The images above give us thumbnail sketches for the high points of Holy Week and this post offers an overview of the liturgies of Holy Week. While I hope you'll find these comments helpful, you'll only begin to truly understand Holy Week by participating in it's liturgies.
In
the week we call holy, the Church celebrates the most ancient and
beautiful rites in its spiritual heritage. Although these are not days of obligation, they are the most important
days of the whole church year.
Holy Week begins this year on March 2 with Palm (Passion) Sunday. With different
degrees of solemnity, parishes will commemorate the
Lord's Entrance into Jerusalem with a blessing of palm branches and a procession. At this Mass every year, the Passion, the story of
the suffering of death of Jesus, is recounted in the gospel. This year
we will hear the Passion according to St. Matthew. The Passion is
proclaimed on only two days of the year: Palm Sunday and Good
Friday.
Monday,
Tuesday and Wednesday of Holy Week are the final days of Lent and most
dioceses will celebrate the Chrism Mass early in Holy Week. At this Mass
at the cathedral, the bishop blesses and consecrates the holy oils that
will be used for the celebration of the sacraments beginning at the Easter Vigil and then through the year until next Easter.
Lent ends at sundown on Thursday of this week and we enter the Paschal Triduum (pronounced trid'-oo-um, it means 3 days). The Triduum is one feast, celebrated over three days.
The “three days” are numbered from sundown Holy Thursday to sundown Good
Friday; from sundown Good Friday to sundown Holy Saturday; and from
sundown Holy Saturday to sundown Easter Sunday. The liturgical moments
of that one feast are:
- The Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper
on Thursday night including: the reception of the holy oils in the local parish church; the
Washing of Feet (as Jesus did at the Last Supper); and a procession with the Eucharist to the altar of
repose. Prayer before the reserved sacrament at this altar may continue until
midnight.
- The Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
on Friday includes: the Word liturgy; the sung Solemn
Intercessions; the Veneration of the Cross; and Communion from the
reserved sacrament, consecrated the night before at mass on Holy Thursday.
- The Easter Vigil (the first
and greatest Mass of Easter) on Holy Saturday night includes: the
lighting of the new fire and a candle light procession with the Easter
Candle, leading to the sung Easter Proclamation;
the Liturgy of the Word which, in full, includes 9 scripture readings;
the liturgy of baptism and/or, if no one is to be baptized, the assembly's renewal
of their baptismal promises; and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
The Triduum closes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday night.
Easter joy overflows in the celebration of the Eucharist on Easter Sunday morning.
Yes, these liturgies are longer than the usual Sunday mass - but they are also rich and beautiful in
symbol, ritual, prayer, and song. It's a shame that many Catholics go
to their graves without ever having celebrated the most important
feasts of their faith!
Know that you are invited to celebrate this great Paschal feast.
Set
aside these hours to give thanks and praise to the One who set aside
his life for us that we might have forgiveness of our sins and the gift
of God's peace.
We should glory in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
for he is our salvation,
for he is our salvation,
our life and resurrection;
through him we are saved and made free!
- Galatians 6:14
through him we are saved and made free!
- Galatians 6:14
