MSI Press Blog

   Continuing in the series of Sula (parish cat) Easter posts and especially on Caturday, here is another excerpt from Sula's Easter book; it comes from the section on the Easter vigil: Waiting before the Vigil The church is always dark on Easter Vigil. I am among the first there, waiting not just for the Resurrection that is to come but also for the people who will be coming to wait together—they with me and I with them. I like greeting the people as they come in. Often, I will know with whom I should be waiting. That, after all, is my mission.     The Mass The Easter Vigil Mass is unique. It is not like any other Mass during the year. The Vigil Mass is also complex—and rich. It goes from dark to light, from people who cannot see each other to people welcoming new members into the body of Christ. The Mass has four elements. These are (1) the Service of Light, (2) the Liturgy of the Word, (3) Baptism, and (4) the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Service of Light starts outside, around

  And now begins the Triduum. Here is an excerpt about Maundy Thursday from Easter at the Mission .  What is Holy Thursday? Holy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) starts the Triduum (Latin for three days) with its evening Mass. The Triduum is a 3-day period at the end of Lent and includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Saturday vigil. Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper. That is when Jesus ate together for the last time with his 12 apostles (and during which Judas slipped out and betrayed him for 30 pieces of silver). Before eating supper with his apostles, Jesus washed their feet. The feet washing is also commemorated during the Holy Thursday Mass. Maundy , a term common to Protestant churches, is an old word used in England and France that meant “commandment” (Latin: mandatum ). It was called that because during the Last Supper, Jesus gave the apostles (us, too) a very important commandment: “A new commandant I give to you, that you love one another even as I have loved you”

  Time goes by so quickly!! It is already Palm Sunday (for Christians in the world). How many understand much beyond the palms? Sula, parish cat at Old Mission, wrote a helpful book, Easter at the Mission , with information not generally shared in books that more superficially discuss the events around Easter, that explains Catholic dogma (much would also relate to Protestant denominations).  Sula's book is informative yet delightfully illustrated and easy to understand. It can be purchased on the spot at Old Mission gift shop or at St. Francis Retreat Center, both in San Juan Bautista. Or, it can be purchased online . Want a discount? Order from MSI Press webstore at half price sale ; use code FF25, and get another 25% off. Cannot beat that price! But it won't last beyond Easter, so please do hurry if you want the book.                                         Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter.

  Happy Easter to all! Here are some readings related to Easter from a couple of our books: From Blest Atheist: The Church in Siberia From Easter at the Mission : Easter Vigil and Palm Sunday

We celebrate Easter by offering two previous posts about Easter: https://msipressblog.blogspot.com/search?q=Easter And here is some more information about those books and their authors -- Bennett Easterling has written three terrific spiritual books; follow the book links for more information about each book. Jesus Is Still Passing By Jesus Is Still Passing By: Study Guide Edition (by popular demand when study groups discovered the original book) Of God, Rattlesnakes, and Okra: A Preacher's Boy Tells His Growing-Up Story (a delightful, funny, warm-hearted memoir -- and award-winning) Sula, Parish Cat at Old Mission has written six books, one of which is focused on Easter. Easter at the Mission: A Cat's Observation of the Paschal Mystery  Sula received great reviews on her Easter book. Read them on Goodreads , MidWest Book Review and Readers Favorite . Learn more about her othe

" My favorite part of Easter at the Mission by Sula Parish Cat at Old Mission is the humor." Read the full review at Readers' Favorite . 

Are you interested in moving beyond the traditional egg hunt and chocolate bunnies, finding ways to engage the children of your family in the Easter story? We’ve discovered a delightful game that both adults and kids enjoy. It’s as simple as finding some colored plastic Easter eggs—the kind that open up--and stuffing them with questions or clues surrounding the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection story. Find an Easter basket, fill it with fake grass and place the eggs inside the basket.   When everyone is seated for dinner, someone passes the basket around the table. Each person takes an egg, then take turns opening their egg and reading the scripture verse or showing the clue and telling what it has to do with Easter.\ You can be quite imaginative in stuffing the eggs, using small nails, bits of fabric, thorns, spices and other items as well as scripture verses. If the one opening the egg cannot explain how it relates to Easter, the other children are invited to answ

What is Palm Sunday? Palm Sunday is the Sixth Sunday of Lent and the Sunday before Easter. It is a moveable feast because the date changes every year, just like the moveable feast of Easter. Palm Sunday starts Holy Week, the last week of Lent. On Palm Sunday, the priest is allowed to wear a color other than purple—but can wear purple if he wishes to. Palm Sunday is a joyous interlude in the somber season of Lent. I can almost always feel the joy of the parishioners, the priest, and those who serve for the Mass—the cantors, lectors, and altar servers. I get much petting on Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus’s triumphant ride on a donkey into Jerusalem. Jesus sent his disciplines into town to bring to him a donkey and a colt, and to tell the owner of the animals that the Lord needed them. A large crowd followed Jesus into Jerusalem, and they laid palm branches in front of him along the way. Some even laid their cloaks in front of him, making a special path for him to follo