Advent to Easter

It’s St George’s Day at last. With 23 April falling within Easter there has been confusion about the correct date.  The Church of England is observing St George’s Day today Monday 29 April. But because today is the feast day of St Catherine of Siena Day, patron of Europe, the Roman Catholic Church has designated […]

The Sunday after Easter Day has many names. It used to be generally called Low Sunday although it is uncertain why. Was it because of a low attendance or less exuberance than last week? Today is the Second Sunday of Easter but since Millennium Year many call it Divine Mercy Sunday because St Faustina Kowalska, […]

It is 23 April which is Shakespeare’s birthday and Turner’s birthday. But it’s not St George’s Day. Today is Easter Tuesday. The great Easter celebration takes precedence. Liturgical celebrations for St George have been moved to Tuesday 30 April.

Easter is just starting. Even the Book Common Prayer has a collect and readings for Easter Monday and Easter Tuesday. The weather is good for egg rolling in Preston’s Avenham Park which has been an Easter custom there since 1867. Meanwhile at Hallaton in Leicestershire the annual Easter Hare Pie scrambling and bottle kicking on […]

“None rejoice at Eastertide less than those who have not grieved in Lent”, reflected John Henry Newman who later this year will be declared to be a saint. Easter has arrived overnight after our forty days of Lent and this last week of living with Christ in Jerusalem. We now begin Easter and break the […]

If we are  following the real time of Holy Week today Saturday  is a limbo with Christ dead whilst  the apostles wonder what will happen next. But today we know that come dusk there will be the first flickers from Easter fires outside churches and in public areas in Finland and villages in Cyprus. So […]

On Good Friday 1783 Dr Johnson described his breakfast as “tea without milk, and…a hot cross bun to prevent faintness”.  Today is a day of fasting and abstinence so a hot cross bun, invented by St Albans Abbey in 1361, should keep one going until after church this afternoon. The distribution of hot cross buns […]

Maundy Thursday has several themes including feet washing, institution of the Eucharist, watching with Christ and arrest. At the distribution of the Royal Maundy, this morning at Windsor, the Queen will be accompanied by clergy and children wearing towels. This is a reminder that once the monarch not only gave out money but washed feet […]

Wednesday of Holy Week is Spy Wednesday and so-called because Judas betrays Jesus. Judas is paid by enemies for his information that Jesus will be almost alone on Thursday. This is such a poignant day that it has become customary for many churches to hold this evening the ancient service known as Tenebrae. Tenebrae means […]

It’s Fig Monday today which recalls Jesus pointing out the fig tree on the Bethany-Jeruslem road. Yesterday Jesus famously rode into Jerusalem. In the evening he returned. Today he comes back to the city past threw fig tree again and overturns the tables of the moneychangers at The Temple. The commute with his disciples will […]