Happy Mother's Day!

Don't forget... Sunday May 11 is Mother's Day!!! Make sure to remind your mom's just how thankful you are for them and how much you appreciate all that the do for you each and every day!

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Don't Forget!

Make sure you all ask you parents for your summer schedule of family events this week. We are planning our summer trip to Atlanta and we need to make sure we can all attend without anyone missing due to a family vacation. We are doing our best to make sure we work around all schedules- so help us to help you enjoy this awesome Summer Trip!

Shooting Some Hoops!

 

 

Some photos of the boys playing b-ball and the typical shot of the ladies cheering them on. Well, making fun of them...!

Guitar Hero!!!

 

 

 

 

Some shots of the madness that is Movie Night! Darby and her winter hat, the boys taking a time out from the video games, the girls texting, and the smallest Guitar Heroes!

MOVIE NIGHT!!!

It's here yet again! MOVIE NIGHT has arrived once more!!! Plenty of pizza, popcorn, sodas, (Gatorade for Alex!), Guitar Hero III, and some hopeful basketball if the rain lets up today will be at the Parish House! Bring some movies, an appetite, a friend (or two), and a good attitude tonight from 4-7 pm. Somebody try to get in contact with Scooter, too- I have called him for about 2 weeks and I get that awesome, "This person is not taking calls right now," message. Be there or be SQUARE!!! Love you guys! P.S. Be kind to Andrew- he has worked since 4 am- let's not kick his butt too much on the basketball court!!! :)

Happy Easter!

Have a wonderful, family-filled, relaxing Easter today! Remember to make some non-material memories this year... let's take away some Christ-filled, family, or just refelective thoughts with us this time. I love you guys and can't wait to see you at Movie Night Saturday!!! See you at 4!!!

Good Friday

Good Friday, also called Holy Friday or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday. It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus at Calvary. Jesus Christ, having been arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by the Temple Guards through the guidance of Judas Iscariot, is brought to the house of Annas, who is father-in-law of the current high priest, Caiaphas. There he is interrogated with little result, and sent bound to Caiaphas the high priest, where the Sanhedrin had assembled.

Conflicting testimony against Jesus is brought forth by many witnesses, to which Jesus answers nothing. Finally the high priest adjures Jesus to respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testifies in the affirmative, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven." The high priest condemns Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedrin concurs with a sentence of death.

In the morning the whole assembly brings Jesus to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to Caesar, and making himself a king. Pilate authorizes the Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own Law and execute sentencing, however the Jewish leaders reply that they are not allowed by the Romans to carry out a sentence of death.

Pilate questions Jesus, and tells the assembly that there is no basis for sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate refers the case to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. Herod questions Jesus but receives no answer; Herod sends Jesus back to Pilate. Pilate tells the assembly that neither he nor Herod have found guilt in Jesus; Pilate resolves to have Jesus whipped and released.

It was a custom during the feast of Passover for the Romans to release one prisoner as requested by the Jews. Pilate asks the crowd who they would like to be released. Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asks for Barabbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an insurrection. Pilate asks what they would have him do with Jesus, and they demand, "Crucify him". Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a dream earlier that day; she forewarns Pilate to "have nothing to do with this righteous man".

Pilate has Jesus flogged, then brings him out to the crowd to release him. The chief priests inform Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and demanded to know from where he came.

Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declares Jesus innocent, washing his own hands in water to show he has no part in this condemnation. Nevertheless, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall a riot. The sentence written is "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." Jesus carries his cross to the site of execution, called the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and "Calvary" in Latin. There he is crucified along with two criminals.

Jesus agonizes on the cross for three hours while the sun is darkened. With a loud cry, Jesus gives up his spirit. There is an earthquake, tombs break open, and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declares, "Truly this was God's Son!".

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus, who had not consented to his condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the body of Jesus. Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion whether Jesus is dead. A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with a lance causing blood and water to flow out, and the centurian informs Pilate that Jesus is dead.

Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus, wraps it in a clean linen shroud, and places it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Another secret follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus also came bringing 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and places them in the linen with the body of Jesus, according to Jewish burial customs. They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb. Then they returned home and rested, because at sunset began the Sabbath.

This is a good day to reflect on all Jesus did for us on that painful day- for US! just so we could all enter the kingdom of heaven. It is hard to imagine ANYONE doing such a heroic and selfless act- but that is just what he did. Jeses died for our sins and that is the greatest sacrifice we Christians have ever known.

Maundy Thursday

In the Christian liturgical calendar, Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday is the feast or holy day falling on the Thursday before Easter that commemorates the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles. It is the fifth day of Holy Week, and is preceded by Holy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday.

On this day four events are commemorated: the washing of the Disciples' feet by Jesus Christ, the institution of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot.

The morning celebration of these events marks the beginning of what is called the Easter Triduum or Sacred Triduum. The Latin word triduum means a three-day period, and the triduum in question is that of the three days from the death to the resurrection of Jesus. It should be noted that for Jesus and his followers a day ended, and a new day began, at sunset, not at midnight, as it still does today in the modern Jewish calendar. The Last Supper was held at what present-day Western civilization considers to be the evening of Holy Thursday but what was then considered to be the first hours of Friday. Its annual commemoration thus begins the three-day period or triduum of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, days of special devotion that celebrate as a single action the death and resurrection of Christ, the central events of Christianity.

MOVIE NIGHT!

I know it has been a while- but it is finally here! March's Movie Night will be on Saturday March 29 from 4-7 pm!!! Bring Guitar Hero, bring some movies, bring a friend, bring an appetite! Hope to see you there!

Our Prayers are with the Melvin Family

We have just heard the news that our friend Troy's parents were in a car accident this weekend. His mother is still in the hospital, and our prayers are with Troy and his family during this very scary and difficult time. Please keep them in your hearts and minds this week as we wait for more news about them. The paths of tomorrow are paved with today's prayers. We love you, Troy.