Maundy Thursday: A tradition in Cochem
In Cochem it is a tradition, in the early morning of Maundy Thursday to bless the "Männerweck". Männerweck is a small bread or roll, that is a pastry made of yeast dough. Whether the word part "men" can be derived from the heavenly bread "manna" is unclear. Manna comes from the Hebrew meaning "what is it?" It is the surprising thing that God bestowed on the Israelites and that served as food for them on their way through the desert. The blessing of the "Männerwecken" in Cochem has the following historical origin: In the past, merchants brought their gifts to the local priest on Holy Thursday. It is important to know that the clergy did not receive a fixed salary, but paid for their upkeep from donations from the community. Bakers, butchers and farmers gave what was dispensable. The priest pronounced the blessing over the food. Perishable goods or those that were donated in abundance, after the blessing, the priest gave to the needy of his parish. Even in our modern times, the "Männerwecken" are blessed in the parish church. Because many of our residents come from Cochem, but can no longer go to the parish church - we hold a small devotion in the house and bless the "Männerwecken". These are then distributed to the residents and staff. Sister M. FelicitasStations of the Cross in the garden
Our community at the Generalate, once again on Good Friday meditated on the Passion of Christ during the Way of the Cross in our garden. We initiated this custom during the pandemonium, when it was impossible to go to church. Preparing and experiencing this common Way of the Cross at the hour of Jesus' death, moves us a lot and allows us to touch even more deeply the mysteries of our salvation.
Friday 7 April
Good Friday First reading - Isaiah 52:13-53:12 “And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried. But we, we thought of him as someone punished, struck by God, and brought low. Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins”. These words of Isaiah explain Good Friday. Who died for us? How did he die? And why did he die? Jesus Christ, the Son of God, faced a violent death on the cross, for our sins. In Jesus Christ, the world sees something never told, the world witness something never heard before. Before Jesus Christ kings stand before him. In Him the power of the Lord has been revealed. He faced the violent death, a death after much pain and sufferings. The pain and sufferings due to our sins. He accepted all those sufferings and pain and in Him those sufferings and pain are transformed into forgiveness and reciprocal love. In Him the world changed. The humanity changed. In Cross Jesus carried our sorrows and bore our sufferings. In Him our human nature acquired a totally new potentiality. A potentiality to embrace God as a Father who forgives all our sins by accepting the unique sacrifice of Christ. The whole world received a heart which can be opened totally to the plan of God. The death of Jesus on the cross is the dawn of our hope, even in the darkest nights of our life.