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WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 54578 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2024-03-15 20:17:19 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-03-15 20:17:19 [post_content] => <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-holy-week-for-kids-table-of-contents">Holy Week for Kids: Table of Contents:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Introduction</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#palm-crosses">Make Palm Crosses</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#confession-prep">Prepare Kids to Attend Confession</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#triduum-for-kids">Listen to Through Their Eyes (Triduum for Kids)</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#holy-thursday-mass">Attend Holy Thursday Mass</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#stations-of-the-cross">Pray the Stations of the Cross</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#easter-basket-blessing">Attend an Easter Basket Blessing</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#time-with-the-saints">Spend Time with the Saints</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#more-resources">Additional Resources</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While egg hunts remain popular in the lead-up to <a href="/">Easter</a>, there are more meaningful ways to engage with your family and observe <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-week-schedule/">Holy Week</a> with little ones.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Help your kids prepare their hearts for Easter by participating in Holy Week activities rooted in the sacraments and the rich liturgical tradition of the Triduum.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="palm-cross">Make Palm Sunday Crosses</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin Holy Week by turning palms from <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/palm-sunday/">Palm Sunday</a> Mass into beautiful crosses with the help of your little ones.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Even if you don’t consider yourself much of a crafts person, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to turn a single palm into a small cross.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Arlington Catholic Herald has a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrEorJngmrM">helpful video</a> that shows how, in less than two minutes, you can transform a palm into a cross with about nine easy folds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="confession-prep">Prepare Kids to Attend Confession</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Holy Week is one of the most popular times of the year that people receive the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-go-to-confession-the-sacrament-of-penance-reconciliation/">sacrament of Reconciliation</a>. On the Wednesday of Holy Week, many parishes offer special times for people to attend confession. In fact, more people visit Hallow’s guide to confession on this day than any other day of the year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The sacrament of Reconciliation is great for people of (most) ages, including children who have already made their first confession.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Inside of the Hallow app, we offer resources for confession preparation specific to children ages 7-13 and a separate guide for older teens. Each of these focuses on the examination of conscience.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="triduum-for-kids">Listen to Through Their Eyes (Triduum for Kids)</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Many children are familiar with Easter but may have less understanding of the entire Triduum.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lean into observing the entire Triduum and help children gain an appreciation for the unique, beautiful liturgies of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow is excited to release Through Their Eyes, a radio drama mini-series to immerse you and your family in the very heart of Christ, through the eyes of those who knew Him best:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3/28 <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-thursday/">Holy Thursday</a>: Saint Mark</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3/29 <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/good-friday-the-passion-of-christ/">Good Friday</a>: Saint Veronica</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3/30 <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/easter-vigil/">Holy Saturday</a>: Saint Peter</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3/31 <a href="https://hallow.com/easter/">Easter Sunday</a>: Saint Mary Magdalene</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It might be hard to attend the Easter Vigil, which begins after sunset and often lasts several hours, with little ones. However, each episode of Through Their Eyes runs between 25-30 minutes and are recommended for children ages 8+.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/holyweekforkids">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="holy-thursday-mass">Attend a Holy Thursday Mass</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Triduum begins with Holy Thursday, the celebration of the Last Supper and one of the most unique liturgies of the year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Kids who have never attended the services may be struck by the powerful symbolism of the priest leading the foot washing and the altar being stripped at the end of Mass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The liturgy is also typically not as long as the Easter Vigil, so it could be an easy way to introduce kids to the Triduum–and the beautiful liturgies it contains before Easter Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="stations-of-the-cross">Pray the Stations of the Cross</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Praying the stations of the cross is something that takes place on Fridays throughout Lent, but Holy Week provides an opportunity to participate in this tradition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Cities like <a href="http://www.wayofthecrossdc.com/">Washington, D.C.</a>, <a href="http://wayofthecrosschicago.org/index.html">Chicago</a>, <a href="https://nypaxchristi.org/2023/04/08/way-of-the-cross41st-annual-way-of-the-cross/">New York</a>, and <a href="https://catholicphilly.com/2018/03/news/events/good-friday-living-stations-of-the-cross/">Philadelphia</a> organize outdoor marches that follow “The Way of the Cross.” These usually draw large crows composed of people from various parishes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If your kids are too little for a long walk, consider making Stations of the Cross <a href="https://www.reallifeathome.com/printable-stations-of-the-cross-for-children/">booklets</a> that they can color and assemble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Check out Hallow’s complete guide to <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross/">Stations of the Cross</a> to learn more about the history and meaning behind this tradition.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="easter-basket-blessing">Attend an Easter Basket Blessing</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A European tradition that is gaining popularity in the U.S. and elsewhere, Easter basket blessings (known as “Święconka” in Poland) help remind children of the true meaning of Easter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On the morning of Holy Saturday, families fill Easter baskets with various foods and bring them to their local parish for a special blessing. The next day, the food is eaten as part of a celebratory Easter meal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Diocese of Pittsburgh <a href="https://diopitt.org/news/blessing-of-easter-foods">describes</a> the journey of bringing the baskets to church for a blessing as a “sacred pilgrimage.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Remembering those who are in need, churches that participate in this tradition often include a box or receptacle to donate some of the blessed food for the poor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Children can participate in every aspect of this Holy Week tradition, from choosing foods to fill the basket to presenting it for blessing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="time-with-the-saints">Spend Time with the Saints</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Helping children learn about the lives of <a href="https://hallow.com/saints/">saints</a> reminds them that the holy people they might see in stained glass or statues were once little boys and girls who, like all of us, were called to live holy lives.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">During Holy Week, this reminder is especially significant.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Consider introducing children to saints they may be less familiar with. On Hallow, you can get catch up on the kids Lent prayer challenge Saints and the Spirit, which profiles saints with short episodes geared toward children.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Stacy McNerney contributed to this article.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/holyweekforkids">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="more-resources">More Resources</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-with-kids/">How to Pray with Kids</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/easter-traditions/">Easter Traditions Around the World</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Holy Week for Kids: Activities and Ideas for Celebrating Holy Week with Children [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => holy-week-for-kids [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-03-15 20:17:56 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-03-15 20:17:56 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=54578 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 33568 [post_author] => 24 [post_date] => 2024-02-28 21:16:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-02-28 21:16:00 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>National Day of Prayer: Table of Contents</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Introduction</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#history">History</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#different-states">National Day of Prayer in Different States</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#official-prayer">The Day's Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#hallow">Hallow Celebrates National Day of Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#faq">National Day of Prayer FAQ</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the United States, the National Day of Prayer in 2025 is May 1.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This American tradition is actually older than America itself, dating back to the Second Continental Congress, before the Declaration of Independence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Before America was born, it was already steeped in a tradition of prayer!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This tradition continues in modern America each year, with the president proclaiming the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow is excited to recognize National Day of Prayer with actual words of prayer from holy men and women throughout the ages. Hear the voices of <a href="https://hallow.com/saints/john-paul-ii/">St. John Paul II</a>, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/padre-pio-prayers-feast-day/">Padre Pio</a>, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/mother-teresa-prayers-emergency-novena/">Mother Teresa</a> and others leading prayers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/nationaldayofprayer">Pray on Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Learn more about National Day of Prayer and how you can get involved below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="history">National Day of Prayer History</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On June 12, 1775, the <a href="http://mansell.com/personal/archaebibliophilia/2014/Day_of_Prayer_and_Fasting_1775_2003-s.pdf">Second Continental Congress</a> recognized the importance of prayer across the colonies, saying, “We may, with united hearts and voices, unfeignedly confess and deplore our many sins, and offer up our Joint supplications to the all- wise, omnipotent, and merciful Disposer of all events.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">One could argue that the National Day of Prayer is older than America itself!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Twenty-two years later, President John Adams <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=mJ0wAAAAYAAJ&amp;pg=PA287#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false%20https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-8-recommending-national-day-humiliation-fasting-and-prayer">further built on the tradition</a> of a single day focused on prayer (and fasting):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I have therefore thought fit to recommend, and I do hereby recommend, that Wednesday, the 9th day of May next, be observed throughout the United States as a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">President Truman <a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-2978-national-day-prayer-1952">issued a proclamation</a> in 1952 formally instituting National Day of Prayer, and it’s been an annual occurrence since. In 2022, President Biden encouraged Americans to find in our hearts and prayers the determination to put aside our differences, come together, and truly see one another as fellow Americans” <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/05/04/a-proclamation-on-national-day-of-prayer-2022/">in his proclamation</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="different-states">National Day of Prayer in Different States</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Prayer coordinators in each state help facilitate National Day of Prayer activities in local communities nationwide.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In addition to the national proclamations, each state recognizes the Day with its own proclamation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">And sometimes, that takes place on a different day than the official National day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For example, New Jersey <a href="https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationaldayofprayer/pages/326/attachments/original/1682342368/NJ_2023proclamation.pdf?1682342368">recognized</a> the Day on Friday, May 5, 2023, a day after most other places.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="official-prayer">Prayer for 2025 National Day of Prayer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Here’s an excerpt from the lengthy official prayer published by the National Day of Prayer Task Force:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Lord, Your way is perfect, You lead us on paths of righteousness for Your name's sake. Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Your Word is Truth, instructing and inspiring us to live in the abundant life You gave when You saved us from the death and destruction of the enemy. Fill us with Truth as we read, study, and live Your Word.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>God, You are a shield for all those who take refuge in You. As we abide in You and Your Word abides in us, we take up our shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and run boldly into the darkness to Lift Up the Word and Light Up the World! In the Mighty name of Jesus we pray, amen!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="hallow">Pray With Hallow on National Day of Prayer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">With the Day centered on being united in prayer, Hallow has invited several of our partners in inviting people around the country to pray together in our “Pray With Me” campaign. We also invite you to join us in praying today with deceased holy men and women from all ages in the new Original Voices collection on the app.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The list of those to pray with includes:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>St. John Paul II</strong><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Address to young people in 1987</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Fr. Patrick Peyton</strong><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Sorrowful, Glorious, and Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Memorare</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Short testimony about Mary, Our Mother</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Ven. Fulton Sheen</strong><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">Hail Mary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">Our Father&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 talks about prayer</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>St. Padre Pio</strong><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Angelus&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Spiritual Communion prayer</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>St. Mother Teresa</strong><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Nobel Prize Speech in 1979</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Prayer of St. Francis</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>Sr. Thea Bowman</strong><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Songs of My People spirituals album</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><strong>St. Oscar Romero</strong><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>5 homilies&nbsp;</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hear the actual voices of these inspirational figures of faith on Hallow. What better way to recognize National Day of Prayer in your own life?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="faq">Details about National Day of Prayer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>What do you pray on National Day of Prayer?</strong> The National Day of Prayer Task Force provides a prayer that one can choose to pray, but mostly, this is a personal decision to pray however one feels most comfortable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>What is the scripture for the National Day of Prayer 2025?</strong> The scripture inspiring National Day of Prayer in 2025 is Romans 15:13: Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>When is National Day of Prayer?</strong> The National Day of Prayer occurs on the first Thursday of May.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Who leads the National Day of Prayer? </strong>There is a National Day of Prayer Task Force headquartered in Colorado, but volunteers help promote the Day in states across the country.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pray Every Day With Hallow</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Odds are that if you’re interested in National Day of Prayer, you’re probably not new to praying.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Still, we all need a little encouragement sometime. Perhaps National Day of Prayer is the little nudge you needed to start carving out some time for prayer each Day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow makes it easy to find time for prayer each day and turn it into a habit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/nationaldayofprayer">Build a habit of prayer. Get the Hallow app.</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">More Prayer Resources</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/daily-prayer-prayers-for-today/">Daily Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/morning-prayer/">Morning Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">Divine Mercy Chaplet</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-strength/">Prayers for Strength </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/prayers-for-hope/">Prayers for Hope</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => National Day of Prayer 2025 [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => national-day-of-prayer [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-02-06 16:50:14 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-02-06 16:50:14 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=33568 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 52791 [post_author] => 24 [post_date] => 2024-02-15 22:20:17 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-02-15 22:20:17 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>More than 1 million people joined Lent prayer challenge that began on Ash Wednesday</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>CHICAGO, Feb. 15, 2024 </strong><strong>–</strong><strong> </strong>Hallow, the #1 prayer app in the world, made history on Wednesday, becoming the first religious app to reach the #1 spot on Apple’s App Store.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow reached the top spot on Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent and the beginning of its Lent Pray40 prayer challenge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">”We’re blown away. When we started Hallow, it would’ve been crazy for us to imagine a thousand people praying together on it, much less 1 million,” said Alex Jones, Hallow CEO and co-founder. “God is doing incredible things. All glory and credit and praise belongs to Him.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">More than 1 million people joined the 40-day prayer series that features Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Roumie, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Sr. Miriam James and Sr. Mary Bernice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Roumie and Wahlberg starred in Hallow’s first Big Game commercial on Sunday, leading up to Hallow’s rise to the top of the App Store.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I’m so proud of our team. They did such incredible work,” Jones said. “And our partners - especially Jonathan and Mark yesterday - were just phenomenal. It’s an honor and privilege to see them use their talents and their platform for the Lord.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow surpassed e-commerce app Temu, previously the #1 app, on Wednesday night and continued as the top overall app into Thursday morning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>He Leadeth Me</em>, the spiritual classic that inspires this year’s Pray40 prayer challenge, rose to #2 overall in Amazon’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books/zgbs/books">list of Best Sellers</a> during the same time frame.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">With roughly 85 employees, Hallow is a much smaller company than those building many of the other apps that rank highly in the App Store.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Never in a million years would I have imagined we’d be at the top of the App Store. The other folks in the top 100 apps are just such incredible and popular apps with tens of thousands of employees - Netflix, Spotify, Amazon, Google, Instagram,” said Jones. “What a crazy world.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Quotes from the Hallow Community</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“It was my first Ash Wednesday after about 20 years away. It was amazing to have Hallow be a part of it”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“@HallowApp @frmikeschmitz @markwahlberg First Ash Wednesday mass in maybe 12 years. Maybe even longer. Takes me awhile, but I eventually come”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“Day One of the Lent Pray40 Challenge is amazing... and there's 39 more to go? This is going to change my life and SO many others. Thank you!”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>More Quotes from Alex Jones</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“It can be easy in our world today to feel like we’re losing the fight, like evil and hate and division just always seems to dominate.”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“But hopefully this can act as some little light for folks - something to reinspire our confidence in God.”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>“I’m so excited to get to pray with everyone this Lent. It is by far the most incredible challenge we’ve ever produced. I can’t wait till people pray with what’s in store. I was just listening to our Saturday sessions with Sr Bernice from Mother Teresa’s order and was left completely in tears. So excited for what Jesus will do in our hearts this Lent!”</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>About Hallow</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow helps people deepen their relationship with God through audio-guided prayers, sleep meditations, Bible readings, meditations, and music. The app has more than 10,000 sessions including a Daily Rosary, Daily Gospel, Daily Saint, Novenas, Examens, Father Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year, The Chosen’s Jonathan Roumie’s audio Bible, Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons, peaceful Christian music, Gregorian chant, and so much more. Launched in December 2018, Hallow is now the #1 Catholic app in the world and has been downloaded 14 million times and used to pray over 400 million times across 150-plus countries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Contact</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Stephen Spiewak</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">stephen@hallow.app</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Hallow Makes History Taking #1 Spot in App Store [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => hallow-makes-history-taking-no-1-spot-in-app-store [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-02-16 17:43:26 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-02-16 17:43:26 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=52791 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 51925 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2024-02-05 22:38:07 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-02-05 22:38:07 [post_content] => <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fat-tuesday-guide"><strong>Fat Tuesday Guide</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Introduction</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#history">Mardi Gras History</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#around-the-world">Fat Tuesday Around the World</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#how-to-celebrate">How to Celebrate Fat Tuesday</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#faqs">Fat Tuesday FAQs</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Fat Tuesday is better known by its French translation, Mardi Gras. It takes place on the final day before <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/ash-wednesday/">Ash Wednesday</a>, which marks the beginning of the liturgical season of <a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lent</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Also known as Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day, Fat Tuesday has a rich history in both the U.S. and across the world and represents a day when Catholics and other Christians come together in celebration before the more subdued observance of Lent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="history">Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras History in New Orleans</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Fat Tuesday in America predates the birth of the U.S. Some form of Fat Tuesday celebration has been taking place in New Orleans <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/events/holidays-seasonal/mardi-gras/history-and-traditions/past-and-present/">since 1699</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Back then, the celebrations stretched from the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/feast-of-the-epiphany/">Epiphany (or 3 Kings Day)</a>, which is sometimes referred to as the 12th Night (a reference to the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/schedule-catholic-christmas-season-octave/">12 Days of Christmas</a>).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":"lent-embed"} --> <p class="lent-embed">According to Reid Mitchell, author of “All on a Mardi Gras Day,” festivals were common throughout the year in New Orleans, but those taking place during Mardi Gras separated themselves thanks to the more elaborate costumery.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“The end of Carnival and the arrival of Lent meant only the end of masked balls; public balls continued,” <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/All_on_a_Mardi_Gras_Day/dz1SUIbn3MAC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;bsq=catholic">he wrote</a>. “What distinguished dances between Twelfth Night and Ash Wednesday was that they were <em>bals masque</em>, or costume balls.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Notable Fat Tuesday celebrations throughout history include the festivities in 1804, the first with Louisiana as a part of America. The first modern Mardi Gras <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/us/nationalspecial/in-mardi-gras-a-city-learns-to-party-again.html">took place in 1857</a>. The 1946 celebration <a href="https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/mardi-gras-canceled-world-war-ii">marked the first Mardi Gras in four years</a> after being canceled in 1942 due to World War II.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Few people realize that the colors of beads tossed around at Mardi Gras have <a href="https://www.archindy.org/criterion/local/2021/02-12/reflection.html">religious significance</a>. The official colors are purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Shirley Henderson, former communications director for the Diocese of Biloxi (adjacent to New Orleans, <a href="https://www.usccb.org/catholic-giving/opportunities-for-giving/catholic-home-missions-appeal/upload/CHMA_Winter2012.pdf">said that</a>, despite seeming secular, Mardi Gras is actually “a kind of evangelizing.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While Mardi Gras is now synonymous with New Orleans, the broader idea of Fat Tuesday is something observed in many places across the world.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="around-the-world">Fat Tuesday’s Catholic Roots Around the World</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Brazil has Carnival; Italy, Martedi Grasso. It’s also known as Pancake Day in some parts of the world.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Fat Tuesday is also called Shrove Tuesday. According to the <a href="https://www.dolr.org/article/mardi-gras-began-preparation-lent-2022">Diocese of Little Rock</a>, Shrove Tuesday comes from the term “to shrive,” meaning “to confess,” or to hear confessions–a way to prepare our hearts for the beginning of Lent dating back to the Middle Ages.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The name Pancake Day <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/kids/articles/shrove-tuesday-a-day-of-forgiveness-and-pancakes">comes from</a> the tradition of people returning home after the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-go-to-confession-the-sacrament-of-penance-reconciliation/">sacrament of confession</a> and enjoying a big feast of pancakes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s not coincidental that the last day before Lent, a period marked by solemness and penitence, has been one that different countries have embraced as a day of merriment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“It was natural to develop a festival, a ‘last fling,’ before the prayerful fasting and abstinence of Lent,” <a href="https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/mardigras.html">according to</a> Creighton Online Ministries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There’s also an element of using up some of the tempting items of food and drink in the house before Lent begins–as well as using them before they might spoil over the 40 days of Lent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While Fat Tuesday should not be a day of raucous, unbridled excess and pleasure, it’s a day that can be observed with plenty of traditional celebrations held dear by Catholics and other Christians for centuries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="how-to-celebrate">How to Celebrate Fat Tuesday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Since Fat Tuesday is the last day in ordinary time before the season shifts to Lent, the most important way to observe Fat Tuesday is by making sure you’re prepared for Lent. It’s a day when people often decide <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/what-to-give-up-for-lent/">what to give up for Lent</a> and brush up on <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-fasting-rules/">Lent fasting rules</a> or <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/where-to-get-ashes-on-ash-wednesday/">where to get ashes</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Celebrating the day itself can often be a communal experience.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Polish communities sometimes call Fat Tuesday Paczki Day, a reference to the cream or&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">jelly-filled doughnut traditionally eaten this day. Many churches will celebrate “Paczki Day” by sharing the pastries after Mass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In cities with large Polish populations, like Chicago, paczki <a href="https://religionnews.com/2020/02/25/packzi-day-brings-chicagoans-together-before-lent-begins/">can seemingly unite</a> an entire city on Fat Tuesday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In Texas and parts of the South, king cake is a popular Fat Tuesday indulgence. With Mexican roots tying the cake to “rosca de reyes,” a cake traditionally served on 3 Kings Day, the king cake is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/28/dining/rosca-de-reyes-recipe.html">shaped like a ring</a> to represent God’s infinite love and contains a plastic figurine of Jesus.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Whoever gets the piece with the figure of Jesus receives good luck and must host the next gathering with friends and family.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Pancake Supper” is another popular tradition that some Catholic parishes (as well as Episcopal churches) will observe on Shrove Tuesday.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="faqs">Frequently Asked Questions about Fat Tuesday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:yoast/faq-block {"questions":[{"id":"faq-question-1707172401226","question":["When is Fat Tuesday in 2025?"],"answer":["In 2025, Fat Tuesday takes place on March 4. It always falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday."],"jsonQuestion":"When is Fat Tuesday in 2025?","jsonAnswer":"In 2025, Fat Tuesday takes place on March 4. It always falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday."},{"id":"faq-question-1707172409270","question":["What can you not eat on Fat Tuesday?"],"answer":["There are fasting guidelines on Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent, but Fat Tuesday generally does not have restrictions on what to eat."],"jsonQuestion":"What can you not eat on Fat Tuesday?","jsonAnswer":"There are fasting guidelines on Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent, but Fat Tuesday generally does not have restrictions on what to eat."},{"id":"faq-question-1707172416823","question":["Why are pancakes eaten on Shrove Tuesday?"],"answer":["Pancakes have a long history as a Fat/Shrove Tuesday meal. They are a rich food often made with eggs, butter, and some sugar, ingredients traditionally used less often in Lent."],"jsonQuestion":"Why are pancakes eaten on Shrove Tuesday?","jsonAnswer":"Pancakes have a long history as a Fat/Shrove Tuesday meal. They are a rich food often made with eggs, butter, and some sugar, ingredients traditionally used less often in Lent."},{"id":"faq-question-1707172423888","question":["Why do Christians celebrate Fat Tuesday? "],"answer":["Fat Tuesday celebrations take place as a way for people to come together and share a celebratory day before the more somber, penitential period of Lent."],"jsonQuestion":"Why do Christians celebrate Fat Tuesday? ","jsonAnswer":"Fat Tuesday celebrations take place as a way for people to come together and share a celebratory day before the more somber, penitential period of Lent."},{"id":"faq-question-1707172430644","question":["What is the difference between Fat Tuesday and Fat Thursday?"],"answer":["In some cultures, Fat Thursday is the final Thursday before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It takes place several days earlier than Fat Tuesday but contains many of the same celebrations."],"jsonQuestion":"What is the difference between Fat Tuesday and Fat Thursday?","jsonAnswer":"In some cultures, Fat Thursday is the final Thursday before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It takes place several days earlier than Fat Tuesday but contains many of the same celebrations."}]} --> <div class="schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block"><div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1707172401226"><strong class="schema-faq-question">When is Fat Tuesday in 2025?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">In 2025, Fat Tuesday takes place on March 4. It always falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1707172409270"><strong class="schema-faq-question">What can you not eat on Fat Tuesday?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">There are fasting guidelines on Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent, but Fat Tuesday generally does not have restrictions on what to eat.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1707172416823"><strong class="schema-faq-question">Why are pancakes eaten on Shrove Tuesday?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">Pancakes have a long history as a Fat/Shrove Tuesday meal. They are a rich food often made with eggs, butter, and some sugar, ingredients traditionally used less often in Lent.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1707172423888"><strong class="schema-faq-question">Why do Christians celebrate Fat Tuesday? </strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">Fat Tuesday celebrations take place as a way for people to come together and share a celebratory day before the more somber, penitential period of Lent.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1707172430644"><strong class="schema-faq-question">What is the difference between Fat Tuesday and Fat Thursday?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">In some cultures, Fat Thursday is the final Thursday before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It takes place several days earlier than Fat Tuesday but contains many of the same celebrations.</p> </div> </div> <!-- /wp:yoast/faq-block --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-lent-resources">More Lent Resources</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-prayers/">Lent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/where-to-get-ashes-on-ash-wednesday/">Where to Get Ashes on Ash Wednesday</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-surrender-novena/">Surrender Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross/">Stations of the Cross</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Fat Tuesday 2025: Catholic Guide to Mardi Gras (or Shrove Tuesday) [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => fat-tuesday [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-09-18 19:46:24 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-09-18 19:46:24 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=51925 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 24049 [post_author] => 18 [post_date] => 2024-02-04 00:15:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-02-04 00:15:00 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Good Friday 202</strong>5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The&nbsp;crucifix does not signify defeat&nbsp;or&nbsp;failure. It reveals to us the Love that overcomes evil and sin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Pope Francis</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Table of Contents</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#what-is">What is Good Friday? </a><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#triduum">Is Good Friday part of the Paschal Triduum?</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#holy-day">Is Good Friday a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation? </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#when-is-good-friday">When is Good Friday in 2022? </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#significance">What is the significance of Good Friday? </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#fasting-abstinence">Fasting &amp; Abstinence </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#liturgy-service">Good Friday Service</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#prayers">Prayer </a><!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#stations">Stations of the Cross </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#divine-mercy-novena">Divine Mercy Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="what-is">What is Good Friday?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Good Friday, formally known as the Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, recognizes the day of Christ’s crucifixion — the most solemn day of the year for Christians. It is a day for us to turn our gaze to the cross and recognize Christ’s most loving sacrifice for us after dwelling with him through <a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lent</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As <a href="https://hallow.com/saints/augustine-of-hippo/">St. Augustine of Hippo</a> <a href="https://catholicgentleman.com/2015/04/our-only-hope-25-quotes-about-the-cross/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wrote</a>, </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:pullquote --> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote><p>As they were looking on, so we too gaze on his wounds as he hangs. We see his blood as he dies. We see the price offered by the redeemer, touch the scars of his resurrection. He bows his head, as if to kiss you. His heart is made bare open, as it were, in love to you. His arms are extended that he may embrace you. His whole body is displayed for your redemption. Ponder how great these things are. Let all this be rightly weighed in your mind: as he was once fixed to the cross in every part of his body for you, so he may now be fixed in every part of your soul.</p><cite>St. Augustine of Hippo</cite></blockquote></figure> <!-- /wp:pullquote --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="triduum">Is Good Friday part of the Paschal Triduum?</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Yes, Good Friday is at the heart of the Paschal Triduum. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Day 1: dusk on Holy Thursday — dusk on Good Friday (Crucifixion)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Day 2: dusk on Good Friday — dusk on <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/easter-vigil/">Holy Saturday</a> (Death)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Day 3: dusk on Holy Saturday — dusk on <a href="https://hallow.com/easter/">Easter Sunday</a> (Resurrection)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="holy-day">Is Good Friday a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation?</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">No, Good Friday is not a Catholic <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-days-of-obligation/">Holy Day of Obligation</a>. The Church, however, encourages us to recognize Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for us and to prepare our hearts for Easter Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Pray with Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="when-is-good-friday">When is Good Friday in 2025?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This year, Good Friday falls on April 18.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="significance">What is the significance of Good Friday?</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Good Friday is, above all, the day in which we recognize Christ’s ultimate, loving sacrifice for each of us: His death on the cross. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As St. Paul <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A15&amp;version=NRSVACE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">writes</a> in his second letter to the Corinthians, “And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.” (2 Cor. 5:15)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Like Lent, Catholics recognize this day through fasting, abstinence, and prayer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="fasting-abstinence">Fasting &amp; Abstinence</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Catholic Church obligates its members to fast and abstain from meat on Good Friday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p id="observance" class="">Fasting allows for one full meal and two smaller meals (that combined do not equal a full meal), with an expectation to abstain from meat on Good Friday. Exemptions are available for those with special physical needs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="liturgy-service">Good Friday Service</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Although Good Friday is not a Holy Day of Obligation, many Catholics still attend a service on this solemn day. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While this service is similar to a Mass with a liturgy, intercessory prayers, and communion, the Eucharist is never consecrated <em>on</em> Good Friday. (Consecrating the Eucharist is what differentiates the Mass from the service.) The Eucharist is typically consecrated the day before, on <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-thursday/">Holy Thursday</a>, and then distributed on Good Friday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Attending a <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resource/56093/the-significance-of-good-friday" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Good Friday service</a> is a profoundly humbling experience. There is no entry procession, no music, the altar is bare, and the tabernacle stands open and empty. Many services also include a Veneration of the Cross, in which we approach the crucifix one-by-one and kiss the feet of Christ. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Read more about the significance of the service from the <a href="https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/triduum/roman-missal-and-the-good-friday-liturgy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USCCB</a>. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="prayers">Prayer</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We turn to Christ in silence during this most solemn day to adore Him. We remember His sacrifice for us. We ask Him for strength and grace. We glorify Him, who has saved us from our sins. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">There are many different ways to pray this Good Friday — <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/">Lectio Divina</a>, Spiritual Writing, <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-with-music/">Prayer with Music</a>, and more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>MORE PRAYERS: </strong><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-prayers/">Lent Prayers for 2025</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Also, consider meditating on the last 14 moments of Christ’s Life (Stations of the Cross) and begin the Divine Mercy Novena:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="stations">Stations of the Cross</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Many Catholics pray the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross/">Stations of the Cross</a> on Good Friday at 3:00 p.m. when Christ died on the cross. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Most parishes hold Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent. Services can take place inside or outdoors. If you’re unable to attend in person, consider praying the Stations of the Cross on Hallow with a guide of your choosing. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="divine-mercy-novena">Divine Mercy Novena</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Consider beginning the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">Divine Mercy Novena</a> on Good Friday. Christ instructed <a href="https://hallow.com/saints/faustina/">St. Faustina</a> to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet from Good Friday to the Sunday after Easter, “Divine Mercy Sunday.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>See:</strong> <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-novenas/">How to Pray: A Novena</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"opacity":"css"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">You can pray the Stations of the Cross and the Divine Mercy Novena on Hallow. We look forward to praying with you this Good Friday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Pray with Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>More Prayers</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">Rosary Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/easter-prayers/">Easter Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-night-prayer/">Night Prayer</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/">Lectio Divina</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross/">Stations of the Cross</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/eucharist-holy-communion-adoration-prayer/">Eucharist Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> [post_title] => Good Friday 2025 - The Passion of Christ [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => good-friday-the-passion-of-christ [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2019/09/25/how-to-pray-night-prayer/ https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2020/01/09/how-to-pray-lectio-divina/ https://hallow.com/2022/02/05/lent-prayers/ https://hallow.com/2020/03/17/how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross/ https://hallow.com/2020/12/14/how-to-pray-with-music/ [post_modified] => 2025-02-04 01:39:59 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-02-04 01:39:59 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=24049 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 51588 [post_author] => 24 [post_date] => 2024-01-31 15:21:17 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-01-31 15:21:17 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Roumie will star in ad set to air three days before Lent begins</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>CHICAGO</strong> - Hallow, the #1 prayer app in the world, today announced the company’s first-ever Big Game commercial ahead of Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie star in the 30-second spot that will encourage fans to take time away from the spectacle of the big game and enjoy a moment of prayer on the Lord’s day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A clip previewing the commercial can be found <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmWBNhheFww">here</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Wahlberg begins the commercial, which is set to air shortly before halftime, by inviting viewers to join him in prayer, saying, “God, we take this moment just to give You thanks.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Wahlberg will help lead Hallow’s annual Pray40 prayer challenge that begins on Ash Wednesday, serving as one of the voices guiding reflections to help Christians around the world draw closer to God during Lent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">With an early Ash Wednesday in 2024 (Feb. 14) and Super Bowl LVIII taking place on Feb. 11, among its latest-ever dates, the two events occur in the same week for the first time since 2008.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“The goal at Hallow has always been to reach out to as many folks as possible, both those who take their faith seriously and especially those who might have fallen away, and invite them deeper into a relationship with God,” said Alex Jones, Hallow co-founder and CEO.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“When we learned about the timing of the Big Game this year, we couldn't have been more excited to work with Mark and Jonathan to use it as an opportunity to invite millions into prayer.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Last Ash Wednesday, Hallow made history by rising to No. 3 in Apple’s AppStore, becoming the first health and wellness app to ever reach the Top 10, ahead of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and others.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Timothy Reckart directed Hallow’s Big Game commercial, while Venture served as the producer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>About Hallow</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3628876-1&amp;h=568891511&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fhallow.com%2F&amp;a=Hallow">Hallow</a> helps people deepen their relationship with God through audio-guided prayers, sleep meditations, Bible readings, meditations, and music. The app has more than 10,000 sessions including a Daily Rosary, Daily Gospel, Daily Saint, Novenas, Examens, Father Mike Schmitz’s Bible in a Year, The Chosen’s Jonathan Roumie’s audio Bible, Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons, peaceful Christian music, Gregorian chant, and so much more. Launched in December 2018, Hallow is now the #1 Catholic app in the world and has been downloaded 10 million times and used to pray over 300 million times across 150-plus countries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Contact</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Stephen Spiewak</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">stephen@hallow.app</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-resources-from-hallow">More Resources From Hallow</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/ash-wednesday/">Ash Wednesday 2024</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Complete Guide to Lent</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/what-to-give-up-for-lent/">Things to Give Up for Lent</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-fasting-rules/">Lent Fasting Rules</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/when-is-lent/">Lent 2024</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Hallow, #1 Prayer App, to Launch Commercial During Big Game Ahead of Ash Wednesday [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => hallow-announces-big-game-commercial [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-02-12 23:54:04 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-02-12 23:54:04 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=51588 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 51178 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2024-01-25 18:48:22 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-01-25 18:48:22 [post_content] => <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-lady-of-lourdes-table-of-contents">Our Lady of Lourdes: Table of Contents</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>History</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#prayers">Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#feast-day">Feast Day</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#novena">Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“I do not promise to make you happy in this world but in the other.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite> Our Lady of Lourdes</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-history">History</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our Lady of Lourdes dates back to 19th century France, in the city of Lourdes, when the Virgin Mary appeared to a young woman named Bernadette in February 1858 (just four years after the doctrine of the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/feast-of-the-immaculate-conception-church-teaching-prayers/">Immaculate Conception</a>).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Just 14 at the time, Bernadette encountered the Virgin Mary more than a dozen times. Our Lady eventually instructed the young peasant girl to dig into the ground, revealing a running spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In his 1872 book “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Our_Lady_of_Lourdes_The_History_of_the_M/pGBxSEQrttUC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=0">Our Lady of Lourdes: The History of the Miraculous Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes</a>,” T.I. Sisk described the encounter poetically:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“The innocent frankness of a child, the absolute purity of a Virgin, the tender gravity of the highest of maternities, a wisdom superior to that of all accumulated ages, were summed up and melted together, without injuring one another, in this marvellous countenance of a young person.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our Lady famously told Bernadette, "I do not promise to make you happy in this life but in the next."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/ourladyoflourdes">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">During the 16th apparition, Our Lady finally revealed herself to Bernadette, who was<a href="https://catholicexchange.com/st-bernadette-kind-saint/"> poor, uneducated and in poor health</a>. Few people believed her at first, but visitors starting coming to Lourdes and in 1862, a local bishop verified Bernadette’s story.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">To this day, the grotto at Our Lady of Lourdes remains a popular pilgrimage site. It hosts 3 million people each year, and its healing water has <a href="https://www.lourdes-france.org/en/?goto_centre=ru&amp;id=467&amp;contexte=en&amp;mot=water">70 miracles attributed to it</a>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcSsCUuNNCY">According to Marlene Watkins</a>, author of "Everyday Miracles of Lourdes," there are thousands of others who have come forward claiming to have experienced a miracle healing from Lourdes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">St. Bernadette was canonized in 1933.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="prayers">Our Lady of the Lourdes Prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our Lady of Lourdes is the patron saint of the sick, and countless people have turned to her over the past two centuries, asking for her intercession to heal them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Pope St. John Paul II <a href="https://www.piercedhearts.org/jpii/prayers/his_prayers.htm">gives</a> us this prayer, calling on the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hail Mary, poor and humble Woman,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Blessed by the Most High!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Virgin of hope, dawn of a new era,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We join in your song of praise,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">to celebrate the Lord’s mercy,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">and the full liberation of humanity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hail Mary, lowly handmaid of the Lord,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Glorious Mother of Christ!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Faithful Virgin, holy dwelling-place of the Word,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Teach us to persevere in listening to the Word,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">and to be docile to the voice of the Spirit,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">attentive to his promptings in the depths of our conscience</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">and to his manifestations in the events of history.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hail Mary, Woman of sorrows,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Mother of the living!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Virgin spouse beneath the Cross, the new Eve,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Be our guide along the paths of the world.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Teach us to experience and to spread the love of Christ,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">to stand with you before the innumerable crosses</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">on which your Son is still crucified.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hail Mary, woman of faith,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">First of the disciples!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Virgin Mother of the Church, help us always</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">to account for the hope that is in us,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">with trust in human goodness and the Father’s love.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Teach us to build up the world beginning from within:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">in the depths of silence and prayer,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">in the joy of fraternal love,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">in the unique fruitfulness of the Cross.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Holy Mary, Mother of believers,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our Lady of Lourdes,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">pray for us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="feast-day">Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated on Feb. 11. Pope Leo XIII declared the feast day in 1890.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The celebration at Lourdes itself includes a <a href="https://en.lourdes-infotourisme.com/explore/have-a-spiritual-experience/explore-the-sanctuary/the-unmissables/the-processions/">procession</a> (which happens often at Lourdes) and an international Mass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Churches around the world who count Our Lady of Lourdes as their patron celebrate the day with special activities, including those, <a href="https://tour.nd.edu/locations/grotto-of-our-lady-of-lourdes/">such as the University of Notre Dame</a>, that contain grottos in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The eve of the feast day also marks for many the final day of novena to Our Lady of Lourdes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/ourladyoflourdes">Pray on Hallow </a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="novena">Our Lady of Lourdes Novena</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes can be prayed during any 9 days, but is most often said beginning on February 2nd or 3rd, ending on either the eve of the Feast Day (Feb. 10) or the Feast Day itself (Feb. 11.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This version of the Our Lady of Lourdes novena comes from Our Lady of Lourdes Church in <a href="https://ollmlb.org/our-lady-or-lourdes-novena/">Melbourne, Fla.</a>:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-opening-prayer">The Opening Prayer</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary,&nbsp; deserving of all praise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">From you rose the sun of justice, Christ the Lord.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-novena-prayer">The Novena Prayer</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Most Holy Mother Mary,&nbsp; at Lourdes you asked us to do penance and to pray for the conversion of sinners. &nbsp; Obtain for each of us the grace of true repentance.&nbsp; Help those for whom we pray, and especially those who most need God’s mercy. Your Divine Son so loves every soul&nbsp;that He gave His life to pay the price for our redemption. &nbsp; Help us to return His love by making the sacrifices&nbsp;needed to keep his commandments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Most Holy Mother,&nbsp; you offered your Divine Son to the Eternal Father&nbsp; when you presented Him in the temple;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">offer us to the Father as your other children;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">watch over us and guide us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Blessed Mother, obtain for me the grace I most need, and especially these favors that I ask in this Novena, if they be in keeping with God’s will. &nbsp; Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/ourladyoflourdes">Find novenas on Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-petition">The Petition</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We pray for the prosperity of our parish and school,&nbsp; and that we may live the virtues in our daily lives, shedding our light and love on those around us.&nbsp; Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-prayer-of-thanksgiving">The Prayer of Thanksgiving</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In thanks, we promise to follow in your virtues, that we may one day share your glory. Our Lady of Lourdes, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your divine son while upon earth. &nbsp; You have the same influence now in Heaven.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Pray for us; obtain for us from your Divine Son our special requests if it be the Divine Will. &nbsp; Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-rosary-prayer-nbsp-nbsp-nbsp">The Rosary Prayer&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">One decade of the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">Rosary</a> is prayed</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">(1 <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-our-father/">Our Father</a>…, 10 <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-hail-mary/">Hail Mary</a>…, 1 Glory be…)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our Lady of Lourdes, Pray for us.&nbsp; Saint Bernadette,&nbsp; Pray for us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Dismissal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. &nbsp; Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-related-posts">Related Posts</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class=""><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/feast-of-our-lady-of-guadalupe-prayers-celebrations/">Our Lady of Guadalupe</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/our-lady-of-fatima/">Our Lady of Fatima</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/our-lady-of-chiquinquira-history-feast-day-and-prayers/">Our Lady of Chiquinquira&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/our-lady-of-aparecida-prayers-feast-day/">Our Lady of Aparecida</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Our Lady of Lourdes: Feast Day, Prayers, Novena, and More [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => our-lady-of-lourdes-feast-day-prayers-novena [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-01-25 20:17:18 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-01-25 20:17:18 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=51178 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 24469 [post_author] => 32 [post_date] => 2024-01-16 17:57:05 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-01-16 17:57:05 [post_content] => <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-holy-week-2025-schedule">Holy Week 2025 Schedule</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#palm-sunday">Palm Sunday</a> - April 13</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#thursday">Holy Thursday</a> - April 17</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#good-friday">Good Friday</a> - April 18</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#holy-saturday">Holy Saturday</a> - April 19</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#easter-sunday">Easter Sunday</a> - April 20</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The season of <a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lent</a> gives way to the celebration of <a href="https://hallow.com/easter/">Easter</a> in Holy Week, the most sacred period of the liturgical calendar.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Holy Week includes both the Church’s most solemn observances and joyous feasts. Unique, beautiful liturgies fill the period of time that begins on Palm Sunday and culminates with Easter Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Holy Week 2025 is a great time to recommit to prayer and draw close to God.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Pray with Hallow during Holy Week</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="palm-sunday">Palm Sunday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Holy Week begins with <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/palm-sunday/">Palm Sunday</a>, a distinct liturgy that begins with a Gospel reading of Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem at the entrance of the worship space.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":"lent-embed"} --> <p class="lent-embed">Those attending the service receive palms, a reminder of Scripture telling us that people welcomed Jesus by laying down their cloaks and waving palm branches (John 12:13).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Palm Sunday is the first time we hear the Lord’s Passion in the liturgical calendar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In 2025, Palm Sunday is April 13. In 2024, Pope Francis celebrated Palm Sunday Mass but did not deliver a homily, likely due to illness.. In the homily that Pope Francis delivered in Palm Sunday in 2023, Pope Francis <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2023/documents/20230402-omelia-palme.html#:~:text=The%20sufferings%20of%20Jesus%20were,the%20cruelty%20of%20the%20crucifixion.">reminded us</a> that "Jesus, in his abandonment, asks us to open our eyes and hearts to all who find themselves abandoned. On Palm Sunday in 2022, he stressed that <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2022/04/10/palm-sunday-pope-francis-homily-2022-242799?fbclid=IwAR0QUFOB11Sm1rBtWUPWp_hFxcb_4_90C9EYtEtCBs5wrMEy69PUPKjtYdQ">God can forgive every sin</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Monday through Wednesday of Holy Week</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Daily Mass takes place like normal during these three days of Holy Week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Gospel readings during these days include passages from the Gospels of John and Matthew about Judas betraying Jesus, preparing us for the Thursday liturgy commemorating The Last Supper.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Taizé prayer services are popular in the evenings in the days between Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">While some Catholics refer to these days as “Holy Monday,” “Holy Tuesday” and “Holy Wednesday,” these names are less prominent than those given to other days that compose Holy Week. <a href="https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041222.cfm">The USCCB</a> simply refers to these days as “Monday of Holy Week,” “Tuesday of Holy Week” and “Wednesday of Holy Week.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="thursday">Holy Thursday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-thursday/">Holy Thursday</a> begins the Easter Triduum–the three days leading up to Jesus’ Resurrection. Its formal name is Mass of the Lord’s Supper, which was the first celebration of the Eucharist. Other branches of Christianity refer to this day as Maundy Thursday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This liturgy includes the reception of the Holy Oils, in which the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens, and the Holy Chrism are processed through the church, to be used for the rest of the year. These oils are all blessed by the local bishop shortly before the liturgy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Also notable at the Holy Thursday service is the washing of the feet, in which the priest washes the feet of 12 parishioners. Jesus did this to demonstrate to his disciples how they are to serve others through selfless love.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Originally, only men were invited to be among the 12 to have their feet washed. <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/33283/women-may-now-have-their-feet-washed-at-holy-thursday-mass-pope-says">A decree from Pope Francis in 2016</a> opened up the ritual to all.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">At the end of Mass, consecrated hosts remain on the altar while everything else is stripped away. As incense fills the church, the priest, donning a special garb called a humeral veil, takes the Blessed Sacrament and processes out of the church to a chapel or other area for adoration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In 2025, Holy Thursday is April 17.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="good-friday">Good Friday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/good-friday-the-passion-of-christ/">Good Friday</a> of the Lord’s Passion, commonly known as Good Friday, is the only day in the entire year in which no Mass is celebrated.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s a solemn day that calls for fasting and abstinence.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross/">Stations of the Cross</a> are popular on Good Friday. The main service on Good Friday features no procession. The Passion is read and the Eucharist (consecrated on Thursday) is distributed.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Veneration of the Cross and solemn intercessions–a set of shared prayer intentions offered universally on this day–are other unique elements to the Good Friday service.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In 2024, Good Friday occurs on April 18</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="holy-saturday">Holy Saturday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Mass on Holy Saturday is the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/easter-vigil/">Easter Vigil</a>, though its full reference on the USCCB schedule of daily reading is “Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord Holy Saturday At the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night of Easter.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">This is the most unique and perhaps most important liturgy of the year. The Easter Vigil ends the Triduum and begins Easter celebrations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The service can only begin once the sun has set. Outside the church, a fire lights the Paschal candle, and the flame is shared throughout the church to individual handheld candles. The Liturgy of the Word, which normally <a href="https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041622.cfm">includes nine readings</a>, begins in darkness.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The readings demonstrate the connection between the Old and New Testaments and how Jesus fulfilled Scripture and achieved salvation for all humanity.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Liturgy of Baptism, which follows the Gospel and homily, marks the culmination of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program. Catechumens, who have been preparing to enter the Church, are baptized, confirmed, and later receive their first Holy Communion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Easter Vigil is a joyous, celebratory liturgy, filled with rich songs. Although the services ends late at night, churches typically have a reception afterward to continue the celebration.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In 2024, the Easter Vigil will take place on March 30. It will begin at different times in different parts of the country (and world), depending on the sunset time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="easter-sunday">Easter Sunday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Compared to other Holy Week services, Easter Sunday Masses are most similar to those that occur during Ordinary Time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The festive atmosphere continues from the Easter Vigil, with the worship space decorated with beautiful flowers, especially white lilies.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Of course, many parishioners wear special outfits to celebrate the day. Easter, the biggest feast that the Church has, is also among the most well-attended services of the year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center","orientation":"horizontal"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/blogdownload">Pray with Hallow during Holy Week</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-holy-week-2025-resources">More Holy Week 2025 Resources</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-prayers/">Lent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/easter-prayers/">Easter Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/happy-easter-images/">Happy Easter Images</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-rosary/">How to Pray the Rosary</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/">How to Pray Divine Mercy Chaplet</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-go-to-confession-the-sacrament-of-penance-reconciliation/">How to Go to Confession</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/bible-in-a-year-with-father-mike-schmitz/">Bible in a Year</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Holy Week 2025: Schedule and Key Dates for the Catholic Observance of Holy Week [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => holy-week-schedule [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://hallow.com/2019/09/23/how-to-pray-the-rosary/ https://hallow.com/2022/02/05/lent-prayers/ https://hallow.com/2020/03/08/how-to-pray-divine-mercy-chaplet/ https://hallow.com/2021/01/12/bible-in-a-year-with-father-mike-schmitz/ https://hallow.com/2020/03/17/how-to-pray-stations-of-the-cross/ [post_modified] => 2025-04-09 16:11:45 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-04-09 16:11:45 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=24469 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 50222 [post_author] => 24 [post_date] => 2024-01-15 22:51:25 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-01-15 22:51:25 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>By: <a href="https://sistersoflife.org/">Sisters of Life</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-novena-for-life-table-of-contents">Novena For Life - Table of Contents</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Pray the novena for life at any time but especially from Jan. 16-24. The intentions in this novena are from the USCCB. You can find their intentions and their 9 Days for Life novena <a href="http://usccb.org/resources/9-days-life-novena">here</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-1">Day 1</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-2">Day 2</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-3">Day 3</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-4">Day 4</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-5">Day 5 </a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-6">Day 6</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-7">Day 7</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-8">Day 8</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#day-9">Day 9</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-1">Novena for Life - Day 1</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Jesus, we ask that you pour your spirit powerfully upon our world. Please open the eyes, ears, and hearts of all to the truth of the sacredness of every human person and the unquenchable love of the Father. Cast out from us any spirit of contempt for life - of our lives or others’ lives - so that our world may experience&nbsp; conversion and renewal of heart, and seek to protect the life and dignity of every unborn child and pregnant mother. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/novenaforlife">Pray Novena for Life on Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-2">Novena for Life - Day 2</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Saint John Paul II, in Crossing the Threshold to Hope said that in the event of an abortion, “It is precisely the woman who pays the highest price, not only for her motherhood, but even more for its destruction, for the suppression of the life of the child who has been conceived. The only honest stance, in these cases, is that of radical solidarity with the woman. It is not right to leave her alone…”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Jesus, we know that there is no sin or darkness is greater than your infinite mercy. May each heart suffering from the experience of abortion powerfully know your gaze of love upon them right now, and find forgiveness, hope, healing, and freedom in your Sacred Heart. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-3">Novena for Life - Day 3</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Jesus, we pray for every woman who is considering abortion, and in a special way for those who are pregnant from acts of rape or incest. May every woman know the goodness, gift, and beauty of her own life, and so be able to receive the gift of her child’s life. May You surround her with a fortress of compassionate care, support, and understanding, so that she knows she is not alone. We ask that you open our hearts to make room for her heart. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/novenaforlife">Pray Novena for Life on Hallow</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-4">Novena for Life - <strong>Day 4</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Pope Francis said, “Every Family needs a father – a father who shares in his family’s joy and pain, hands down wisdom to his children, and offers them firm love and guidance.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Jesus, we pray that men may find strength in the example of St. Joseph, who embraced the role of fatherhood amidst difficult circumstances. May each man know the gift and goodness of his own life, and be given the courage to lovingly support the mother of their children in welcoming new life. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-5">Novena for Life - <strong>Day 5</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">From the Letter to the Romans, St. Paul says, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!”&nbsp; it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,&nbsp; and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lord, we know that parenting and adoption are both beautiful, heroic expressions of maternal love, both full of joys and struggles. We pray that every pregnant mother who is considering adoption may receive grace and support in freely discerning the path You are calling her to.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-6">Novena for Life - <strong>Day 6</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our Founder, Cardinal O’Connor commented: St. Paul says we have to exchange bitterness for love. We don’t want to let any words of malice pass our lips, any evil, anything hurtful or spiteful. How desperately this gentleness is needed! And if we’re going to pick up the pieces of this broken world, if we’re really going to show the world the sanctity of human life, it must be everybody’s life, it must be the life of the prostitute, it must be the life of the drug dealer, it must be the life of the man who tells a woman unless she has an abortion, he won’t support her. It must be the life of the doctors who make fortunes out of abortion, it must be the life of the nurses who assist, it must be the life of those in … Planned Parenthood, all sacred to God. We have to heal.” (JCOC.1. 275)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Jesus, you took upon yourself the weight of every abortion. Lord, may all who support or participate in abortion come to know You and experience a profound conversion of heart. We pray that all who support abortion will hear your voice calling their names, encounter your transforming love and, with repentant hearts, seek and receive Your infinite mercy and healing. Jesus, we know that you make all things new. We put our trust in you. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/novenaforlife">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-7">Novena for Life - <strong>Day 7</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">From Psalm 139: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Our founder, Cardinal O’Connor, said, “No human life, nothing related to any human life can ever again be casual or small. The unborn, the frail-elderly, those dying of cancer completely vulnerable. We see in them the image and likeness of God.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lord, today we pray that children in their mothers’ wombs would again be protected in law, and we do penance in reparation for abortion and ask for the healing and renewal of all who have experienced abortion. May all preborn children be protected and welcomed in love. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-8">Novena For Life - <strong>Day 8</strong></h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Cardinal O’Connor, our founder, said: “Somehow it seems that in God’s mysterious design He has brought each one of us into this world in order to work His wonders through us. …And that all of you have an enormous potential for even greater goodness than that which you already practice so valiantly. To underestimate you is to underestimate God, for each of you is sparked with His divinity. I see in every single one of you, whether you be strong or weak, whatever may have been your past, whatever your circumstances at the moment, I say it with deepest sincerity, that I see the reflection of the sacred, the image and likeness of Almighty God.”&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/novenaforlife">Try Hallow for Free</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lord, we pray for all people in positions of leadership. May those who work as public officials and civic leaders be awakened to the dignity of their role in serving the common good and their own summons to stand for the protection of all human life, in every stage and circumstance. May they encounter your gaze of love upon them, personally, and be moved to proclaim and safeguard the goodness of every life. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3,"className":""} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="day-9">Novena for Life - Day 9</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Begin with the Sign of the Cross: in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On our final day of prayer together, we pray in a special way for all pro-life advocates.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Our Founder, John Cardinal O’Connor, said: “If all the marches, all the prayers, the speeches, the encyclicals, the entire effort of each of you saved but one human life, would not the Lord of Life say to each one of us and to each individual who has ever made the effort on behalf of human life: ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.&nbsp; Receive the kingdom the Lord has prepared for you from all eternity.&nbsp; For you not only fed me and clothed me, confirmed and consoled, and visited me in prison. You saved my life.’”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Lord, we pray for all who advocate and fight for a pro-life culture; may we all find strength and renewal in the Holy Spirit. Breathe upon us, that we may become radiant witnesses of Your life, love, and communion to the Church, and the world. And may we all be animated by Your love to build a culture that respects the dignity of every human person, from conception to natural death. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Say the Our Father</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3 Hail Marys</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Close with the Prayer for Life:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Eternal Father, Source of life, open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that our love will be generous and self-giving and we may be blessed with joy. Grant us great trust in your mercy. Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death. Instill in us and in all people a sense of the sacredness of every human life. Inspire our efforts to protect and care for the most vulnerable; especially women who are pregnant and their unborn children, the sick, and the elderly. Strengthen us in the hope that with you nothing is impossible. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who by his Cross makes all things new. Amen.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>The Novena for Life's intentions come from the 9 Days for Life Novena, <a href="https://www.usccb.org/resources/9-days-life-novena">created by the USCCB</a>.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><strong>Related Prayers:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/pray-the-litany-for-life/">Litany for Life</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-family-novena/">Holy Family Novena</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Novena For Life: How to Pray the Novena for Life [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => how-to-pray-novena-for-life [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-01-17 16:31:36 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-01-17 16:31:36 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=50222 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 32474 [post_author] => 24 [post_date] => 2024-01-13 09:10:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-01-13 09:10:00 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Palm Sunday: Table of Contents</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#intro">Intro</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#biblical-roots">Biblical Roots</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#scripture">Palm Sunday Scripture</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#music">Music and Psalms</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#liturgy">All About the Palm Sunday Liturgy/Service</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#papal-mass">Papal Mass on Palm Sunday</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#prayers">Palm Sunday Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#other-faiths">Palm Sunday in Other Faith Traditions</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#faq">Palm Sunday FAQ</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p id="intro" class="">The final Sunday before <a href="https://hallow.com/easter/">Easter</a>, Palm Sunday represents an important day in Christian worship traditions spanning Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox traditions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the Catholic Church, Palm Sunday represents the sixth Sunday of <a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">Lent</a> and marks the beginning of <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-week-schedule/">Holy Week</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s a unique, beautiful liturgy that sets the stage for Easter Triduum and traces its inspiration back to the <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/how-to-pray-the-gospels/">Gospels</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/palmsunday">Easter's coming. Try Hallow for free!</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="biblical-roots">Biblical Roots of Palm Sunday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">John’s Gospel tells us the story of Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem as Passover approached.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On the next day, when the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him, and cried out:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Hosanna!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[even] the king of Israel.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>John 12:12-13</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When the Gospel makes mention of Jesus riding on a colt or ass, it fulfills the prophecy from Zachariah:&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:quote {"className":""} --> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote"><!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><em>Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your king is coming to you, a just savior is he, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --><cite>Zechariah 9:9</cite></blockquote> <!-- /wp:quote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As Jesus prepared to celebrate Passover, we celebrate Palm Sunday as we prepare for Easter. In 2025, as in all years, Palm Sunday occurs one week before Easter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="scripture">Palm Sunday Scriptures</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040223.cfm">The USCCB</a> formally refers to Palm Sunday as “Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion” because it’s the day we first hear the Passion reading.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">We will hear it again on <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/good-friday-the-passion-of-christ/">Good Friday</a> but from a different Gospel.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In 2025, Palm Sunday will feature the Gospel of Mark, while Good Friday will allow us to hear the Gospel according to John.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Gospel we hear at the start of Mass, which describes Jesus’s approach to Jerusalem, also rotates with the liturgical cycles. (In 2025, the Church is in the lectionary cycle of Year C.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="music">Music, Psalm and Songs</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">At the start of the Palm Sunday liturgy, the first hymn song usually proclaims “Hosanna” (a word of divine praise that we see in John’s Gospel) as seen in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suN49xIcdb4">these</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suN49xIcdb4">YouTube videos</a> of Catholic liturgies.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Responsorial Psalm typically comes from Psalm 22 and features the familiar response, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned me?”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Offertory hymns and songs during the Eucharist vary greatly from parish to parish. “Were You There”--a song which depicts Jesus’s crucifixion–is one you might hear during Communion. ”What Wondrous Love Is This” represents another common hymn.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A popular Palm Sunday recessional hymn is “Lift High the Cross.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Given that Palm Sunday falls within Lent, music will not feature “Alleluia.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="liturgy">Palm Sunday Mass and What Makes It Unique</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Scriptures and songs are just some of the components of the Palm Sunday liturgy that makes it unique.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Churches distribute palms at the start of the service, and often, churchgoers file into the pews as usual. The priest then calls the parishioners to either the back of the church or the vestibule, where the first Gospel is read.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Following that passage, parishioners wave palms as the priest continues into the church as the congregation sings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Not your normal Sunday processional!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The palms will later form the ashes distributed on <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/ash-wednesday/">Ash Wednesday</a> to begin Lent the following year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Palm Sunday is the only Sunday (and the only Mass) featuring the Lord’s Passion and is one of the only liturgies where the priest wears red vestments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s a beautiful, engaging worship experience that prepares us for the Easter Triduum, a time filled with unique liturgies.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="papal-mass">The Pope and the Papal Mass</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On Palm Sunday, as on other important days in the liturgical year, the Pope traditionally delivers a homily in St. Peter’s Square.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The liturgy is usually posted to the <a href="https://youtu.be/w6GdDhhl-hI">Vatican’s YouTube channel</a> so people around the world can watch it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In his homily during Palm Sunday 2022, Pope Francis emphasized a message of forgiveness as the Church approached Easter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Brothers and sisters, in the course of this week, let us cling to the certainty that God can forgive every sin. He forgives everyone. He can bridge every distance, and turn all mourning into dancing,” <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2022/documents/20220410-omelia-palme.html">he said</a>, referencing Psalm 30.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="prayers">Palm Sunday Prayers</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Palm Sunday prayers can acknowledge Jesus’s triumph, as when crowds celebrated Him at Jerusalem, as well as His sacrifice, which we remember during the reading of the Passion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Consider these short prayers:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“God, You are indeed King of Kings and I am blessed by Your love and mercy. May my day today be guided by Your spirit and may I approach any obstacles knowing that my life and our world all belong to Your kingdom. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“Heavenly Father, crowds cheered and welcomed Jesus and later yelled for his crucifixion. I try to honor and celebrate You, but I know there are areas of my life where I reject or ignore You. Today, give me the strength to sing Your praises at times I might otherwise dishonor You. Amen.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">For more ideas on how to pray on Palm Sunday, check out our <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-prayers/">Lent prayers</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/palmsunday">Get the Hallow App</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="other-faiths">Palm Sunday in Other Faith Traditions</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Many Christian faith traditions observe Palm Sunday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America <a href="https://www.goarch.org/palmsunday">describes Palm Sunday as</a> the “commemoration of the Entrance of our Lord into Jerusalem following His glorious miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Evangelical Lutheran Church <a href="https://www.livinglutheran.org/2015/03/elca-members-celebrate-palm-sunday/">observes</a> Palm Sunday, as do many other Lutheran and Methodist churches, some of whom refer to the day as “Passion Sunday.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="faq">Frequently Asked Questions about Palm Sunday</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:yoast/faq-block {"questions":[{"id":"faq-question-1679257498817","question":["What happens on Palm Sunday?"],"answer":["At Palm Sunday, churchgoers receive palms, hear The Passion and prepare for Holy Week."],"jsonQuestion":"What happens on Palm Sunday?","jsonAnswer":"At Palm Sunday, churchgoers receive palms, hear The Passion and prepare for Holy Week."},{"id":"faq-question-1679257509181","question":["Why do churches give out palms?"],"answer":["Palms commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, as Scripture (John 12:13)  tells us the crowd welcomed Him by waving palms."],"jsonQuestion":"Why do churches give out palms?","jsonAnswer":"Palms commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, as Scripture (John 12:13)  tells us the crowd welcomed Him by waving palms."},{"id":"faq-question-1679257517764","question":["What happens to the palms?"],"answer":["The palms distributed on Palm Sunday will form the ashes distributed on Ash Wednesday to begin Lent the following year."],"jsonQuestion":"What happens to the palms?","jsonAnswer":"The palms distributed on Palm Sunday will form the ashes distributed on Ash Wednesday to begin Lent the following year."},{"id":"faq-question-1679257920944","question":["Is Palm Sunday a Catholic thing?"],"answer":["Palm Sunday is an important day in the Catholic faith, but other Christian religions also recognize the day."],"jsonQuestion":"Is Palm Sunday a Catholic thing?","jsonAnswer":"Palm Sunday is an important day in the Catholic faith, but other Christian religions also recognize the day."},{"id":"faq-question-1679257932269","question":["Why do we make crosses on Palm Sunday?"],"answer":["Some people choose to turn their palm leaves into crosses as a reminder of the meaning of the day, but it’s not required. Keeping the palm leaves straight is totally fine."],"jsonQuestion":"Why do we make crosses on Palm Sunday?","jsonAnswer":"Some people choose to turn their palm leaves into crosses as a reminder of the meaning of the day, but it’s not required. Keeping the palm leaves straight is totally fine."},{"id":"faq-question-1679257955889","question":["When is Palm Sunday?"],"answer":["In 2025, Palm Sunday is April 13."],"jsonQuestion":"When is Palm Sunday?","jsonAnswer":"In 2025, Palm Sunday is April 13."},{"id":"faq-question-1679257965844","question":["When Is Orthodox Palm Sunday?"],"answer":["In 2025, Orthodox Palm Sunday falls on April 13."],"jsonQuestion":"When Is Orthodox Palm Sunday?","jsonAnswer":"In 2025, Orthodox Palm Sunday falls on April 13."},{"id":"faq-question-1679258000729","question":["What’s the color of Palm Sunday?"],"answer":["Red is the color of Palm Sunday. It symbolizes the blood of Jesus."],"jsonQuestion":"What’s the color of Palm Sunday?","jsonAnswer":"Red is the color of Palm Sunday. It symbolizes the blood of Jesus."}]} --> <div class="schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block"><div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1679257498817"><strong class="schema-faq-question">What happens on Palm Sunday?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">At Palm Sunday, churchgoers receive palms, hear The Passion and prepare for Holy Week.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1679257509181"><strong class="schema-faq-question">Why do churches give out palms?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">Palms commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, as Scripture (John 12:13)  tells us the crowd welcomed Him by waving palms.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1679257517764"><strong class="schema-faq-question">What happens to the palms?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">The palms distributed on Palm Sunday will form the ashes distributed on Ash Wednesday to begin Lent the following year.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1679257920944"><strong class="schema-faq-question">Is Palm Sunday a Catholic thing?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">Palm Sunday is an important day in the Catholic faith, but other Christian religions also recognize the day.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1679257932269"><strong class="schema-faq-question">Why do we make crosses on Palm Sunday?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">Some people choose to turn their palm leaves into crosses as a reminder of the meaning of the day, but it’s not required. Keeping the palm leaves straight is totally fine.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1679257955889"><strong class="schema-faq-question">When is Palm Sunday?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">In 2025, Palm Sunday is April 13.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1679257965844"><strong class="schema-faq-question">When Is Orthodox Palm Sunday?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">In 2025, Orthodox Palm Sunday falls on April 13.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1679258000729"><strong class="schema-faq-question">What’s the color of Palm Sunday?</strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">Red is the color of Palm Sunday. It symbolizes the blood of Jesus.</p> </div> </div> <!-- /wp:yoast/faq-block --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">More Lent Resources</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/lent-prayers/">Lent Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-week-schedule/">Holy Week 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-thursday/">Holy Thursday 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/good-friday-the-passion-of-christ/">Good Friday 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/easter/">Easter 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/easter-prayers/">Easter Prayers</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Palm Sunday 2025: Scripture, Songs, Readings, and the Meaning of Palms [post_excerpt] => Hallow's complete guide to Palm Sunday. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => palm-sunday [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-03-27 16:26:35 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-03-27 16:26:35 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=32474 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 32751 [post_author] => 24 [post_date] => 2024-01-12 19:40:19 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-01-12 19:40:19 [post_content] => <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Easter Vigil 2025 Guide: Table of Contents</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#intro">Introduction</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#biblical-roots">Biblical Roots</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#maxima-redemptionis">Pope Pius XII and Maxima Redemptionis</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#service-of-light">Start of Vigil: Service of Light</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#exsultet">The Exsultet&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#readings">Easter Vigil Readings: Liturgy of the Word</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#baptism">Liturgy of Baptism</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#eucharist">Liturgy of Eucharist&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="#eucharist">Frequently </a><a href="#faq">Asked </a><a href="#eucharist">Questions&nbsp;</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p id="intro" class="">The Roman Missal borrows a quote from <a href="https://hallow.com/saints/augustine-of-hippo/">St. Augustine</a> when it refers to the Easter Vigil as “the <a href="https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/triduum/roman-missal-and-the-easter-vigil">mother of all holy vigils</a>.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Anyone who has attended this beautiful, unique <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-week-schedule/">Holy Week</a> liturgy would be hard-pressed to disagree.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Easter Vigil is the longest service of the year, for good reason. It’s filled with powerful scripture and beautiful liturgical traditions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s also when the Church grows, since the Easter Vigil is the night when catechumens can receive the Catholic sacrament of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion on the same night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Easter Vigil is a one-of-a-kind Mass, more different than a regular Sunday liturgy than any other Mass of the year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Hallow breaks down the modern Easter Vigil, starting with its roots, which are younger than you might realize.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/eastervigil">🙏 Try Hallow for Free! 🙏</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="biblical-roots">Biblical Roots of The Easter Vigil</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As with the entirety of Holy Week, we understand the Easter Vigil first from the Bible, which tells us of Jesus’s final days, death and resurrection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">But the Easter Vigil celebrates the story of salvation unfolding throughout history, and the liturgy is inspired by both the Old and New Testaments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“By most ancient tradition, this is the night of keeping vigil for the Lord (Ex 12:42), in which, following the Gospel admonition (Lk 12:35-37), the faithful, carrying lighted lamps in their hands, should be like those looking for the Lord when he returns, so that at his coming he may find them awake and have them sit at his table.” Roman Missal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="maxima-redemptionis">Pope Pius XII and Maxima Redemptionis</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">However, the Easter Vigil that St. Augustine knew and experienced is likely much different than the Holy Saturday service that occurs worldwide in the 21st century.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":"lent-embed"} --> <p class="lent-embed">During the middle ages, Holy Week liturgies took place at different times than we’re accustomed to. They often began in the mornings, when the meaning of a nighttime vigil was compromised, and at a time when fewer people could attend these services.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the 1950s, Pope Pius XII changed the observance of Holy Week, to encourage <a href="https://catholiccourier.com/articles/1950s-holy-week-changes-promoted-greater-lay-involvement/">greater lay participation</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">His 1955 papal document <a href="https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_19551116_maxima-redemptionis_la.html">Maxima Redemptionis</a> solidified changes to Holy Week that are more familiar today.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">One of the most noteworthy elements of the Easter Vigil occurs outside the church.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="service-of-light">The Vigil Begins: Easter Vigil Worship Place + Service of Light</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">On <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/good-friday-the-passion-of-christ/">Good Friday</a>, the altar is bare; the church sparsely decorated. Crosses and statues are covered. The next day, on Holy Saturday, there is no morning Mass before the Easter Vigil. The church remains empty, quiet and dark before the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Throughout the day, we await Christ’s imminent Resurrection, resting with Him in the darkness. As Pope Francis recently <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/Pontifex/status/1639941513928126464">said</a>,&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">“There are moments when life seems to be a sealed tomb: all is dark, and around us we see only sorrow and despair … Jesus tells us that in these moments we are not alone. Precisely in these moments He comes closer than ever to restore life to us.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Easter Vigil that night marks the first sign of Christ’s light and resurrection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After churchgoers have filed into the church, the Easter Vigil service begins at sunset with an invitation from the priest to walk from the dark church outside to begin the Service of Light.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A fire burns, dispelling the night’s darkness, as the priest takes the Paschal Candle, carves a cross and other symbols into it, and lights the candle. With incense burning, the priest passes light from the candle to smaller candles held by everyone in attendance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As everyone moves inside, the light from Christ illuminates the dark worship space. It serves as a powerful symbol, as Christ is the Light of the World. As Christ’s light enters the church, it can also enter our hearts.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class=""><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/15662/holy-father-explains-symbols-of-the-easter-vigil-light-water-and-the-alleluia">As Pope Benedict XVI said</a>, “Beginning with the resurrection, God’s light spreads throughout the world and throughout history..This Light alone – Jesus Christ – is the true light, something more than the physical phenomenon of light..”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s a symbol that perhaps those in the Middle Ages were better equipped to appreciate than we do, given that light and electricity are typically abundant for us.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="exsultet">The Exsultet&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">When the procession ends, and the candle settles on its resting place, the<a href="https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/easter/commentary-on-easter-proclamation-exsultet"> Exsultet</a>, also known as Easter Proclamation, begins. It’s a beautiful, rich hymn that celebrates the truly holy night with words such as those below:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:pullquote --> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote><p><em>This is the night</em><br><em>of which it is written:</em><br><em>The night shall be as bright as day,</em><br><em>dazzling is the night for me, and full of gladness.</em><br><em>The sanctifying power of this night</em><br><em>dispels wickedness, washes faults away,</em><br><em>restores innocence to the fallen, and joy to mourners,</em><br><em>drives out hatred, fosters concord, and brings down the mighty.</em><br><em>On this, your night of grace, O holy Father,</em><br><em>accept this candle, a solemn offering,</em><br><em>the work of bees and of your servants’ hands,</em><br><em>an evening sacrifice of praise,</em><br><em>this gift from your most holy Church.</em></p></blockquote></figure> <!-- /wp:pullquote --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Exsultet gives a taste of the unique Scripture and song that take place as the Vigil unfolds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="readings">The Easter Vigil Readings and Psalms</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">In the readings at the Easter Vigil, we trace the story of the world from God’s creation through Jesus’s Resurrection.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A Psalm follows each reading. After the psalm, the congregation rises as the priest says, “Let us pray…” and offers a specific prayer related to the reading and psalm. After “Amen,” everyone sits, and the next reading begins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>1. <strong>Genesis 1:2-</strong>2 (The Story of Creation)<!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 104: Lord send out Your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>2. <strong>Genesis 22:1-18</strong> (God puts Abraham to the Test)<!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 16: You are my inheritance, O Lord.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>3. <strong>Exodus 14:15-15:1 (</strong>Moses’s Triumph Over the Egyptians)<!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Responsorial Psalm: Exodus 15: Let us sing to the Lord; He has covered himself in glory.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>4.<strong> Isaiah 54:5-14</strong> (Tne New Zion)<!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 30: I will praise You, Lord, for You have rescued me.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>5. <strong>Isaiah 55:1-11</strong> (An Invitation to Grace)<!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 12: You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>6.<strong> Baruch 3:9-15, 32C4:4 </strong>(In Praise of Wisdom)<!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19: Lord, You have the words of everlasting life</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>7.<strong> Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28</strong> (The Renewal of Israel)<!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 42: Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for You, my God.</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>("Gloria in excelsis" is sung)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>8. <strong>Epistle: Romans 6:3-11</strong> (If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.)<!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>(Alleluia led by the priest)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>9. <strong>Gospel: Mark 16:1-7</strong> (The Resurrection of Jesus)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After the seventh and final Old Testament reading, the priest leads “Gloria in excelsis,” often accompanied by bell ringing. The "Gloria" is not sung during Lent but returns on Holy Thursday and again at the Easter Vigil.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Before the ninth and final reading, the Gospel, the priest intones “Alleluia” three times, getting louder each time, the first time Alleluia is sung during Lent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Pastors can shorten the number of readings, with some limitations, based on the needs of their particular parish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">The Liturgy of the Word concludes with a homily, which is often brief, given the length of the readings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="baptism">Baptismal Liturgy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">One of the most special aspects of the Easter Vigil is the Liturgy of Baptism, which follows the Liturgy of the Word.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Adult catechumens who have been preparing to be welcomed into the Church receive the sacrament of baptism at this time. This process is known as “RCIA”--the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Even if the parish has no catechumens, the baptismal font still receives a blessing and everyone gathered renews their baptismal vows.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">As those being baptized process to the baptismal font, accompanied by their sponsors or godparents, the cantor leads the Litany of the Saints, invoking the intercession of various “holy men and women” throughout time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">Those who are newly baptized then receive a white robe–a symbol of being cleansed from sin, <a href="https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/who-we-teach/christian-initiation-of-adults">according to the USCCB</a>, and a white candle, lit from the Paschal candle. They then receive the sacrament of Confirmation and are anointed with oil of the Sacred Chrism (which is presented during Holy Thursday.)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="eucharist">Liturgy of the Eucharist</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">At this point, the Easter Vigil proceeds mostly like a normal Sunday liturgy.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">If there are newly baptized adults, they may carry the gifts forward during the offertory. The priest may also offer a special message to them and their sponsors, as they prepare to receive <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/eucharist-holy-communion-adoration-prayer/">Holy Communion</a> for the first time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">After Communion, the priest offers a final blessing and a dismissal that includes a final “Alleluia” before the Mass ends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">A celebratory hymn like “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” closes the joy-filled worship. Although the liturgy ends late into the night, churches often hold gatherings with food and drink to celebrate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"className":""} --> <p class="">It’s not a short liturgy, but it’s absolutely worth your time. With powerful rituals, words, songs and initiation, the Easter Vigil is perhaps the most vibrant celebration of our faith.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:buttons {"layout":{"type":"flex","justifyContent":"center"}} --> <div class="wp-block-buttons"><!-- wp:button --> <div class="wp-block-button"><a class="wp-block-button__link wp-element-button" href="https://hallow.app.link/eastervigil">➡️ Pray With Hallow! Get the App.</a></div> <!-- /wp:button --></div> <!-- /wp:buttons --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="faq">Frequently Asked Questions about The Easter Vigil</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:yoast/faq-block {"questions":[{"id":"faq-question-1680130186434","question":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["How long is the Easter vigil?"]}}],"answer":["This depends on a number of factors, such as whether certain portions of the Mass are spoken or sung, how many readings are used and if there are any baptisms. It usually runs 2.5 to 3 hours."],"jsonQuestion":"\u003cstrong\u003eHow long is the Easter vigil?\u003c/strong\u003e","jsonAnswer":"This depends on a number of factors, such as whether certain portions of the Mass are spoken or sung, how many readings are used and if there are any baptisms. It usually runs 2.5 to 3 hours."},{"id":"faq-question-1680130196688","question":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["Is Easter Vigil a Holy Day of Obligation?"]}}],"answer":["The Easter Vigil is not a Catholic ",{"type":"a","props":{"href":"https://hallow.com/blog/holy-days-of-obligation/","children":["Holy Day of Obligation"]}},"."],"jsonQuestion":"\u003cstrong\u003eIs Easter Vigil a Holy Day of Obligation?\u003c/strong\u003e","jsonAnswer":"The Easter Vigil is not a Catholic \u003ca href=\u0022https://hallow.com/blog/holy-days-of-obligation/\u0022\u003eHoly Day of Obligation\u003c/a\u003e."},{"id":"faq-question-1680130228840","question":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["Does the Easter Vigil fulfill Sunday obligation?"]}}],"answer":["Yes, attending the Easter Vigil fulfills one’s obligation to attend Mass on (Easter) Sunday."],"jsonQuestion":"\u003cstrong\u003eDoes the Easter Vigil fulfill Sunday obligation?\u003c/strong\u003e","jsonAnswer":"Yes, attending the Easter Vigil fulfills one’s obligation to attend Mass on (Easter) Sunday."},{"id":"faq-question-1680130239548","question":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["What is Easter Vigil Mass attire?"]}}],"answer":["There’s no specific dress code for the Easter Vigil, and no outfit recommendation could possibly accommodate all churches in all cultures. Since it’s a long liturgy, make sure your outfit is comfortable."],"jsonQuestion":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is Easter Vigil Mass attire?\u003c/strong\u003e","jsonAnswer":"There’s no specific dress code for the Easter Vigil, and no outfit recommendation could possibly accommodate all churches in all cultures. Since it’s a long liturgy, make sure your outfit is comfortable."},{"id":"faq-question-1680130247728","question":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["What happens at the Easter Vigil?"]}}],"answer":["There’s darkness, fire, water (Baptism), oil (Confirmation) and more. It’s a liturgy filled with powerful symbolism."],"jsonQuestion":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhat happens at the Easter Vigil?\u003c/strong\u003e","jsonAnswer":"There’s darkness, fire, water (Baptism), oil (Confirmation) and more. It’s a liturgy filled with powerful symbolism."},{"id":"faq-question-1680130297479","question":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["When does the Easter Vigil begin?"]}}],"answer":["The exact time varies, but the Easter Vigil always begins after dusk."],"jsonQuestion":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhen does the Easter Vigil begin?\u003c/strong\u003e","jsonAnswer":"The exact time varies, but the Easter Vigil always begins after dusk."},{"id":"faq-question-1680130360710","question":[{"type":"strong","props":{"children":["What are the four parts of the Easter Vigil? "]}}],"answer":["The Service of Light, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist."],"jsonQuestion":"\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the four parts of the Easter Vigil? \u003c/strong\u003e","jsonAnswer":"The Service of Light, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist."}]} --> <div class="schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block"><div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1680130186434"><strong class="schema-faq-question"><strong>How long is the Easter vigil?</strong></strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">This depends on a number of factors, such as whether certain portions of the Mass are spoken or sung, how many readings are used and if there are any baptisms. It usually runs 2.5 to 3 hours.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1680130196688"><strong class="schema-faq-question"><strong>Is Easter Vigil a Holy Day of Obligation?</strong></strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">The Easter Vigil is not a Catholic <a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-days-of-obligation/">Holy Day of Obligation</a>.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1680130228840"><strong class="schema-faq-question"><strong>Does the Easter Vigil fulfill Sunday obligation?</strong></strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">Yes, attending the Easter Vigil fulfills one’s obligation to attend Mass on (Easter) Sunday.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1680130239548"><strong class="schema-faq-question"><strong>What is Easter Vigil Mass attire?</strong></strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">There’s no specific dress code for the Easter Vigil, and no outfit recommendation could possibly accommodate all churches in all cultures. Since it’s a long liturgy, make sure your outfit is comfortable.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1680130247728"><strong class="schema-faq-question"><strong>What happens at the Easter Vigil?</strong></strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">There’s darkness, fire, water (Baptism), oil (Confirmation) and more. It’s a liturgy filled with powerful symbolism.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1680130297479"><strong class="schema-faq-question"><strong>When does the Easter Vigil begin?</strong></strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">The exact time varies, but the Easter Vigil always begins after dusk.</p> </div> <div class="schema-faq-section" id="faq-question-1680130360710"><strong class="schema-faq-question"><strong>What are the four parts of the Easter Vigil? </strong></strong> <p class="schema-faq-answer">The Service of Light, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.</p> </div> </div> <!-- /wp:yoast/faq-block --> <!-- wp:heading {"className":""} --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">More Holy Week Resources</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list {"className":""} --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/lent/">The Complete Guide to Lent</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/palm-sunday/">Palm Sunday</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/holy-thursday/">Holy Thursday</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/good-friday-the-passion-of-christ/">Good Friday</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/easter/">The Complete Guide to Easter</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://hallow.com/blog/when-is-lent/">Lent 2025</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> [post_title] => Easter Vigil 2025: Guide to Catholic Easter Vigil Mass, Readings and More [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => easter-vigil [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-08-27 18:50:16 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-08-27 18:50:16 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://hallow.com/?p=32751 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )