Found 30 resource(s) in 'Holy Days', for April 2026.
High Days and Holy Days (all) for April 2026
Sundays of the Month Editor: Continuing our list of what the Sundays of each month are called…< 5th April Easter 12th April 2nd Sunday of Easter 19th April 3rd Sunday of Easter 26th April 4th Sunday of Easter High Days and Holy Days for April Editor: As the church year does not change, much... (9458 words)1st April – Fooling Around – the BBC’s spaghetti farm
Probably the most famous April Fool’s joke of all time was the 1960’s BBC TV broadcast feature on the spaghetti farms of Italy. A BBC reporter interviewed Italian farmers about their work and the progress of the spaghetti plants in great detail. Spaghetti plants were filmed being carefully planted, and then being harvested. And all... (163 words)1st April – All Fools’ Day
In years gone by, the rules surrounding April Fool were this: between midnight and noon on 1st April, everyone is ‘fair game’ to be made a fool of. It is the morning of the practical joke. But the aim is not just to discomfort the victim: he must be tricked into taking action himself, sent... (178 words)2nd April – What is MAUNDY THURSDAY?
Maundy Thursday is the 5th day of Holy Week. ‘Maundy’ comes from the Latin word for command, ‘mandare’. On this day the Church looks back to Jesus’ command to His disciples that they should: “Love one another as I have loved you.” On the evening of Maundy Thursday Jesus shared the Last Supper with His... (79 words)2nd April – MAUNDY THURSDAY, time to wash feet
Maundy Thursday is famous for two things. The first is one of the final acts that Jesus did before His death: the washing of His own disciples’ feet (see John 13). Jesus washed His disciples’ feet for a purpose: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you... (257 words)2nd April – Why do Christians wash feet on MAUNDY THURSDAY?
At the Last Supper Jesus shocked His disciples by washing their feet. He did this as an example, to demonstrate to them that they should serve others with humility. Over the centuries, some churches have recreated this act of humility at a special service on Maundy Thursday. (47 words)3rd April – GOOD FRIDAY, the day the Son of God died for you
Good Friday is the day on which Jesus died on the cross. He was crucified at 9 a.m. in the morning, and died six hours later, at 3pm. It is the most solemn day in the Christian year, and is widely marked by the removal of all decorations from churches. In Lutheran churches, the day... (150 words)3rd April – GOOD FRIDAY, Jesus and the thieves on the Cross
Luke’s account of the crucifixion (Luke 23:32-43) emphasises the mocking of the crowd, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself’ (35,37,39). In their view a Messiah does not hang on a cross and suffer. In considering the two men who were crucified with Jesus, we are also confronted with the issue of... (307 words)4th April – Easter Eve or Holy Saturday
Easter Eve is the last day of Lent. It is the day between Good Friday and Easter Day, and represents the one full day that Jesus was dead. It is a day of quiet reflection and anticipation for Christians worldwide. In various church traditions it is known as Easter Eve, Holy Saturday, the Great Sabbath,... (472 words)5th April – EASTER, the most joyful day of the year
Easter is the most joyful day of the year for Christians. Christ has died for our sins. We are forgiven. Christ has risen! We are redeemed! We can look forward to an eternity in His joy! Hallelujah! The Good News of Jesus Christ is a message so simple that you can explain it to someone... (408 words)5th April – EASTER morning, the ‘Other’ Mary
As the traditional Easter story is rehearsed again this month, you may notice that there is one name that frequently occurs. It is that of the ‘other’ Mary – not the mother of Jesus, but Mary of Magdalene, who stood by her at the cross and became the first person actually to meet the risen... (384 words)5th April – Easter faith in atheist Russia
Three years after the Russian Revolution of 1917, a great anti-God rally was arranged in Kiev. The powerful orator Bukharin was sent from Moscow, and for an hour he demolished the Christian faith with argument, abuse and ridicule. At the end there was silence. Then a man rose and asked to speak. He was a... (146 words)5th April – EASTER – Jesus’ appearances after His Resurrection
The following list of witnesses may help you put all those references in order…. Mary Magdalene – Mark 16:9-11; John 20:10-18 Other women at the tomb – Matthew 28:8-10 Peter in Jerusalem – Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5 The two travellers on the road – Mark 16:12,13 10 disciples behind closed doors – Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John... (93 words)5th April – Why EASTER will never go away
How do you make sense of the Resurrection? Dead men don’t rise, so why believe that this particular dead man did rise? At the end of St Luke’s gospel we read that: “they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement” (Luke 24.4). This is highly significant. The Gospels do not show us a... (594 words)*NEW 5th April – Quotes with Easter in mind
The Christian teaching about who crucified Christ is not that the Romans or the Jews or whatever people happened to be there did, but that you and I did, and that all human societies without exception are involved in the crucifixion of Christ. – Northrop Frye They crucified Him with the criminals. Which is more... (323 words)9th April – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran pastor and martyr
Standing up to tyrants, no matter what the cost. That kind of courage has been in the headlines since the war in Ukraine began, as many brave people have defied Putin’s oppression. Dietrich Bonhoeffer did not have Putin to contend with, but Hitler. Bonhoeffer did not back down either, when the time came. Bonhoeffer grew... (420 words)10th April – William Law, spiritual writer extraordinary
William Law is the saint for anyone forced to choose between losing their job or losing their integrity. It had all begun so straightforwardly. Born in King’s Cliffe, Northamptonshire in 1686, William had studied at Emmanuel College Cambridge, been ordained a deacon, and been made a Fellow of the college in 1711. But soon politics... (337 words)12th April – Zeno of Verona
– the more things change… Zeno of Verona (d. 371) should be the patron saint of all ministers who suspect that the more things change, the more they remain the same. For instance: ethnic diversity…church-planting… teaching…. concern for the poor… women’s ministry in the church… sound like modern-day Christian concerns? Not a bit of it... (190 words)13th April – Carpus, Papylus & Agathonice
– martyrs of the Early Church In the month of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of Himself for us, the martyrdoms of Carpus, Papylus and Agathonice are well worth remembering. What they said as they died could be said by the many thousands of Christians who are facing persecution all over the world today. Carpus, Papylus and... (326 words)19th April – Alphege, the archbishop taken captive by Danes
Alphege is the saint for anyone who refuses to let others suffer on their behalf. His is a tale of courage and self-sacrifice, with some details that are still poignant, even down 1000 years of history. Alphege began like many other leading churchmen of his time; born of a noble family, with a good education,... (270 words)21st April – Anselm
– the man who proved there is a God Anselm is a good saint to remember next time someone asks you to prove that there is a God. His brilliant and original Proslogion, written 1077-8, sets out the ‘ontological’ proof for God’s existence. Nearly ten centuries later, it is still studied by theological students as... (246 words)23rd April – St George, our Patron Saint who isn’t English
The English have a patron saint who isn’t English, about whom next to nothing is known for sure, and who, just possibly, may not have existed at all. But that didn’t stop St George being patriotically invoked in many battles, notably at Agincourt and in the Crusades, and of course it is his cross that... (445 words)23rd April – St George of the Golden Legend
The Saint of an English Army before he was Patron Saint of England, St George may have been a soldier, but he was no Englishman. Some stories say that he was an officer in the Roman army under Diocletian, who refused to abandon his faith during the Terror, and was martyred at Lydda in Palestine... (425 words)23rd April – St George of the Golden Legend
The Saint of an English Army before he was Patron Saint of England, St George may have been a soldier, but he was no Englishman. Some stories say that he was an officer in the Roman army under Diocletian, who refused to abandon his faith during the Terror, and was martyred at Lydda in Palestine... (425 words)24th April – Mellitus, the Saxon pagans, and St Paul’s Cathedral
Our present bishops have big troubles within the Church. Mellitus had big troubles outside the Church. It all began quietly enough in Rome, where Mellitus was born into a noble family, and became abbot of a monastic community. Then in 601 Pope Gregory the Great sent him to help Augustine, who had arrived in Canterbury... (271 words)26th April – Mark
– disciple, apostle, writer of the second gospel Mark, whose home in Jerusalem became a place of rest for Jesus and His 12 apostles, is considered the traditional author of the second gospel. He is also usually identified as the young man, described in Mark 14:51, who followed Christ after his arrest and then escaped... (186 words)27th April – Tertullian
– fierce firebrand of the Early Church Tertullian was born in Carthage, North Africa, about 155 AD. He had pagan parents and his father may have been a centurion. Carthage was a prestigious Roman colony and Tertullian was given a good education in Greek, Latin, literature, history and philosophy. On arrival in Rome, Tertullian probably... (379 words)27th April – Zita
-the long-suffering servant girl of Lucca If you have ever been in trouble for simply doing good, then Zita is the saint for you. Born in 1218 to poor but devout parents in Monsagrati, Zita was sent at the age of 12 to work as a servant for the rich Fatinelli family in nearby Lucca.... (319 words)28th April – Peter Chanel
– missionary and martyr in the South Pacific 1841 Many of us can show great dedication in pursuit of a career that will bring us a good salary or position. Peter Chanel should be the patron saint of anyone who shows quiet determination in doing what they believe to be God’s call upon their life;... (396 words)29th April – Catherine of Siena
– or how to survive in a large family Catherine of Siena, who was born 1347, should be the patron saint of anyone who has grown up in a large family, and mastered the two vital skills for survival: how to stand up for yourself, and how to make peace with others. Catherine had siblings!... (367 words)
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