Good Friday

This originally was 'God Friday', they say. The German
translation is Grieve Friday. My total memories of
GF are as follows. In school we were forced to eat
nasty fishsticks at lunch because Catholics would
go to hell if they ate meat. And at various places
I worked they gave half a day off without pay if
you wanted it. I never did.

Easter memories are hunting for eggs and lots
of candy and chocolate. My family never connected
Easter to anything religious, so I was unindoctrinated.
Appreciate that, parents.

How about Maundy Thursday? What did that mean?

I don't really care about religious stuff but I try not to offend anyone. So I don't talk to Muslims about food during Ramadan or anything like that.
I recall Catholics not eating meat on Fridays but I never really understood why and I believe its no longer required.

Its never been a big thing to me. Easter was a time for eggs, chocolate, constant chatter about some mythical bunny and women's hats/dresses.

It's a state holiday in many states, a national
holiday in the UK, schools and banks are
closed. In the US banks and schools are
open, the stock market is closed.

The Catholics fast on good Friday. According
to wiki:

"The Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a fast day, which in the Latin Church is understood as having only one full meal (but smaller than a regular meal) and two collations (a smaller repast, two of which together do not equal one full meal) and on which the faithful abstain from eating meat."

So it's fasting but you get to eat only one
McD fish sandwich instead of two. Some
fast.

Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday as I know it is the celebration of the Last Supper, the Institution of the Eucharist, establishing the priesthood, and calling us all to lovingly serve each other. It is a big deal and kicks off what we call the Sacred Triduum (Three Days). It starts with Holy Thursday then Good Friday and finally Holy Saturday. Then the Easter season begins at sundown with the vigil of all vigils and night of all nights, The Easter Vigil.

Easter is all about the greatest event in human history and the moment that literally changed everything, namely the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Quote: FrGamble

Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday as I know it is the celebration of the Last Supper, the Institution of the Eucharist, establishing the priesthood, and calling us all to lovingly serve each other. It is a big deal and kicks off what we call the Sacred Triduum (Three Days). It starts with Holy Thursday then Good Friday and finally Holy Saturday. Then the Easter season begins at sundown with the vigil of all vigils and night of all nights, The Easter Vigil.

Easter is all about the greatest event in human history and the moment that literally changed everything, namely the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Hey, FrGamble, is your family all Catholics or do you have some outliers?

Quote: FrGamble

Easter is all about the greatest event in human history .

The greatest urban legend perhaps, I'd
agree with that. On actual greatest events
lists, you see WWI And WWII, man landing
on the moon, the Reformation, the
invention of the printing press, tearing
down of the Berlin Wall, even the American
revolution. You never see the resurrection
because nobody knows if it really happened.
Science says it's impossible, common sense
says it's totally improbable.

But celebrating old myths is quaint in a modern
age. It gives people a link the superstitions
of the past, and a sense of how far we've
come from a time when myths ruled the
world.

Quote: FrGamble

Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday as I know it is the celebration of the Last Supper, the Institution of the Eucharist, establishing the priesthood, and calling us all to lovingly serve each other. It is a big deal and kicks off what we call the Sacred Triduum (Three Days). It starts with Holy Thursday then Good Friday and finally Holy Saturday. Then the Easter season begins at sundown with the vigil of all vigils and night of all nights, The Easter Vigil.

Easter is all about the greatest event in human history and the moment that literally changed everything, namely the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

Is there anything special or that the Church does for Holy Saturday? Growing up it was always just an "empty" day. Wedged between the sadness of Good Friday and the Celebration of Easter. IIRC after the Good Friday service we put everything back to how it usually was around the church after it was changed Holy Thursday night.

Quote: rxwine

Hey, FrGamble, is your family all Catholics or do you have some outliers?

There are a few outliers in the extended family and way too many non practicing.

Quote: AZDuffman

Is there anything special or that the Church does for Holy Saturday? Growing up it was always just an "empty" day.

I think you hit the nail on the head. It is a day of nothingness as we remember our Lord dead and in the tomb. No Mass, no sacraments, just prayers of longing and hopefulness.

Quote: Evenbob

The greatest urban legend perhaps, I'd
agree with that. On actual greatest events
lists, you see WWI And WWII, man landing
on the moon, the Reformation, the
invention of the printing press, tearing
down of the Berlin Wall, even the American
revolution. You never see the resurrection
because nobody knows if it really happened.
Science says it's impossible, common sense
says it's totally improbable.

But celebrating old myths is quaint in a modern
age. It gives people a link the superstitions
of the past, and a sense of how far we've
come from a time when myths ruled the
world.

You do make me laugh. Ask yourself what other urban myth can be mentioned in the same breath of the world shaking events you mentioned? Not to forget that the reality of the Resurrection is the foundation of many of the things you listed or plays an important part. Dear Bob, what you and other so called atheists have to wrestle with is that there is no other explanation to the impact of the Risen Jesus on this world other than it is historical fact. You can make these funny and ignorant comparisons all you like but it did happen, His disciples saw it, an the world has never been the same.