Holy Week is an incredibly special time leading up to Easter Sunday in celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. But what is it really about?
While Christians know the textbook answer, we don’t always fully understand it with our hearts. And to understand it more fully, this time should be spent seeking a deeper relationship with Jesus. It’s a phrase – a relationship with Jesus – that sounds so cliché, but to truly know Him, to truly invite Him into your life isn’t always as easy as most would have you think.
The following selections are five recommendations for going deeper into that great mystery both from a biblical and a scientific viewpoint. All will help you have a deeper understanding of what Christianity is really about, and will help you develop a greater appreciation of Christ's Passion.
The Rescue Project
"What if there’s another story?" asks Fr. John Riccardo, " The Rescue Project is proposing one that is known as the Gospel."
This series shares the gospel message in a way that was taught by the early Church, a way that should strike your heart in a meaningful way. In his book Rescued: The Unexpected and Extraordinary News of the Gospel, Fr. John Riccardo explains,
Another word you might have heard to refer to the gospel is kerygma. Kerygma is simply a Greek word that means ‘proclamation,’ as in ‘the proclamation of the gospel. . . . I rephrase the kerygma into four questions:
• Why is there something rather than nothing?
• Why is everything so obviously messed up?• What, if anything, has God done about it?
• If God has done something, how should I respond?
The following is the trailer for The Rescue Project:
You can view the full series here: https://watch.actsxxix.org/therescueproject
New Evidence for the Shroud of Turin w/ Fr. Andrew Dalton (Pints With Aquinas)
The amount of energy you would need to recreate a similar image would be 34 thousand billion watts. - Fr. Andrew Dalton, LC, expert on the Shroud of Turin
Fr. Andrew Dalton not only explains the science and controversy surrounding the Shroud of Turin, but the evidence that it is Christ’s shroud and what it tells us about the crucifixion.
While this may not seem like a conversation that would spark a spiritual experience, I can assure you this is well worth watching during Holy Week as you will learn more about what Jesus endured than what you’ve ever heard. This discussion provides greater knowledge of the crucifixion from a scientific standpoint that will only deepen your belief.
Holy Thursday
Dr. Scott Hahn | Finishing Strong: Partakers of the 4th Cup | Adult Defending the Faith Conference (Steubenville Conferences)
“Did you ever wonder what He was referring to when He said, ‘It is finished?’” the pastor asked in his homily, but didn’t know the answer.
Scott Hahn responded, “I found [that question] deeply troubling. . . . WHAT was finished?!”
Hahn answers this question and explores the fourth cup that was missing from the Last Supper, which was a Passover Seder meal that should include four cups of wine.
Good Friday
The Passion of the Christ
This famous movie by Mel Gibson is quite possibly the most painful crucifixion account to watch. The Passion of the Christ converted many, including some of those working on the set. And, yet, it’s possible that this still doesn’t capture the suffering Christ truly endured during his Passion.
If you can, this is a movie worth watching on Good Friday with a box of Kleenex or two.
Trailer:
Easter
The Paschal Sermon of St. John Chrysostom (Pints With Aquinas)
Saint John Chrysostom is one of the Church Fathers and bishop of Constantinople who is known for his gift of preaching and public speaking. Matt Fradd wonderfully reads Chrysostom’s masterful Paschal Sermon about Christ’s victory over death.
This short sermon is the perfect way to kick off Easter with its message of victory!
