practice go back to childhood. Through family practice, I learned the vastness of God's gift of unconditional love. As I grew, I realized that many people around the world do not understand the depth of selfless, caring love for one another. Thank you, Ruth.
