Maundy Thursday 2026

Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;

Therefore let us keep the feast.

Agnus Dei by Zurbaran, circa 1635.

Agnus Dei by Samuel Barber as performed by Voces8:

The Lessons Apppointed for Use on

Maundy Thursday

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Palm Sunday 2026

Hippolyte Flandrin, The Entry of Christ into Jerusalem, 1844.
Click to enlarge,

The Lessons Appointed for Use on the

Sunday of the Passion:  Palm Sunday

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the human race, you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Addendum, 3/20:  In his Palm Sunday homily, Pope Leo said God does not listen to the prayers of those who claim to wage war in the name of the Prince of Peace, quoting from the first chapter of Isaiah:

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Dance with Me" by Vintage Photomontage - a lovely thing:

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Sunday Drive: Vivaldi, Spring, Movement 1

Joyful spring returns with its unending message of new life:

And yet, in the midst of life we are in death.  The Guardian reports:

Pope Leo on Sunday said death and suffering caused by the war in the Middle East are a “scandal to the whole human family”, as he once again pleaded for an immediate ceasefire.

As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its fourth week, the first U.S. pope said that he continues to follow with “dismay” the situation in the Middle East and in other regions torn apart by war and violence.

“We cannot remain silent in the face of the suffering of so many people, the defenceless victims of these conflicts. What hurts them hurts the whole of humanity,” Leo said at his weekly Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.

“I strongly renew my appeal for us to persevere in prayer, so that hostilities may cease and the way may finally be paved for peace,” he added.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Beefcake Sampler #7" by Clint Collide:

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The 80-Year-Old Crybaby Is Wrecking the World

Three commentaries on the latest Oval Office tantrum by observers who need no introduction here:

Adam Kinzinger:

Paul Krugman:

The George Orwell essay that Krugman quotes from can be found here.

Mary Trump:

And finally, a Pennsylvania voter puts the blame squarely on herself:

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The Pork Boys Do St. Patrick's Day, 2026

This was our Sunday dinner, held on Monday night because . . . we're old and retired and we don't have to follow a schedule.  Main dish was slow-cooked corned beef, with boiled cabbage, carrots, and little white potatoes, and some beef gravy.  M.P. made Irish soda bread to go with dinner. 

Dessert was chocolate cake covered with a dark chocolate ganache and decorated with some icing made of chocolate and Guinness stout.  Everything was scrumptious!  And notice the "pot of gold" centerpiece M.P. fixed up, ringed with artificial shamrocks.These simple photos are mainly just for our future reference.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Gay Interest Photos #1" by Clint Collide:

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Max Miller: Food for a Female Pharoah

In recent months, M.P. and I have become fans of handsome Max's fascinating food history videos.  He does a superb job of researching ancient and modern recipes, as you will see in this episode.

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Today's Sermon: Obama Speaks at Jesse Jackson's Funeral

A powerful excerpt (3:20) from former President Obama's remarks at the funeral of the Reverend Jesse Jackson in Chicago on Friday afternoon:

Transcript:

We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope. Each day we wake up to some new assault on our democratic institutions, another setback to the idea of the rule of law, an offense to common decency. Every day you wake up to things you just didn't think were possible. Each day, we're told by those in high office to fear each other and to turn on each other, and that some Americans count more than others, and that some don't even count at all. Everywhere we see greed and bigotry being celebrated and bullying and mockery masquerading as strength, we see science and expertise denigrated while ignorance and dishonesty and cruelty and corruption are reaping untold rewards. Every single day we see that, and it's hard to hope in those moments. So it may be tempting to get discouraged, to give into cynicism. It may be tempting for some to compromise with power, and grab what you can, or even for good people to maybe just put your head down and wait for the storm to pass.

But this man, Rev. Jesse Lewis Jackson, inspires us to take a harder path. His voice calls on each of us to be heralds of change, to be messengers of hope, to step forward and say, "Send me." Wherever we have a chance to make an impact, whether it's in our school or our workplaces or our neighborhoods or our cities, not for fame, not for glory, or because success is guaranteed, but because it gives our life purpose, because it aligns with what our faith tells us God demands, and because if we don't step up, no one else will.

How fortunate we were that Jesse Jackson answered that call. What a great debt we owe to him. May God bless Rev. Jackson. May he rest in eternal peace.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Keep on Keeping On" by Clint Collide:

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