Editing and writing to integrate the Classics, 1990s theology & the present. Includes scripture reflections and hagiographical studies to encourage prayer & work for the common good and serve the cause of peace. Education and additional references for these blog posts: at Librarything.com & cited websites. Posts published in 2025 integrate AI-enabled responses from Gemini, Copilot, and ChatGPT.
April 17, 2025, Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum in the Catholic Church. It begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper and is completed this coming Easter Sunday. The Easter Triduum is the centre and the apex of the Church's liturgical year.
It was in the 1400s A.D. when a Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday within Holy Week was observed by Catholics in a special manner as a "Triduum". In more recent years, this Triduum has been redefined as a Holy Thursday evening Mass to Easter Sunday evening Mass - calculating the days of the week from sunset to sunset [1].
Saints Commemorated on April 17
Mappalicus and Companions, martyrs
Innocent of Tortona, bishop
Donnan and Companions, martyrs
Robert of Chaise-Dieu, abbot
Stephen Harding, abbot [2]
Today, the Catholic Church also commemorates 2 groups of martyrs, 2 abbots, and 1 bishop.
One fascinating thought in studying the Lives of the Saints is a special insight one can discover if examined within an interdisciplinary perspective: integrating secular history, Church history, literature, sacred music lyrics, poetry, depth psychology, paranormal or supernatural phenomenon, culture, politics, geography, and languages. Since the Saints were flesh-and-blood people who dotted the history of the Church from the four corners of the world, and come from all walks-of-life, then hagiography becomes, as it were, not only a study about the Saints themselves and their lives, but about life as a whole in all its dimensions.
Hagiography, when taken as a study or professional endeavour, is not new to the Catholic faith. When the monastic life bloomed since the time of St. Benedict of Nursia, many of the monks had this subject as part of their spirituality. They not only transcribed or translated the Bible and other literary works, but they actually studied and copied manuscripts about the lives of the Saints - studying in particular those Saints who were members of their religious order. It formed part of their formation in the faith and in the spirituality and life of their religious founder.
As one studies more in-depth the Lives of the Saints, one will discover some Saints who may not be as well-known, but their life, in some sense, was more inspiring compared to the popular ones like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Augustine of Hippo. One such saint is St. Stephen Harding (whose feast is commemorated today, April 17). He was one of the three founders of the Cistercian Order. The story of the Cistercians seen in the "eyes of faith" of St. Stephen Harding, can inspire anyone to act with the same level of patience, fortitude, faith and courage as St. Stephen Harding. His story should be made more known for a time such as now. Many call the story of the Cistercians a "miracle", and indeed it is. However, it is not a miracle in the sense of something beyond the natural, but it is more a miracle that occurs in the heart and in the soul. And this is a miracle not only in the external sense, but one that occured brightly in the heart & soul of St. Stephen Harding. For details of the Cistercian story, you can read Memorial of Saints (January 26).
References: Books, Websites & AI Search Results
[1] The New Concise Catholic Dictionary, Reynolds R. Ekstrom
First reading: Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116
Second reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel reading: John 13:1-15
"As I have done, so you must do."
The gospel for the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper is a passage with just 15 verses in the 13th chapter of John's gospel. It emphasizes an act of humility and service which Jesus performed for His companion-apostles. This was how the evangelist described that significant and memorable act of service:
Jesus rose from the meal table,
took off His cloak,
picked up a towel to tie it around Himself,
poured water into a basin,
and began to wash His disciples' feet.
When Jesus came to the spot where Simon Peter was seated, Peter did not accede at first. It was because he was aware of Jesus as his Master and refused to be washed. But when Jesus explained that this action will give Peter a share in His heritage, Peter overreacted, and now wanted his hands and his head washed as well! Knowing Peter well, Jesus told him plainly that only his feet needed to be washed. After Jesus completed this prophetic action, He put His cloak back on, and reclined at table once more.
This act of washing the apostles' feet is a concrete example of what Jesus had been preaching in His ministry to the people: "the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve." His act of washing of the apostles' feet in the Last Supper gospel account is replicated with simple drama at every Holy Thursday Mass. Those who attend the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper can see what it means to be a Christian. The priest-presider will follow what Jesus did: he will wash the feet of twelve selected members of his parish. He will follow Jesus' command: "As I have done, so you must do." This happens in all parishes around the world. Every parishioner of every parish is now called to do as the priest-presider had done. They are to bring that spirit of humble service to every area of their secular work and life.
What does "washing each other's feet" mean for the faithful today? As Catholics celebrate the Eucharist, each one receives the Body and Blood of Jesus - the very life-force that produces the quality of humble service to every member of the community - members of the family, co-workers, and the people on the streets (pedestrians, vendors, tricycle drives, Grab drivers, barangay Tanods, traffic enforcers, etc). Each believer is called to be kind to all - not only to those he knows. It is these daily interactions with others where every one can obey the command of Jesus do as He has done - to be of service to all, especially the marginalized and the sick. In imitation of Christ, each one can see what good can be done to better any situation experienced on the way to work or en route back home.
Triumph and Conflict in the Papacy of John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II made a great impact on the many cultures of the world in his papal administration and continues to do so for the younger generations who witnessed his presence - online or personally - within the turn to the Third Millenium. His spirituality of mission and holiness created a strong personal stamp to his papacy - a papacy that was very active on the global stage - working for peace in the world, for the unity of Christians, and for interreligious dialogue among different world religions. Many books have been written about his life, his charismatic personality, and his very diplomatic papal administration. One book that provides many details about his person and his papacy is a book written by John Cornwell, "The Pontiff in Winter: Triumph and Conflict in the Reign of John Paul II".
Highlights of the book
Cornwell's book highlights how John Paul had firmly set his stamp on the billion-member-strong Catholic Church not only for the present generations he had served but also for future generations of soon-to-be-baptized Catholics. He has become one of the most influential Catholic political figures in the world - making him deserve a title akin to Gregory the Great and Leo the Great. His papacy marked a significant role in the downfall of communism in Europe, with Poland his home country as the fulcrum for that strategic victory. His apologies for the Catholic Church's treatment of Jews, the victims of the Inquisition, racism, and religious wars are all quite distinctive of a papacy seeking a spirit of reconciliation and unity among divisive forces. It is this stamp in his charismatic papacy that has won him worldwide admiration.
The book, with all praises to John Paul II, is balanced in its presentation. Author John Cornwell exalts John Paul II's "global virtues" but his written accounts speak also about aspects of John Paul's papal administration that appear, or are negative, in the eyes of his critics. In this balanced treatment of John Paul II's papacy, the subjects of misogyny, homophobia, and ecclesiastical tyranny are also dealt with. Those who criticize this diligent and missionary pope say that John Paul's perpetuation of the Church's traditional hierarchical paternalism contributed to the cases of sexual misconduct among the clergy and encouraged the secrecy of these "crimes". Such were the stains emphasized by his critics.
John Paul II's character brought into sharp focus
With a balanced treatment of John Paul II's papal administration, the book also achieves an interesting presentation of John Paul II's complex character. Author John Cornwell states that John Paul's mystical view of history, and the pope's conviction of his mission as divinely established, are both central to the understanding of his person and his pontificate. This developed in John Paul II an increasing sense of "providential rightness" that influenced his reactions to the many problems of his pontificate:
turbulence in the secular world,
turbulence within the Church,
the September 11, 2001 attacks,
sexual scandals in the United States,
the clash between Islam and Christianity,
the ongoing debate over the Church's policies regarding women and their desire for ordination,
and big social issues such as same-sex unions, abortion, and AIDS.
A book still respectful of John Paul's prodigious spirit
Though the book combines eyewitness reports with information from the best sources (in and outside the pope's inner circle) and tells of both positive and negative aspects of John Paul's pontificate, it is still basically respectful of John Paul II as a person. The book does not discount the prodigious spirit and unrelenting battles he had to fight for, especially in his defense of human rights and religious freedom. Because of this balanced presentation, the eyewitness reports, and the enigmatic portrait painted of his papal character embattled by many forces, the book produced a very moving, elegiac image of John Paul in the winter of his life. It is a thoughtful, incisive, and thorough assessment of his legacy not only to the Catholic Church and her impact on history but also to a world in need of a man and a leader of world peace at the time.
About Author John Cornwell
John Cornwell is also the author of the international bestseller "Hitler's Pope". He is also an award-winning journalist with a lifelong interest in Vatican affairs. He has reported on the pope for "Vanity Fair" and "The Sunday Times" (London). He attended Roman Catholic seminaries in England for seven years, followed by studies in literature and philosophy at Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Chapters in the book
To get some ideas of what the book contains, these are some chapters in the book:
Prologue: John Paul the Great
Part One: Holy Theatre 1920-1999
Close Encounters
Stagestruck
The Eternal City
Professor and Pastor
Bishop and Cardinal
Combatting Communism
Signs of Contradiction
"Be Not Afraid"
The Universal Pastor
.....
Epilogue: The Legacy of John Paul II
Is the book worth reading?
I'd say yes. And for a very special purpose. Since now is a crucial time in the Catholic Church, reading through some book chapters can provide insights and open one's understanding to different perspectives needed to know why it is important to be Catholic today. John Paul II, now St. John Paul II, left a very positive and indelible mark on the soul of Catholics in the Universal Church. His papacy is vital, for he created bridges of trust to counter all the forces that "burn bridges".
Wikipedia's profile on author Cornwell gives a negative view of how Cornwell treated the subject of his book. But this book was published in 2004 A.D., when John Paul II was really in the "winter" of his pontificate - a very tough time for the pontiff who had to struggle against a debilitating ailment. It is common sense to note that when someone is in a state of weakness, all his enemies and political rivals will surely comment on the negative aspects of his work and life. Not so with those who side with the pontiff. And with his pontificate now vindicated by being raised in the altar of canonization, one can see how whatever negative is written in the book, can be balanced and seen in more objective perspectives.
There can be no denying that St. John Paul II has embodied the ideal missionary spirit of St. Paul of being all things for all men for the sake of Christ and His gospel. If Catholics are to know the right direction in which they are to tread in a world marked by so much pluralism and unchecked liberalism, the papal legacy of St. John Paul can be that steady anchor during political storms, that firm and straight keel, to guide the Church, the boat of St. Peter, safely to the shore where Christ our Lord awaits.
