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. These are the most important
days of the whole church year, even though they are not days of obligation.
Holy Week begins this year on April 13 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. Lukek. The Passion is
proclaimed on only two days of the year: Palm Sunday and Good
Friday. You can find the readings for Palm Sunday here. (Note that the liturgy today begins with the story of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.)
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. These are the Oil of Catechumens, used in rites preparing those to be baptized; the Oil of the Sick, used for anointing those who are seriously ill; and Chrism, a scented oil used at Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination.
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 counted 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 readings for Holy Thursday can be found here.- 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. (While many parishes will pray the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, this devotional prayer is not part of the liturgy of the Triduum.) The readings for Good Friday can be found here.
- 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 Exsultet; 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. All of the readings for the Easter Vigil can be found here.
- The joy of Easter overflows in the celebration of additional masses on Easter Sunday morning. The readings for masses on Easter Sunday can be found here.
- The Triduum closes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday
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 festival.
Check with your local parish and 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, our life and resurrection...
for he is our salvation, our life and resurrection...
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