As Pope Francis pointed out in his video message for Holy Week, Christians are celebrating Easter this year in “a truly unusual way”. How can we respond to Jesus’ statement: “I desire to eat the Passover in your house”?

In his video message ahead of Holy Week, Pope Francis said social distancing measures put in place to slow the spread of Covid-19 mean that “through us, the “Easter Gospel will resound in the silence of our cities.”

How can we celebrate the Easter Triduum liturgies of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday?

We rejoice because Jesus Christ, who triumphed over death, enables us also to triumph over all forms of death in our life. In our life, indeed, the forms of death are many.

Some of the world’s great—along with many of those who have power—are still walking in the ways of death. They are imposing many wars on our Middle East and on our Holy Land, the land of the Resurrection. They see nothing but death as a way to life. The strong in our land continue to see the death imposed on the Palestinian people as their only way to life and security.

I woke up at 4 a.m. today and suffered from certain unrest, apparently for reflecting on what happened in Jerusalem, in similar days to ours, nearly two thousand years ago.

At the time, Jerusalem witnessed eight types of behavior, particularly with regard to the suffering and death of Christ on the cross:

1) Christ weeping over Jerusalem (Luke, chapter 19, verses 41-44)

2) Peter cried after his denial of Christ (Luke, chapter 22 verse 62)

3) Judah cries after he betrayed Christ (Matthew, chapter 27, verses 3-5)

Our Lord’s submission to death and his subsequent resurrection, even if they do not explain fully or answer all our questions concerning the suffering of the innocent, do comfort and encourage us.

Without a doubt, Holy Week of 2020 is tragically historic in this time of COVID-19, a true global plague. Since the end of World War II, humanity has not been subjected to a situation so grave and mortal as this. However, in spite of this inescapable reality, the Christian Holy Week comes providentially to give us encouragement, strength and hope for our life and happiness.

The Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) in Jordan has published a special prayer for the healing of COVID-19 victims in Jordan and the world at large. This prayer was reported on Monday, April 6, since Easter celebrations approach according to the Gregorian and Julian calendars, as reported by CCSM Director Fr. Dr. Rif'at Bader who wrote the prayer. Father Bader urged the believers to follow prayers on social media outlets so that they can participate in the Easter Church Services.

On a normal Palm Sunday, Christian communities hold Palm Sunday processions, waving palm crosses and listening to the year's longest Gospel! Internationally, families in Jerusalem's Christian quarter parade down the Mount of Olives carrying palm branches, Nigerian priests ride a real donkey into church, and communities in the Dominican Republic dress up as characters in the passion narrative, with 'Roman' soldiers marching down streets!

Do you have knots in your life that seem impossible to untie? Turn to Mary, Undoer of Knots!

The devotion to Mary, Undoer (or Untier) of Knots is about 300 years old, but became more widely known as Pope Francis spoke about and promoted it throughout his papacy, and while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pope Francis said:

Dear friends,

Palm Sunday, the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, marks the beginning of Holy Week, during which we celebrate one of the major feast days of our faith. As they made their way to Jerusalem, Jesus often spoke with His apostles about the suffering and cross that awaited Him. He wanted to prepare them for what was to come. The apostles, however, were afraid and found it difficult to understand that the world was to be delivered through the Passion and cross of Christ.

“Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.” (Psalm 106:47)

During the coronavirus pandemic, our Catholic faith lifts us up and takes us deeper into the heart of the Church while also reaching into a stricken world. We are affected by the stress and heartache, but not shocked. Scripture tells us of such things will happen when we turn away from God.

Fr. Antony Kadavil reflects and comments on the readings at Mass for the fifth Sunday in Lent. He says that today's readings on our ultimate desire to share in eternal life with the risen Lord.

Ez 37:12-14; Rom 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45