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ages of
2 to 5.
We are
o pen
Monday - Friday from
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
For more information about our facility,
please call us at
(941) 484-4415.
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The Christian calendar is made up of
different seasons: Advent, Christmas,
the
Season after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and the Season after
Pentecost.
Lent
Lent is the period of 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter.
The
period of
40 days relates to the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness
when He overcame the
temptations of the devil. Jesus used this to prepare
His work by
fasting and praying.
During the season of Lent, we as Christians
are encouraged to
re-examine our own
lives, enter into a spirit repentance
and self-discipline, make
our personal and private confession, ask forgiveness
and pardon
for our sins and shortcomings, and prepare
for the reaffirmation
of our Christian faith at Easter.
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Additional Page *
Lenten Discipline and Prayer
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| The symbol of a lamb and
cross are used during Lent to represent "The Pascal Mystery" of
Jesus dying as a Pascal Lamb for our sins. The traditional color
for Lent is purple or violet. Purple is considered a regal
color, and violet denotes mourning and pestilence, and is also
symbolic of humility, suffering, sympathy, and fasting. The
Lenten season provides us with a period of time to strengthen
our faith and to prepare for the Easter event of celebrating
Christ's victory over death. |
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Ash Wednesday, the first day
of Lent, emphasizes
two important aspects of our faith: We
confront our
own mortality and we confess our sins before God
within the community of faith. The name of the day
is derived
from the ancient Jewish and Christian
custom of using ashes as a
sign of mortality and
penance. |
Holy Week
Holy Week celebrates the last week in Jesus’ life. It begins
with Palm Sunday,
continues
through Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and ends with the
celebration
of Easter.
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday is one of the most significant and
intense
periods
of the Christian year when we recall and
celebrate the passion and
death of our Lord.
It is also
a
day of contrasts, since we joyfully celebrate with
palms Jesus’
triumphant
entry into
Jerusalem when the children and people
preceded Him with palm branches,
but we
also know of His
coming suffering
and death.
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Instructions to Make
a Palm Cross
Please
Click Here |
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Maundy Thursday
Maundy is an old word for a commandment. Maundy Thursday
reflects on the
Last
Supper Jesus shared with His disciples, and
the new commandment
He gave them
“to love one
another as I have loved you.”
Good Friday
Good Friday occurs on the Friday before Easter. The Good Friday
Worship
Services
reflect the final agony of Jesus and His death upon the cross.
Worship
elements include proclamation of the Word of God using
the Passion according
to John, prayers for the
afflictions of the world, and the meditations at the cross.
The
altar is bare, there are no paraments and the cross is shrouded.
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It is
finished!
John 19:30 |
Tenebrae Service
The word “tenebrae” comes from the Latin meaning “darkness.” In
this dramatic
service
on Good Friday, all of the lights and candles on the altar are
gradually
extinguished until
the room is in complete darkness. At the moment of darkness,
a
loud noise occurs
symbolizing the death of Jesus.
Easter
Easter morning is an occasion of great joy and renewal. We
celebrate the
risen Christ.
This is a day of many rituals and customs including the Easter
Gospel, special music,
hymns, flowers, and special vestments. After the
reflective,
somber 40 days of Lent
and
the sorrow and pain of Passion Week,
we joyfully celebrate that
Jesus is alive!
The seasonal colors are white and/or
gold. White
represents light, purity, glory, and
perfection. The church
is richly
adorned, usually with lilies and flowers of bright colors
in striking contrast to
the
somber hue of Lent and the emptiness of Good Friday.
Appropriate
symbols
for the season include the open tomb, the Chi Rho,
resurrection
banner, glorified
cross, phoenix, butterflies, peacocks, pomegranate, and a large
paschal candle. |
Pentecost
Pentecost comes from the Greek word “pentecoste,” which means
fiftieth day.
Pentecost
is the day on which the Christian church remembers the
extraordinary
event of the coming
of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. It represents the
beginning of the Christian church.
Pentecost is celebrated on the fiftieth day
after Easter. |
Advent
Advent is the beginning of the first season of the Christian
year. Advent focuses
on
preparing
for the coming of Christ. The word “advent” is derived from the
Latin word
“adventus,” meaning “to come.” The season or Advent
includes the
four Sundays
before Christmas Day.
Advent Wreath Candles
The evergreen Advent wreath holds four purple candles, one for
each week in
Advent,
and
a larger white one in the middle as the Christ candle. The
circled
shaped wreath
symbolizes
the eternity of God. The lighting of the first candle
symbolizes
expectation,
the second hope,
the third joy, and the fourth symbolizes
purity. The Christ
candle is lit
on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day to remind us
that Jesus is the light of the world. |
Hanging of the Greens
Many churches hold a service of preparation for Christ’s coming,
which includes
hanging greenery traditionally, associated with
everlasting life. Greens such as
cedar for royalty,
fir
and pine boughs for everlasting life, holly symbolizing Jesus’
death and ivy representing
the resurrection are used.
Chrismons
Chrismons are ornaments made from Christian symbols. Many
churches make
their own chrismons to decorate their Christmas
trees. The word “chrismons”
is a combination of
the words “Christ” and “monograms.”
Epiphany
Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season on January 6th.
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