Let's get down to business; it's Holy Week people. For the last 34 days, we've been fasting, praying, giving alms, adding to our spiritual habits, in preparation for next Sunday. If there was ever a week to buckle down, and give God all you've got, it would be this week.
Today at mass, we heard Luke's version of the Passion of Christ; Thursday, Friday, and Sunday we will hear the other three versions of the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection of Christ. We will venerate the cross, wash feet, and perform other various acts of tradition that most of us don't fully understand.
Is anyone else confused about what all will be going on this week? Because I remember the first time I really paid attention at Holy Week services, and I was lost. So, I thought I would offer a friendly, comprehensive Holy Week guide.
Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday (today). Mass begins with a processional inside, weather permitting. We had snow where I live, so we started inside. The priest will bless the palms the people picked up before mass began, and then the entire congregation will process into their pews, with the priest entering last, like a normal mass. The gospel will be one of the four accounts of the Passion of Christ.
We wave palms in tradition of how Jesus was greeted upon His return to Jerusalem.
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" (Jn 12:13-15)
Holy Thursday is the most important and profound service in the Catholic Church, except for the Easter Vigil Mass. Holy Thursday celebrates, the Last Supper, otherwise known as the Institution of the Eucharist. This is the service you remember as child, the one where the priest washed feet. He does this in reflection and honor of our Servant-Leader, who washed the feet of His Disciples. This action represents baptism, a forgiveness of sins, and a servile action. We listen to the second Gospel version of the Passion. At the end of the mass, the priest strips the altar and moves the extra consecrated hosts to another tabernacle off to the side.
All of this is to symbolize a cleansing of the Church, which is how Holy Thursday received it's other name, Maundy Thursday, taken from the word Mandatum, meaning cleansed.
In the Cathedrals around the world, another special mass takes place; the Chrism Mass, which is attended by as many priests as possible. This mass represents the the institution of the priesthood. The bishop of the diocese washes the feet of twelve priests, and blesses the chrism oil that will be used for Confirmation and Baptism throughout the following year.
Good Friday is the only day of the year that there is no mass. Anywhere. At anytime. No mass.
"But wait, I remember receiving Communion at Good Friday services," you're thinking.
Right you are, you did receive Communion. But it wasn't consecrated in front of you; it was consecrated on Holy Thursday. Remember the extra hosts I mentioned? Those are the ones we receive on Good Friday. We don't have a Eucharistic celebration out of honor for the Passion of our Lord. Instead, we venerate the Cross.
venerate: to regard with great respect; revereThe Church is bare after Holy Thursday services, we have no musical instruments and will not sing again until Easter Vigil. All of the congregation's focus is on the Cross. Veneration of the Cross started in the fourth century, after St. Helena discovered the True Cross. The priest would unveil the relic, and announce to the people, "Behold, the Wood of the Cross".
The same is done today, although very few us will get to venerate the True Cross. Rather, we will give our adoration to the representation of the cross; the Passion of Christ. You may either kiss, touch, or simply gaze upon the cross. All that matters is the sincerity with which you approach it. That cross represents our salvation, the great suffering that Christ went through, and God's great Love for us.
After Veneration, the people will listen to the third Gospel version of the Passion, receive Communion, and quietly, solemnly process out.
Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday need their own special cheat sheet, which I will put up on Holy Thursday before services begin; but this should be more than enough to get you through the first two days of the Tridiuum.
The most important thing to remember is to be reverent we don't have to understand every single thing we do as Catholics, what is important is to understand that we do it out of love and respect for our Lord, and what He did for us.
Have a blessed Holy Week,
Totus tuus,
LeAnn
Did I miss anything? Want more details? I put up all of my sources under the Links page, so that you can investigate for yourselves! The sites I used had great tips, resources, and explanations for everything going on this week.
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