For folks who haven’t been keeping up with the pope watch, black smoke means that the Roman Catholic cardinals have not yet elected a new pope.

While that was going on I was interviewing Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, executive producers of “The Bible” series. The 10-hour series continues through Easter Sunday on The History Channel. I was pretty pleased to be invited to talk with the couple briefly because the series is one of the hot topics right now.  I’ve discussed several aspects of the series myself since it’s premiere two Sundays ago.

Anyway, there is an abundance of commentary on the Web about the series. I’m sharing a few that I thought were interesting and provocative:

Huffington Post: “The Bible Series: An Invitation to Change the World”

Christian Post  Entertainment: “Was the historical Samson black?”

Comcast: “The Bible on TV”

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor 

Easter

Washington Post’s On Faith blog: “What we tell our kids about the Easter Bunny.” 

USA Today’s Faith & Reason blog: “Pope donates huge chocolate Easter egg.”

Yard Barker: “30,000 people expected for Mass where Tim Tebow will speak.”

Passover

Washington Post’s On Faith blog network: “Why we need the Haggadah.”

USA Today’s Faith & Reason blog: “Popular Passover handbook goes to White House Seder table.”

Wednesday  is Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday.

Traditionally, ashes used to observe the day come from the burning of palm leaves used during Palm Sunday services the previous year.

The ashes are placed on congregants’ foreheads in the sign of the cross as they participate in Ash Wednesday services.

The words “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” remind believers of their mortality — that they are on Earth for a short time.

Lent, the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter, excluding Sundays, is a time when many Christians choose to give up one of their favorite foods, drinks or activities.

Lenten fasting is seen as a way for Christians to identify with Jesus in the suffering he experienced to redeem mankind.

Ash Wednesday and Lent are observed particularly in Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran and United Methodist faith communities, although other Christian denominations often participate as well.

Look for more information about Lent in Saturday’s Life section in The Oklahoman.

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Here are other dates to remember:

Palm Sunday will be April 1.

Good Friday will be April 6.

Easter Sunday will be April 8. Traditional Orthodox churches will celebrate Easter on April 15.

Meanwhile, the Jewish faith community will celebrate the first night of Passover on April 6.

(CUTLINE/DAVID MCDANIEL/THE OKLAHOMAN) The Rev. Roberto Quanto, pastor of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, shows the ashes that will be used for the 2012 Ash Wednesday services at his south Oklahoma City parish.) 

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor  

The Associated Press reports that the pontiff  fielded questions during a Good Friday broadcast on Italian TV.

According to the report, the questions were pre-selected. One came from a Japanese girl who asked the pope about suffering in the world. 

Read the story below.

The Associated Press: Pope on TV: Pontiff answers questions on Good Friday

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Many people will be attending services tonight at theirlocal churches.

I’ve noticed several stories about the Last Supper on the wire and Internet today. I thought I would share them.

 One is featured on the website Delish and it focuses on the food that Jesus and his disciples likely ate for that now famous meal.

Delish: “What did Jesus Eat During the Last Supper?”

The other is a Religion News Service story about a  British scientist who thinks the Last Supper didn’t happen on a Thursday as most people think.

That story is below:

Scholar challenges Thursday date of Last Supper

BY AL WEBB

Religion News Service

LONDON (RNS) A top British scientist claims his biblical, historical and astronomical research shows Christians have been observing Jesus’ Last Supper on the wrong day of the week.Cambridge University Professor Colin Humphreys says Jesus’ final meal with his disciples actually was eaten on the Wednesday before the Crucifixion — one day earlier than has been traditionally accepted.

The mix-up, Humphreys concludes in his new book, “The Mystery of the Last Supper,” may be because Jesus and disciples Matthew, Mark and Luke used one calendar, but fellow disciple John used another.

Humphreys notes the Gospels attributed to the first three claimed the last meal coincided with the Jewish Passover, whereas John’s Gospel says the meal took place “before” Passover.

Eminent biblical scholar F.F. Bruce once described that contradiction as “the thorniest problem in the New Testament,” but Humphreys said, “if we use science and the Gospels hand in hand, we can actually prove that there was no contradiction.”

Humphreys theorizes that Jesus employed an age-old Jewish calendar — perhaps dating back to the Exodus from Egypt — rather than the official lunar calendar popular at the time.

That, Humphreys said, would put the Passover and Last Supper meals on the Wednesday rather than Thursday, and means Jesus’ arrest, interrogation and trials were not all crammed into a single night but were instead spread over a longer period of time.

Humphreys based his project on earlier research he conducted with Oxford University astrophysicist Graeme Waddington 28 years ago, which established the date of the Crucifixion as Friday morning, April 3, 33 A.D.

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Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

Take a picture of yourself with ashes on your forehead and send it to a website that is compiling such photos through Thursday.

It’s all part of BustedHalo.com’s Third Annual Ash Wednesday Challenge.

The challenge is one of the more unique spins on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten season.

It is the seventh Wednesday before Easter Sunday.

Ashes used to observe the day at Christian churches come from the burning of palm leaves used during Palm Sunday services the previous year. The ashes are placed on the forehead of congregants in the sign of the cross.

 The words “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” remind believers of their mortality — that they are on Earth for a short time.

The Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday tomorrow.

Take up the Ash Wednesday challenge by visiting www.BustedHalo.com.  Readers will be able to vote for their favorite Ash Wednesday photo posted to the site. BustedHalo also offers its “2011 Fast Pray Give Lenten Calendar.”

Or perhaps you might be interest in the following tidbits of news and information, all related to the observance:

– Eternal Word Television Network, the cable channel known for its Roman Catholic-themed programming, offers an online daily Lenten calendar with Lenten reflections: Lenten calendar  

– Here’s a link to a printable Lenten calendar for children. The calendar comes courtesy of a website called Catholic Icing: Printable Lenten Calendar for Children. 

– Beliefnet.com offers several stories, commentary and other features about Lent, plus a Lenten calendar: Lent 2011 

– Loyola Press has a variety of online resources for Lenten observers, including screen savers and an interactive calender, among other things: Lenten resources

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

The date marks the beginning of the Lenten season. 

Here’s a Lenten challenge from one faith group.

 The General board of Church &  Society, one of four international general program boards of the United Methodist Church, is encouraging United Methodists to have an “Alcohol Free Lent.”

The challenge is inspired by Myers Park United Methodist Church in  Charlotte, N.C. whose members responded to just such a challenge several years ago. The congregation created a “Spirit Fund” and members contributed the equivalent cost of “spirits”  or  liquor that they did not drink during Lent.

The Rev.  Cynthia  Abrams, director of the General Board of Church & Society’s work area on alcohol, other addictions and health care, is encouraging congregations and invididuals to establish a Spirit Fund in conjunction with their Lenten challenge. Proceeds could benefit a local recovery/addiction prevent program or project of their choice or one of the national projects listed in the general board’s Alcohol Free Lent section on the organization’s website.

For more information about the Lenten challenge go online to www.umc-gbcs.org/alcoholfreelent.

P.S. I don’t drink, but I’d probably accrue a fortune if I donated money every time I drank my favorite diet tea drink. I may find a way to participate after all.

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor  

Now the ancient stations have been combined with the technology of today.

Ava Maria Press is debuting its new Stations of the Cross application for iPhone and iPod touch today through Sunday at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.

The prayer companion is free for download and is based on the book “John Paul II’s Biblical Way of the Cross” by Amy Welborn and Michael Dubruiel.

“With gorgeous station paintings by artist Michael O’Brien, this app transports users anytime, anywhere to a prayerful journey of solidarity with Christ from the Garden of Gethsemane, to his betrayal and arrest, and on his agonizing way to the cross,” representatives of Ava Maria Press said in a news release.

“The Stations of the Cross iPhone app has been created with busy people in mind and is the perfect pocket devotional, especially during this Lenten season.”

Tom Grady, Ava Maria Press publisher said the company is exploring creative digital ways of keeping their readers connected to God through prayer.

The ancient Stations of the Cross devotion commemorates the Passion and the death of Christ.

The new app is available in the iTunes App Store.

(Photo by Paul Hellstern/The Oklahoman: This Stations of the Cross sculpture is featured on a wall at St. Joseph Old Cathedral in downtown Oklahoma City.) 

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor     

I got that from the Humane Society of the United States, which offers tips for having a  humane Easter that respects all creation.

In the humane society’s Humane Steward Faith in Action for Animals e-letter sent today, the society’s advises people to opt for chocolate bunnies instead of real ones this holiday.

“If you love bunnies, make yours chocolate. Rabbits are the third most relinquished species at animal shelters nationwide. Intakes of rabbits at shelters go up dramatically after the Easter holiday,” the e-letter stated.

For more tips, see  “In the Spirit of Easter, Be Humane and Honor Creation.”

Carla Hinton

Religion Editor

InterfaithFamily.com wants to know what interfaith families are doing for Passover and Easter.

The winner of the drawing will be announced March 17. InterfaithFamily.com will announce the results of the survey in late March. For more Passover and Easter resources, check out othe Web site’s Passover and Easter Resource Page.