Easter is a season to celebrate, as Jesus was raised from the dead. The preparation for this begins on Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent – a 40-day period leading up to Holy Week. Easter is the central liturgical season in the Church’s year. Below are some of the most significant events in its preparation.
Friday November 1st is All Saints Day, a day of remembrance celebrated in the Church every year, and recognised as the most inclusive feast day. When we remember the saints, both known and unknown, we also remember God’s saving grace in the midst of the disasters of history.
The World Day of Prayer is an international ecumenical Christian laywomen’s initiative. It is run under the motto “Informed Prayer and Prayerful Action”, and is celebrated annually in over 170 countries on the first Friday in March. The movement aims to bring together women of various races, cultures and traditions in a yearly common Day of Prayer, as well as in closer fellowship, understanding and action throughout the year. (WorldDayOfPrayerAustralia.org)
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary is celebrated on the 8th of December. It is believed that Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception, which kept her soul immaculate from birth.
November in the Catholic tradition is a month of remembrance of the dead. To begin this, All Saints’ Day is celebrated on the 1st, and All Souls’ Day on the 2nd. These are not nationally recognised holidays and are no longer holy days of obligation in Australia, but the Church continues to encourage prayers of the faithful for the departed during this time.
Today begins Pope Francis’ Season of Creation, which will continue until October 4th. This time invites everyone to see and acknowledge that we, as stewards of the earth, are interlocked with it, rather than separate from it. It is a time to be thankful for everything given and entrusted to us.
On Monday we celebrated our final Mass in Spain before making our way to Lisbon. On our way, we stopped in at Santarem and visited the Holy Miracle Church of St Stephen, which contains the oldest recorded Eucharistic Miracle! Once arriving in Lisbon, we had the afternoon at leisure – most of us took the advantage of finding the closest laundromat.
On Monday the 12th of June, a satellite, Spei Satelles, with the words of Pope Francis was launched into space. These words were his moments of prayer celebrated on the 27th of March 2020, at an address during the pandemic. These words have become an ‘icon of hope, a seed of hope from which to start again.’
On June 21st we celebrate World Peace and Prayer Day, which is a day to encourage everyone to pray for our world, regardless of nationality, religion, and life experiences. This is reflected in this year’s theme, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. This is also a day to learn more about Mother Earth and our environment.
Corpus Christi, also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, is celebrated on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday. This year, it is celebrated on the 8th of June. This feast day, translated as “The Body and Blood of Christ”, is a day to honour the sacred body of Jesus Christ.