3 and 30 Freedom April 2026

This month our focus begins on the holiest week of our liturgical year - Holy Week. Specifically meditating and participating in the Triduum. I’ve included in your binder package a print out of questions we can ask ourself each day of the Triduum to personalize where we are in our mind and heart as we enter into these holy days. We ask you to join us Good Friday as we pray the Divine Mercy Novena

The intentions of our 3 and 30 group will be included in these Masses

The rest of April will be focused on Easter. We have our binder pages that will help us plan what we want to focus on with regard to food, movement, prayer and time management. We have our daily tracking pages we can print out to help track the progress of our goals.

This month we are taking a look at Father Mike Schmitz four talks on Theology of the Body . Emailed along with your binder sheets was a PDF that outlines the entire talk. Pope St John Paul II said “"Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song". He delivered this message during a Sunday Angelus address on November 30, 1986, in Australia, emphasizing joy, faith, and the triumph of the Resurrection over suffering. This is what our focus is for Easter 2026 in our 3 and 30 Freedom program.

St Francis' life was a constant attempt to imitate Jesus' humility and poverty, with a profound focus on the sacrifice of Calvary, which he called his "road to Easter". Early in his conversion, while praying at San Damiano on Palm Sunday (a key date in the Easter timeline), he was instructed by the crucifix to "rebuild my house". St. Francis received St. Clare of Assisi at the Porziuncola on Palm Sunday in 1212, marking the beginning of the Second Franciscan Order. There is no coincidence in these dates. St. Francis's life is celebrated as a "living witness" to the resurrection, finding joy in hardship and focusing on the triumph of love over death.

The month of April is dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, the source and summit of our Christian life. Jesus Himself, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, is present in the Sacred Host. In a tangible way, Jesus remains with us and is available to us in our Churches and Tabernacles.

Key Papal Documents and Encyclicals

  • Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003) – Pope John Paul II: Focuses on the relationship between the Church and the Eucharist, reinforcing the doctrine of transubstantiation and encouraging adoration.

  • Mysterium Fidei (1965) – Pope Paul VI: Reaffirms the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist against contemporary dissenting views and highlights the importance of the Eucharistic mystery.

  • Sacramentum Caritatis (2007) – Pope Benedict XVI: Discusses the Eucharist as the "sacrament of charity," exploring its connection to faith, worship, and daily life.

  • Inaestimabile Donum (1980) – Issued by Congregation for Sacraments with papal approval: Deals with the proper liturgical celebration of the Eucharist and reverence for the sacrament.