Group Prayer Friday
Today is our last writing prompt in the month of March. We began March with a question regarding the departure of Pope Benedict, and we end March with a totally different question regarding Pope Francis’ recent actions. Yesterday marked a day of observance for Roman Catholics. Holy Thursday is celebrated by mass goers who witness reenactments of Jesus’ Last Supper. Pope Francis participated in a traditional Holy Thursday ritual by doing two experimental things: performing the ritual at a youth prison and washing the feet of women (it is customary to wash the feet of men). I’d like to interpret this ritual as a symbol of group prayer because of its intended message. Your job is to try to understand the underlying message through the lens of your own religious or spiritual beliefs and give an opinion of Pope Francis’ Holy Thursday ritual.
Creative Idea Gal’s Thoughts
Many people are watching the pope’s moves very carefully, hoping to gain a better understanding of what this new papacy will represent. So far, the pope’s refusal to ride in his own pope vehicle and choosing to take the bus is starting to give us some clues. More clues were given yesterday at his Holy Thursday ritual.
People are saying that Pope Francis is a “man of the cloth” and filled with humility. He continues to mention the service of others in his homilies and speeches. If Pope Francis wants to emphasize the service of others and chose to wash the feet of the inmates at a youth prison, what message could he be sending to the world? Why do you suppose I wanted to interpret the pope’s action and message as a form of group prayer? What lessons can be learned?
Helpful Resources
For today’s prompt, I offer:
A news story detailing the pope’s Holy Thursday ritual.
A pretty good definition of Holy Thursday.
A piece about the connection between the Passover seder and Holy Thursday ritual.
Writing Prompt 036
- Step 1: Reflect on your choice of religion, if you practice one. Think about how the Roman Catholic celebration of Holy Thursday may be a suitable form of group prayer.
- Step 2: Read the news story about Pope Francis’ Holy Thursday ritual. Research the origins and meaning of the Holy Thursday ritual.
- Step 3: Form an opinion of Pope Francis’ Holy Thursday ritual. Write! Add definitions and personal perspectives. Suggestion: create your writing in the form of an opinion, essay, blog post, or social media blurb (status update, post, tweet).
- Bonus Step: If you own a blog and wish to share a link to the blog post that contains your response to today’s writing prompt, we welcome your permalink and encourage you to post it as a comment below!
Note: You get major brownie points for fleshing out your writing into rich subparts or adding historical perspectives to your writing.
Please be sure to leave comments about this writing prompt. We want to hear from you!
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