Religion News: Holy Week

Holy begins this Sunday with Palm Sunday. 

Holy week is a very sacred time of the year, it a time when we remember the last week of Jesus’ life on earth.  We remember his love and sacrifice for us. The focus of the week is the Passion (suffering) and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the events that led up to it.

Historical documents tell us that as early as the fourth century the Church celebrated this “Great Week” with a feeling of profound sanctity. 

It begins with Palm Sunday, which marks Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.  The central feature of the Mass, as it was in the earliest times, is the procession of palms.  The palms are blessed, and then are processed into the church before Mass begins.  Another and very ancient tradition of our present Palm Sunday is the Reading of the Gospel of the Passion by three readers.

Especially, important is the Easter Triduum.  This is the three days before Easter. 

The three days of the Easter Triduum are from dusk on Holy Thursday to dusk on Good Friday (day one), dusk on Good Friday to dusk on Holy Saturday (day two), and dusk on Holy Saturday to dusk on Easter Sunday (day three). Each of those days "tells" a different part of the story of Jesus' saving action.

On Holy Thursday, we re-enact the Lord’s Supper, which he shared with his apostles on the night he was betrayed and arrested.  This is one of the most beautiful liturgies of the Liturgical year.  At the Mass, the priest will wash the feet of twelve people, just as Jesus did. 

On Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion and death of our Lord, we have the veneration of the Cross.  A service is held at three o’clock in the afternoon (the hour Jesus is believed to have died).  We go forward and kiss the cross in order to show honour and respect for Christ’s sacrifice for us all. 

Holy Saturday is the vigil.  We keep watch for the expectant rising of our Saviour.  The Service of Light begins in silence outside of the church building in the nighttime and there, a new fire is kindled and each member of the congregation is given a candle; a greeting, opening prayer and lighting of the Paschal Candle from the new fire then solemnly occurs.  The Paschal candle is the first candle to be lit with a flame from the sacred fire, representing the light of Christ coming into the world.This represents the risen Christ, as a symbol of light (life) dispelling darkness (death).

Everyone then processes into the Church in darkness before Mass begins.

Easter Sunday is a Mass of Celebration of the Risen Lord.

May you find time during Holy Week to reflect and give thanks for the love and sacrifice of a man called Jesus.

Kind Regards

Sue Benc