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The words “Messiah” and “Christ” mean “anointed.” To be a Christian is to share in Jesus’s own anointing in the Holy Spirit. The sacraments draw us into this reality through the anointings with oil at Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders.

We are used to thinking of the spiritual life as giving things up or doing things that are hard. There is truth to that, as we know that fasting and making a holy hour are difficult! We are not used to thinking about the Christian life as celebration: eating, drinking, music, dancing (of the traditional sort), and having fun. The reason for this is that our secular culture wants us to think of the Church as dreary and negative and something that is only private. Celebration is a public expression of the joy of faith that draws us together to give thanks to God. It is not a “no” to the world but a great “yes” to the gift of creation and salvation.

Today, we celebrate the third and final scrutiny in preparation for the baptism of the elect at the Easter Vigil. In the exorcism for today, the priest asks God to “snatch us from the realm of death” and to free the elect from “the death-dealing power of the spirit of evil” (RCIA, 175). We are only saved from the evil of death when we are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection (see Romans 6:4-6)

We finally get to use the grill for a recipe in this cookbook! We’re all abstaining from television, movies, and video games during Exodus 90. So here’s a great reason to get outside, watch the kids run around the yard, and Grill, Baby Grill! These burgers are healthy, delicious, and full of flavor. They are grilled until juicy and tender, and the cheese puts this one over the top.

There are certain moments of the Church’s calendar that stand out for their symbolism: the manger at Christmas, ashes on the forehead to start Lent, and the branches of Palm Sunday. 

Holy Week is the final week of Lent, leading up to our celebration of Easter. This time of preparation reaches its climax during Holy Week, the holiest and most intense period of the Church’s worship in the liturgical year.