Eastertide

IT’S LENT ONCE AGAIN

It’s Lent once again
That time of year
To de-clutter, A time
To tidy and clear

But it’s not the time
To tidy the garden shed
The garage or the loft
Or even under the bed

Lent is the time when
Spring cleaning begins
When we cleanse our souls
And wash away our sins

HOLY WEEK

Holy Week
Is the last week of Lent
Which precedes Easter
Starting on Lazarus Saturday
It includes Palm Sunday
Maundy Thursday
And Good Friday
And ends on Holy Saturday

LAZARUS SATURDAY

Lazarus Saturday
Is the day preceding
Palm Sunday
Which celebrates the raising
Of Lazarus of Bethany
A day of joy and triumph
Which begins Holy Week

PASCHAL MYSTERY

The Paschal Mystery
Is a concept
Central to Christian belief
When God the Father
Sent his only Son to Earth
To accomplish man’s salvation
Via the passion, death,
And Resurrection
Of Jesus Christ

PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD

With the Roman Rite
Of Palm Sunday
Or Passion Sunday
Holy Week begins
Marking the humble entrance
Of the Messiah
Into Jerusalem on a donkey,
So he could accomplish
His paschal mystery,
But Palm Sunday
Also marks with the
Blessing of palm leaves
The beginning
Of his journey to the cross

EASTERTIDE

Eastertide or Paschaltide
Is a festal season
That begins on Easter Sunday
And lasts for fifty days
Ending on Pentecost Sunday
Celebrated throughout
The Christian world
As a single joyful feast

ONE OF THE TWELVE - JUDAS ISCARIOT

One of the twelve
Judas Iscariot
The betrayer
The taker of coins
The lost soul
Satan’s pawn
Hanged himself
Replaced as an apostle
By Matthias

HOLY MONDAY

Holy Monday is
The Third day of holy week
Is notable for several reason
We are told in The Gospels
That amongst other things
The cursing of the fig tree
The questioning of Jesus' authority
And the Cleansing of the Temple
All took place on Holy Monday

HOLY WEDNESDAY

In Western Christianity,
Holy Wednesday
Is the Wednesday before Easter
The fifth day of holy week
Often called "Spy Wednesday",
To mark the betrayal of Jesus
By his apostle Judas Iscariot
And on Holy Wednesday
He first conspired with the Sanhedrin
To betray the Lord
For thirty pieces of silver

MAUNDY THURSDAY

Maundy Thursday
The sixth day of Holy week
Which remembers the Maundy
The day when Jesus
Washed the feet of his disciples
As well as the last supper
On the feast of Passover
And marks the start
Of the Easter Triduum,
That commemorates
The passion, death,
And resurrection of Christ

FOR A FEW SILVER COINS

One of the twelve
Chosen Apostles
Possessed of Evil?
Or pawn of Christ
Judas Iscariot met
High Priest Caiaphas
And left the temple
With the Sanhedrin bribe
“Thirty pieces of silver”
Bought an apostle
And Christ’s fate was sealed
For after the last supper
In the gardens of Gethsemane
Judas Iscariot delivered
His kiss of betrayal
Condemning them both
By that single act
To an untimely death
Judas by his own hand
And Christ on the cross

GOOD FRIDAY

Good Friday
Marks the day
The Temple Guards
Aided by the Judas kiss
Arrested Jesus
At Gethsemane
Also his interrogation
By High Priest Caiaphas
And the Sanhedrin
Who condemned him to death
Before conveying him before
The Roman governor
Pontius Pilate
Who with reluctance
Ordered his crucifixion
At the place of the Skull

HOLY SATURDAY

Holy Saturday
Is not a Mass
But a time of
Prayer and fasting
And meditating on Christ’s
Passion and Death
His Descent into Hell
And his Resurrection

EASTER VIGIL

The Easter Vigil,
Is the longest and most solemn
It begins after sundown
With The Service of Light
When a new fire is kindled
Symbolising the Light of salvation
Which is used to light
The Paschal candle
Symbolising the Light of Christ
Reminding all that
Christ is Light and life

EASTER SUNDAY

Easter Sunday
Is the most important date
In the Christian calendar
And Celebrates
The Resurrection
Of Jesus Christ
And beginning
The Great Fifty Days
Of Eastertide

ASCENSION DAY

Ascension Day
Is the fortieth day
Of Eastertide
And celebrates
With great solemnity
The Ascension of the Lord

PENTECOST SUNDAY

Pentecost Sunday is
The Feast of Weeks
White Sunday
Is the fiftieth day
And Marks the end
Of Eastertide
Celebrating the descent
Of the Holy Spirit
Upon the Apostles
And all followers
Of Jesus Christ