By: Bernadette Parrott
Welcome to our Faith Renewal Series that is exploring The ABCs of Being Catholic. We are invited on a journey through the alphabet to explore Catholic terms, beliefs, and traditions. In this post we are departing from our ongoing focus on the letters A-Z, and we have a special post about “Holy Week”. We will return to our regular posts by moving on to the letter “L” after this.
If you missed our Introduction to this series <click here>. To go back to the letter “K” <click here>. To go to the letter “L” post <click here>.
Holy Week
March 25, 2021
I thought I would break way from our alphabetical journey and spent time with you looking at the meaning of Holy Week.
The richness and beauty of our faith are truly opened to us during Holy Week. During this week we enter into Christ’s passion, death and resurrection.
We journey not as bystanders, but as witnesses, as participants
and ultimately sharers in the joy of the Easter Resurrection.
Have mercy on us, O Lord.
Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter.
Our Sunday Liturgy steps out of the ordinary and we take time to recall the humble entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem. Like the people of old, we rejoice, our palm branches high, waiving them and welcoming the King of Glory proclaiming, “Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest.”
With Palm Sunday, we move into the beginning of the celebration of our Lord’s Paschal Mystery. However, our celebration is short lived as, at the Gospel, we recall the Passion of our Lord and participate in the narrative as it unfolds before us.
I invite each of us to be active participants. Imagine yourself part of the crowd. Feel the excitement in the air as you wait for the coming of the Son of David, feel the crowd pushing in all around you, trying to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Smell in the incense in the air, hear the animals in the background, listen to the conversations of the crowd surrounding you. Then, there – you see Him coming on a donkey – you raise your palm high. You cry – “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” You throw you palm on the ground to prepare His path. And you follow Him. I invite you to take a moment to enter into these moments of encounter.
Only a few days later, imagine yourself part of this crowd. Feel the nervous tension in the air, feel the crowd pushing in all around you, listen to the whispering crowd surrounding you. Then you see Him – beaten and bruised and you cry aloud “Crucify Him!” And you desert Him.
Our Holy Week continues, for the most part in silence. During these days we are all called to intensify our Lenten practices of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.
Yet on Tuesday, the Chrism Mass is celebrated. Priests gather with their Bishop and renew their commitment to priestly service, and we are asked to pray for them.
Three oils which are used in our rich Sacramental life are blessed and distributed to the priests to take with them to their parishes – to their parishioners – to us: The Oil of Chrism used in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders; the Oil of Catechumens used in the Baptism of children and adults preparing for Baptism; the Oil of the Sick used in the sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick.
Holy Thursday
Holy Thursday begins The Triduum – our three continuous days of prayer. This is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper and celebrates the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the Priesthood. We join the Apostles in the Upper Room. We have shared the Passover Meal with Jesus and our brothers and sisters, and now Our Lord does the extraordinary. He gets up from the table and removes his outer garment. I am watching, confused, “What is He doing?” He continues to take a towel and wrap it around himself, pours water into a basin and comes to me to wash my feet. Wait, Lord! I am not worthy that you should wash my feet! Stop! Will I refuse as Peter refused? Then, I understand the message He is sharing – “For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” I am to minister to the people of God, to my brothers and sisters.
As our Mass continues, our Blessed Lord is taken from the Tabernacle. He is to begin His Passion. We stay with Him as we recall His prayer in the Garden and His words to His apostles, “Could you not watch one hour with me?” (Mk 14:34)
Will we have the courage and faith to journey with Him?
We wait in humble adoration. For the agony of Thursday, turns into the unimaginable of Friday. We depart the Church in silence and continue the journey of faith until the next day comes….
Good Friday.
“Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world.”
“Come, let us adore.”
As we continue the Triduum, we enter the Church in silence once again. There is no Mass this day – there is only the Celebration of the Passion of Our Lord. Our Church is silent, we are silent too, for we are to be witnesses to the death of Savior. Because He loved us with an indescribable love. After the recalling of the Passion of our Lord, we enter into prayer with the Solemn Intercessions where with one voice we pray for the Holy Church, for the faithful, for those who do not yet know God, for those suffering and we offer ourselves too – to the Father.
We then come before the Cross of Christ with the Adoration of the Holy Cross. Here is our moment at the foot of the Cross that brought about our salvation. It is our moment to ask for forgiveness for our sins that nailed Jesus to the Cross. It is our moment to be thankful to Him for His perfect sacrifice. Will we embrace the cross which we carry in our everyday lives?
Following the Adoration of the Holy Cross we pray the Lord’s Prayer and receive Holy Communion that has been consecrated on Holy Thursday. We then, once again, leave the church in silence…and the Triduum continues.
With Holy Saturday, there is silence, but there is also hope.
During the day, the Church is silent, the altars are bare, the Tabernacle is empty. Today is the day we wait at His tomb. We wait for His Resurrection. This is the time for us to pray and reflect.
On this day Jesus descended to hell, into the land of the dead, to save righteous, holy souls who were awaiting the Resurrection. This is a good day to reflect on how we can bring about the change in our lives so we too, who are awaiting the Resurrection, can enter through the gates of Heaven.
Holy Saturday
At sunset, the Church awakes! There is still darkness, but only for a short time. Soon, the light of Christ will shine and illuminate His Holy Church and strengthen His people to once again celebrate:
It is the Mass of Resurrection of the Lord! At the Easter Vigil, we begin with the lighting of the Paschal Candle for we have been in darkness and we rejoice in the “Light of Christ!” Thanks be to God! Then, slowly the darkness is replaced by that light – candle by candle our Church is illuminated once again. The Easter Exultet is sung, and the Liturgy of the Word leads us to reflect on God’s great and faithful love for each of us throughout our salvation history.
We sing “Alleluia for the first time since our Lenten journey began. We rejoice with Mary Magdalene as we come to realize He is Risen! Those who have been journeying through the RCIA process are warmly welcomed through the saving grace of the Baptism, Profession of Faith, Confirmation and First Reception of Our Lord with Holy Communion. We pray the Litany of the Saints. We renew our Baptismal promises too. We celebrate in song and in prayer, this time not leaving the Church in silence or darkness but with great joy. Our Lord is Risen! Thanks be to God!
Easter Sunday
He is not here, for he has risen, as he said he would. (Matt 28:6)
The new day has dawned. There is new life, hope and the certainty that we will never journey alone. He is always with us. We have a life in Christ. How will I live that new life? How will I live in that renewed hope?
Our song now resounds with Alleluia! Today is truly the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it and everyday that follows. Will we recognize Jesus before he calls our name? Will our hearts burn when we listen to His word in scripture? Will our lives be changed when we receive Him in the Holy Eucharist? Will we take the time to go and make Him known to everyone we meet?
Jesus is always the reason for the season – every season.
If you missed our Introduction to this series <click here>. To go back to the letter “K” <click here>. To go to the letter “L” post <click here>.