Important Dates in the Lives of Jesus and Mary 

began on March 1.

472

 This carnival was likely the pagan celebration at the end of the old Roman calendar year. 

If we count five weeks back from the week of April 7 (when Passover began), we arrive at the week of March 1 

(this week includes the end of Feb.). 

    Next, on page 9, Blessed Anne Catherine mentions the following Jewish Sabbath, which would then be 

Saturday, March 4.

473

 Then, on pages 10 11, she describes the events that occurred  On the following day,  

which would then be Sunday, March 5.

474

 She tells us that Jesus predicted His triumphant entrance into 

Jerusalem and said that it would occur in 15 days. So there were 15 days between that day and the day of 

Palm Sunday. Counting the days inclusively, the 15 days would start on one Sunday and end on the Sunday 

two weeks later. If this chronology is correct, then there were three weeks between Palm Sunday and 

Resurrection Sunday, not one week, and Palm Sunday occurred on March 19, not April 2. Blessed Anne 

Catherine gives further details about the events between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, which confirm this 

three week length of time. 

    She follows her description of Palm Sunday with the withering of the fig tree (Mk 11:12 14) and the driving 

out of the buyers and sellers from the Temple (Mk 11:15 19).

475

 Then she describes the events of the following 

Sabbath.

476

 If Palm Sunday was March 19, then this Sabbath was Saturday, March 25 (and Nisan 1). We can 

actually follow Blessed Anne Catherine's day by day description of events from the Sabbath after Palm 

Sunday to the second Sabbath after Palm Sunday.

477

 This day by day detailed description of events includes 

the story of the widow's mite (Mk 12:41 44) on the Wednesday between those two Sabbaths (Wednesday, 

March 29).

478

 We can determine that this event occurred on Wednesday by counting the number of days 

before and after those two Sabbaths. 

    On the second Sabbath after Palm Sunday (Saturday, April 1, Nisan 8), Blessed Anne Catherine tells us that 

Jesus spent that evening at Lazarus' house in Bethany. Sacred Scripture reveals that Mary anointed Jesus' feet 

six days before the Passover where Lazarus was (Jn 12:1). Six days before the Passover (counted as beginning 

on Friday, Nisan 14) would be Saturday, Nisan 8. Even though Blessed Anne Catherine does not mention 

Mary Magdalen anointing Jesus at that time, her account and the account of the Gospel of John are in 

harmony. She states that Jesus was at Lazarus' house on that day and that the holy women were there.

479

 She 

also relates that Mary anointed Jesus in similar manner on repeated occasions. 

    Following Blessed Anne Catherine's day by day account of events after Saturday, Nisan 8 brings us to the 

Last Supper on Thursday, Nisan 13 (actually, it would be counted as Nisan 14 since it occurred after sunset). 

Here we see that Blessed Anne Catherine's description of events before Palm Sunday leads us to place Palm 

Sunday on Sunday, March 19. And her description of events after Palm Sunday likewise places Palm Sunday 

on the same day. No other date for Palm Sunday can fit her detailed description of the events in the weeks 

before the Crucifixion. Therefore, Palm Sunday actually occurred on Sunday, March 19 of 

A.D.

 19, three 

weeks before the Resurrection (not one week before the Resurrection). 

Further Details 

    There is sufficient information in the Gospels and in the writings of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich for a 

more detailed analysis of the chronology of events during the Ministry of Jesus Christ. The interested reader 

should find in this chapter a sufficient starting point from which to go forward and discover many more details 

about what happened during the Divine Ministry of Jesus Christ. For my part, I have said enough on this 

topic. 

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