Observation Report #4. The Easter Vigil: Holy Family Catholic

(Villalba). While some religions honor Halloween, others honor Easter. Easter is a holiday celebrated by Christian faith. Easter day represents the death of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. For Christians, Easter marks the end of Lenten fasts, which is why Easter is usually celebrated with a feast. Some Christians believe that by following the process of fasting, baptisms, and sacraments, is their way to get into heaven.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre is also known as the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Resurrection (Orthodox Christians). Originally identified as being outside the settlement of Calvary, it is located in the Old City of Jerusalem, Israel and is considered one of the holiest sites in the world, as well as being a central destination for Christian pilgrims. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was originally built by the Roman Emperor Constantine (272-337) in 330 CE upon the site of a Roman temple. It has since been controlled by Arab rulers, reclaimed by Christian crusaders, repeatedly ruined by fires and conquests, and long been subject to regional religious and political tensions. The Holy Sepulchre is a central Church in

The Eucharist or communion has been celebrated for over 2000 years in the church; however, the frequency of the practice varies greatly across churches. For example, the non-denominational church that I grew up in, celebrated communion every Sunday with consistency and the focal point of each service. (It was so routine I could quote what was going to be said.) Now, I am part of a church that celebrates communion once per month as a conclusion to the sermon. Another major difference between the two churches is who is welcome to participate in communion. For instance, my first church greatly expressed that only those who profess Christ could partake and must not receive communion in an unworthy. Evidently, the church’s view of Atonement (Penal Substitution) influenced a memorial view of communion. Also, the leader’s interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11:29 influenced this approach to communion. As our weekly reading pointed out, “Most who take the Memorial View do not have a place for grace in their theology beyond salvation” (Peterson 3). Therefore, during

On the rotating table there were open books and the men would turn the table and without any hesitation continued to sing. Around 9:30 is when the church began to fill up and that is when the Priest and two Bishops came out. The Priest wore his stole, which is like a long scarf, around his neck and hanging to the floor on either side of him. The Deacons wore their stole vestments across their body diagonally. There was also a group of 4 boys that helped on the Alter whom also wore robes and they would enter and exit through the Angel Doors also known as Deacon’s Doors. Each time they went through the doors they kissed the icon on the door. There were times when the church would stand and times when everyone in the church would sit and these motions were all dictated by the Priest that made gestures to the crowd.

The purpose of the feast was a time to remember the 40 years spent in the wilderness, the journey and deliverance from slavery to the promised land, and to remind people that we are only pilgrims on the earth. The feast served also as a time to remember God’s direction in the wilderness wanderings. Finally, it served as a time to remember the protection God gave the

Such as, the Holiday of “Easter” the painting of the eggs and the finding of the eggs, relates to Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. After reading Paganism, I learned that “Easter” is a holiday not only celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, but a holiday of the Spring Equinox. Easter is a goddess known for fertility. In German she is called Ostara and in Anglo-Saxons she is known as Eostre. It’s celebrated the balance of light and darkness and the arrival of spring a renewal of the life force. In which, would explain why the Holy Roman Church would choose that date for Christ’s resurrection, so the people could not practice their religion. However, it didn’t stop the people because it’s we still practice paganism tradition that’s taken place today.

Do you know how many of your County neighbors are barely making ends meet—often not earning enough to cover just one unexpected expense? A recent survey revealed that about 46% of Americans don’t feel they have enough money to cover a $400 emergency expense. Rather than paying it outright, these individuals and families have to put the expense on a credit card or simply cannot cover it.

Catholic Charities is a family and children’s human service agency under the Archdiocese of Hartford. Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Hartford has over 90 years experience providing a variety of services to children, teens, adults, and families without regard to race, religion, or economic circumstances.

One of the main themes of the service was based around the divine liturgy, which is the considered the primary worship of the church. The Devine Liturgy is read by a combination of the priest, bishop, choir, and the church community. It is from the liturgy that the offerings of the bread and wine come from along with other prayers. It teaches that the bread and the wine “truly become the body and blood if Jesus Christ” (Sorensen). The priest, or the deacon is the ones that prepare the Eucharist, also known as the “ritual meal of bread and wine” (“Orthodox Churches" 233) as “the body and blood of Christ” (“Orthodox Churches" 233). They combine both the bread and the wine and bless these gifts to become one. They are then put into a chalice, and fed to the community through a golden spoon. While observing the taking of communion I noticed that a red cloth was held under the gold cup by acolytes, which are “altar boys who assist the adult officiants” (“Orthodox Churches" 231). The community puts their hands behind their back while taking communion so that they do not touch the gift or the priest. It is also during the time of communion that the community honors the “painted or mosaic” (“On Common Ground: World Religions in America” ) saints that are used as icons throughout the church. It was during the honoring of

Christians have been celebrating the Lord’s Supper for almost two thousand years. In this paper I will refer to the Lord’s Supper as an ordinance of the church. “An ordinance is an outward rite prescribed by Christ to be performed by His Church.” There are quite a few varying interpretations among the different churches on how the Lord’s Supper is to be practiced. I Corinthians 11:23-34 provides Christians with the scriptural meaning and reasons for observing the Lord’s Supper, also known as communion. Many consider the Lord’s Supper of little or no value and some consider the ordinance as more of a ritual. In some modern churches, preaching the Word is emphasized the most and communion is only observed once a month or

The Pastor came to the congregation and began to worship the Lord as he was led, and presented words of praise. Afterward, he asked the members to turn with him to the scripture reading for the morning. Pastor Horne proceeded with the reading of scripture in the King James Version. Granted, the Pastor did not use sermon notes. However, after he finished delivering his message, he came down from the pulpit and opened the doors of the church for those who had not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal savior (Horne, 1983). An offering was taken up, then the minutes was read, and lastly the benediction.

On Friday, March 11, I attended a Sabbath evening service at the Congregation Beth Shalom Synagogue in Naperville. Being raised and only attending the Roman Catholic Church, I was nervous about attending a service for a faith to which I did not belong and which was not even part of my heritage. However, much to my surprise what I found instead was a religious ceremony with similar origins but different beliefs. A group of Jewish people who welcomed visitors with open arms regardless of their religious faith. A community of Jews who volunteered their time an hour prior to the service so they could educated, teach and answer any of my questions I might have about the Judaism religion. I was even invited for refreshments after the service to meet the congregation. Even though, I learned Judaism and Catholicism are very different religions with different traditions, customs, beliefs and ceremonies, I also observed they both share many similarities.

Two practices important to Christian worship usually take place in churches. These practices are (1) baptism and (2) the Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper. The ceremony of baptism celebrates an individual's entrance into Christianity. The Eucharist represents the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with His disciples. Worshipers share bread and wine in the Eucharist as a sign of their unity with each other and with Jesus.

The Communion Christians have always regarded the Holy Communion as being one very important element towards achieving discipleship since the very beginning. However, the question in every Christian’s mind is “what are we doing?” it is, therefore, important to discuss what the holy communion means about theology. The Holy Communion has several names given to it. Among them are: the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Divine Liturgy, and the Mass. Inside the New Testament, there are also varying details given there concerning what entails the Holy Communion on accounts given by Christ himself.[1] The Holy Communion does not compare to Baptism which is another sacrament that is non-repeatable. It is repeatable to some certain degrees as it can be done on a daily basis such as those performed by the Catholic Church. In other instances, it can be conducted on a much infrequent celebration such as the ones that happen in Reformed Churches. Referring to Baptism, there are differences in the practice and its significance, and sometimes the understanding of what it means to be baptized. This has gone ahead to become e a hindrance to churches having a common celebration, but at the same time, there is some spiritual benefit that accrues to the people that partake in it. In the same way, the Eucharist possess the same characteristics. Nature of the Union of Christ and Church The Holy Communion is not just a matter of people ingathering in unity. The purpose of having the communion is so

Christians' Celebrations of Holy Communion There are many different ways in which Christians celebrate Holy Communion, depending on the denomination of Christianity, in which they belong. Holy Communion is one of the seven sacraments found in Christianity. A sacrament is an outward physical act with an inward, deeper meaning, which can be obtained through various, specific rituals. In the case of Holy Communion, which is also known as the Eucharist meal or Mass, Christian worshippers believe that they receive the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, through the act of eating the bread, which symbolises Christ’s body, and by drinking the wine, said to be his blood. This sacrament originates back to